Poldark

Romance, drama, Cornish history including the mining, the smugglers, shipwrecks, it has it all! I own the whole series, Poldark and Poldark 2. Just finished going through them both for the second time on video plus saw the originals on TV in the seventies. Hopefully they will appear on DVD soon.

The IMDb page seemingly lists all the characters/actors, even the bit players with little or no speaking parts. Something puzzles me here: One of the more important characters was a Dr. Behenna, played by Hugh Dickson. The character appears prominently in most, if not all, episodes and his part is essential to the plot. Strangely, this character is not even mentioned by IMDb - or by Amazon. Even more strange is that a look at the IMDb page for Hugh Dickson makes no mention of his part in Poldark or Poldark 2. Anybody have an explanation?

This series is a welcome dramatization of the Winston Graham novels dealing with the Poldarks of Cornwall. The acting is great and the local scenery enthralling. The programs are full of adventure, intrigue, romance and also provide an interesting insight into the lives of miners at the end of the 18th century.

OK, so Ross originally fought AGAINST us in our Revolution, but he is one of us at heart. A fellow with an appropriate sense of noblesse oblige, even if he ignores his own safety and interests in carrying it out, is so irresistible. How could Elizabeth have been so foolish as to not appreciate that essential element of his character?

Robin Ellis' performance is so amazingly positive we can't help but feel that anyone who finds themselves on a downward spiral can get it together if they have enough courage and determination. He's a role model for anyone who's even tempted to throw in the towel.

And a big Bronx cheer to the late Louis B. Mayer for denigrating things "where people write with feathers." The period of this story is one of my all-time favorites and not just for the clothes (I challenge anyone to say that the men of this series look anything but appropriately masculine), but for the ideals that were born in it. Sometimes we need to go back to our roots...

I have been watching this series since I was a child and absolutely love it. The actors are wonderful and the drama keeps going. You really learn to love these people, or hate them as the case may be. Some drama is not appropriate for children. I rent it from my local library once a year. My husband can even stand this one. There is a lot of character development as the people mature and they diverge through several different groups and couples. You get to see love develop and change through many different relationships. I only wish they would hurry up and provide this series on DVD, one and two. You need to watch the whole series, right now it is 12 episodes of 2 hours each. I have been requesting it for years now. A definite worth the time.

If you read the books first or see the series first, either is a very satisfying experience. Lovers of romantic period novels should give this series a try. If I remember correctly, the first series covers the first 3 books; the second, books 4, 5, and 6 (the titles escape me). Graham wrote more books after the first six but those have never been dramatized for movie or television. Look this up on Amazon for more user comments.