Review of Episode 1- Poldark on Masterpiece

Masterpiece on PBS aired the first episode of Poldark on Sunday, June 21. As a longtime fan of the original Poldark, I was eager to see the new version.

My suggestion for any viewer who has watched the original is to put it in that warm little corner of your mind where other happy memories live. Otherwise, you’ll focus on things like missing the old theme (guilty) and that Elizabeth doesn’t have blonde hair like previous actress Jill Townsend did.

This new version stays true to Winston Graham’s Ross Poldark novel, the first book in the Poldark series. Aiden Turner portrays Ross as a man saddened by the changes he returns home to find, but with the determination to move on. His Ross is extremely likeable as someone you’d cheer on! He’s also not bad on the eyes.

Eleanor Tomlinson’s Demelza was the hardest sell for me in this version. The late Anghard Rees was the only Demelza.  Remember what I said about putting the old version away? I’ll definitely need to follow my advice. I do believe Eleanor’s acting is strong enough to make the character of Demelza her own.  I’m interested to see the character’s growth in future episodes.

Overall, this first episode was highly enjoyable.  I’d recommend this series to anyone who loves good period dramas.  This is Masterpiece at its best.