Let’s go back in time a decade to June 18th, 2015, a few days before MASTERPIECE aired the first-ever episode of Poldark in America on the 21st. In those pre-pandemic days, it was pretty common for PBS to arrange premiere events and talk show junkets in person in New York City. In 2015, I was halfway through my Columbia Journalism School program, and after seeing an ad on Facebook that said Aidan Turner was going to be in the city to promote Poldark, I decided to blow off writing whatever I was supposed to for my Master’s Project to stand in line hoping for a seat. I also encouraged a friend of mine to come so the 2-hour wait would be less awkward. Aidan Turner teasing Ross Poldark’s journey in Season 1 was well worth it, and I also got a selfie with him outside afterwards.
The teasers promoting the event were already in my mind, but seeing all of them in context on that Sunday evening hooked me immediately. Ross’ introduction highlighted his time as a Loyalist soldier during the Revolutionary War. Notably, he was mainly motivated by dodging jail time for his smuggling activities. The aftermath of the American Revolution from the perspective of the British is something few other period dramas, aside from The Book of Negroes touched on. From the very first episode until the last, I made live reacting on Twitter and discussing each episode an essential part of my viewing experience. It’s a shame advanced search on the platform doesn’t work as well as I used to, as there’s so many jokes and conversations that hashing out history versus modern ethical standards with fellow fans that are now lost to the digital sands of time.
Looking back on the first episode and first season of Poldark, several additional elements worked in concert to keep MASTERPIECE audiences hooked. Poldark was simultaneously a new series for Millennials and the youngest Gen X PBS viewers, and the 1970s Robin Ellis series for older viewers, in addition to being a compelling modern adaptation of Winston Graham’s novels. Ellis guest starring also reassured diehard 1970s fans that this modern adaptation was respecting the legacy of the story. Further, the series is one of the last period dramas developed by the BBC and PBS before the streaming revolution. Stories spread out across multiple seasons, and structured for weekly viewing, are increasingly rare. Finally, an extremely strong cast combining UK industry veterans, younger actors looking for a standout supporting or lead role, and guest character actors convinced audiences to keep watching week after week. Eleanor Tomlinson, Jack Farthing, Heida Reed, Luke Norris, Beatie Eadney, Gabriella Wilde, and Kyle Soller didn’t get enough credit at the time for their outstanding work because too many people falsely believed Aidan Turner was the only actor who mattered.
Poldark, compared to other period dramas at the time, had an entirely different flavor and its uniqueness was key in dispelling critics who thought all period dramas needed to mimic Downton Abbey’s format — and once in a generation level of success. Ross returning to Cornwall to find his girlfriend engaged to his cousin flipped the script on several previous MASTERPIECE series which explored the first love, second chance at first love, or wartime romance tropes. Debbie Horsfeld’s scripts gave both Demelza and Elizabeth depth, and most critically, a female perspective on their characters. Horsfeld excised the worst of the 1950s misogyny disguised as 1790s misogyny from Winston Graham’s original novels, and brilliantly turned characters’ thoughts into lines and actions the audience can see. Very quickly during that first episode, I realized that it wasn’t going to be Ross that was the star character in my eyes. The young servant girl Demelza Carne stole the show for me from the beginning. Eleanor Tomlinson played her with equal parts grit and charm, and showed Demelza’s transition from adolescence to adulthood beautifully. Ross and Demelza’s relationship transformed into a marriage during Season 1, and a compelling romance narrative is at the heart of all of the best non-biographical period dramas.
Villains and antagonists often gain their own followings in fandom, especially in science fiction and fantasy series. In period dramas and romance based series, it’s often taboo to side with these characters, and yet the personality conflicts and relationship storylines would fall apart without them. George Warleggan’s proto-capitalist tendencies versus Ross’ penchant for social rebellion and proto-socialism formed another key reason that Poldark stands out from other period dramas set around the same time. Their conflict over the mines, the legal system, banking, and how to treat their employees and tenants laid bare the British class system in ways Jane Austen dramas sidestep.
Summing up all the ways that becoming a Poldark fan changed my life would require an entire separate essay. The series came into my life at a transition point, and it influenced me to experience new things. Before watching the series, I was content with putting together cosplays based on modern fashions. After seeing Demelza’s red linen dress in Season 1, Episode 4, I wanted to make my own replica. I taught myself how to sew the Simplicity version of the historical style from YouTube in nine days, with a little in-person assistance from my grandma (I don’t recommend doing this as a first project, start with a pillowcase!). After years of admiring costumes in MASTERPIECE dramas I began to make my own, and I haven’t stopped sewing since! I also started to research historical fashion. I saved up my money from my first post-grad school job to go abroad for the first time and see how beautiful Cornwall was for myself in May 2018. I met friends in the fandom I still talk to online today, and a few I’ve even met in person.
The impact on my budding career as a freelance pop culture journalist is also clear. Season 2 was a lesson in what happens when a favorite character makes choices that bring up moral questions a viewer must grapple with. Upon reflection, the aftermath of this also changed the way I engage with media — as a fan and as a journalist. Very early on, I believed Ross’ encounter with Elizabeth was consensual, but after watching similar scenes on Outlander, I concluded that the only word to describe what happened was rape, something that was essentially confirmed by the #MeToo movement. While I did waste time with many fruitless arguments and insults, and likely could have phrased a lot of my feelings at the time in a more nuanced way, I now realize I was in fact practicing critical fandom. This approach has shaped my interviews, reviews, and analysis in my freelancing career. Having these incidents of misogynistic insults to reflect on and assess also prepared me for directly confronting Sanditon fandom’s harassment in 2020 and 2021.
Season 5, which was initially disliked by many fans for not centering Demelza and Ross’ marriage, became a critical precedent in the way period dramas were changing. In hindsight, Horsfeld’s decision to introduce the real life story of Kitty and Ned Despard predicted the future of period dramas. Poldark’s last episode aired only a year and a few months before Bridgerton changed the conversation for racebent and color conscious casting. The racist harassment I experienced for defending Kitty and Ned would also assist me in later debates about diversified period dramas.
One of the best measures of Poldark’s success is how many former cast and crew members are still actively involved in television, theater, and film projects. I always make it a point to try to check out the Poldark cast and crew in new projects, as they often lead me to explore new genres and series — from Eleanor Tomlinson parodying Cara Delevigne and other Instagram influencers, to Heida Reed’s Nordic Noirs, to watching Jack Farthing play Agatha Christie suspects and headlining his own dramedy series on HBO, to Harry Richardson charming fans of The Gilded Age by playing the son of a main character. I regularly see Poldark directing alums Joss Agnew, Stephen Woofenden, and others in newer British TV shows. Next up on my list is seeing Kyle Soller play a space villain on Andor — Star Wars isn’t normally my thing but it also helps that three other MASTERPIECE alums are also in the series: Anton Lesser (Endeavour), Denise Gough (The Inspector Lynley Mysteries) and Tom Durant-Pritchard (Miss Scarlet). I’vevalso come full circle with my writing, as I’ve now interviewed three Poldark alums for GBH Drama: Executive Producer Karen Thrussell on her most recent series A Very Royal Scandal, Aidan Turner forRivals and soon Executive Producer Damien Timmer, who is steering the ship on MASTERPIECE’s The Forsytes which also has Debbie Horsfeld as lead screenwriter plus other alums in the cast and crew. Poldark has ridden off into the sunset, but it has left an indelible legacy in the history of MASTERPIECE.
