Trailer: Poldark - Series 5, Episode 3

First love blossoms but a disaster in Cornwall threatens the Poldarks' hopes of lying low.

Poldark S5 Episode 3 Clip: Why do you Smile?

"Why do you smile?" Ross and Demelza share a tender moment in their beloved Cornwall. Ross reads a note which darkens his mood. Via BBC One Poldark website.

'Poldark' Series Five Opens to 4.6 Million

Photo: BBC

Poldark series five opened last night to an audience of 4.6 million, according to Broadcast Now, winning the 9 pm slot. While slightly down on the 4.7 m who watched the opener for series 4, the audience share was exactly the same at 22.7%.  Interestingly, Series two also opened to a 22.7% share (5.1m).

The number of viewers tuning in to Poldark  at 9pm easily topped those of  Beecham House (1.8m  8.9%)  which was showing on ITV at the same time.

Trailer for 'Poldark' S5 Episode 2

"What do you know of my wife?" Ross brings up Elizabeth while discussing Geoffrey Charles' future.

Poldark Series Five Episode One Trailer

"To Elizabeth" Geoffrey Charles hosts dinner at Trenwith to honour the Poldarks and his late mother. Poldark returns to BBC One Sunday 14 July at 9pm.

Writer Debbie Horsfield Introduces 'Poldark' Series Five

When I first picked up the novel Ross Poldark in 2012 I had no idea that seven years later I’d have adapted seven books and completed five series (43 hours!) of Winston Graham’s extraordinary Poldark saga. In 2015, with great trepidation, we awaited the response to series one. Knowing that the 1970s adaptation had been massively popular, and praying that we’d done justice to these amazing stories, characters and Cornwall. Fortunately the casting – Aidan (Turner), Eleanor (Tomlinson), Jack (Farthing), Heida (Reed), Luke (Norris), Kyle (Soller), Beatie (Edney) and Ruby (Bentall) - found favour with audiences, and to our great delight we were asked for more. Although none of us ever dared to look more than one series ahead, we found ourselves approaching the end of series four (and book seven, The Angry Tide) with something of a dilemma. Our cast was optioned for five series – so what to do with an 11-year time jump and five more books? We knew we’d never be able to wrap up five books in a single series, but no-one wanted to call time just yet, so we looked at another option.

In book eight (The Stranger from the Sea), 11 years down the line, we meet Ross abroad on a special
mission for the government. How did he go from restless, sometimes reckless and somewhat disillusioned MP, who despaired of ever really “making a difference” in the world, to Special Agent Poldark sent by the Crown to report from Portugal on the Peninsula War against Napoleon. Winston Graham had left plenty of hints in book eight about events which had happened in those intervening years, but he gives little away about how Ross achieved that transformation. So for me it was the starting point, the way to navigate through series five.  Winston Graham’s son Andrew endorsed my wish to continue his father’s methodology - looking at the historical context (Napoleonic Wars, Act of Union, fast-approaching Abolition of Slavery) and using real events and real people to drive the narrative. So what would be our events and who would be our new characters?  It seemed to me that one thing we had never met so far was a character to whom Ross really looked up to, even to the extent of hero-worship. So when I was researching the early 1800s I came across Colonel Edward Despard. Reading about him I was so reminded of Ross himself that I felt sure Winton Graham knew of him (though Andrew Graham thinks not). Ned Despard was a war hero who, like Ross believed in justice, compassion, equality and liberty for all. His wife Catherine was a former slave from Jamaica. And her rise to be his equal, her determination in the face of prejudice and scorn was uncannily reminiscent of Demelza’s own journey. As was the love and
devotion both couples felt for each other. I wanted Ned to be part of Ross’ journey towards greater maturity, to be the salutary lesson, his “there but for the grace of God”.  Tracing Despard and Catherine’s real life story, intertwining it with Ross and Demelza’s and seeing them deal with the consequences of that entanglement forms the spine of series five, and introduces on the way other real-life characters such as James Hadfield (would-be assassin of George III), William Wickham (founder of the British foreign secret service) and Joseph Merceron (the “Godfather” of East London). Inextricably involved with Ross and Demelza’s journey are Ross’s nemesis George Warleggan, as well as friends and allies Dwight and Caroline Enys, Sam, Drake and Morwenna Carne.

It feels strange, and a little sad, to be approaching the transmission of series five knowing that we won’t be returning to Cornwall, but it’s been an extraordinary journey for all of us and we feel truly fortunate to have lived with these characters and stories for so long. What’s next for me? Watch this space. Not a tricorn in sight. I’m excited for the next project - but I’ll miss that Cornish surf!

Related Links:
Aidan Turner Talks 'Poldark' Series Five
Eleanor Tomlinson on 'Poldark' Series Five
Jack Farthing on the Final Series of 'Poldark'
Luke Norris Talks 'Poldark' Series Five
Gabriella Wilde Talks 'Poldark' Series Five
Vincent Regan is Ned Despard in 'Poldark'
Kerri McLean is Kitty Despard in 'Poldark'
Ellise Chappell on 'Poldark' Series Five
Harry Richardson Talks 'Poldark' Series Five
Tom York on 'Poldark' Series Five
Freddie Wise is Geoffrey Charles Poldark
Lily Dodsworth-Evans is Cecily Hanson in 'Poldark'
Sofia Oxenham is Tess Tregidden in 'Poldark'

Source:  BBC Press Pack

Sofia Oxenham is Tess Tregidden in 'Poldark'

Sofia Oxenham joins the cast of Poldark this series as the rabble-rousing troublemaker, Tess Tregidden. Being from Cornwall herself, Sofia admits she was incredibly excited to land this 

Photo: BBC

role: ‘Not only do they film Poldark in Cornwall, but they also told me when I auditioned that this character, Tess, is from Cornwall, which is where I am from so that naturally resonated with me. Everyone in Cornwall loves Poldark, including my friends and family who were equally as excited as I was. Tess is very feisty and sees herself as a leader so I was over the moon at the thought of stepping into her shoes. I was nervous to join the cast but as soon as I stepped on set that first day everyone made the newcomers feel very welcome.’

Sofia reveals that audiences can expect a lot of drama from this ‘firecracker’: ‘Tess was described by Debbie (Horsfield) as fierce, spirited and uncomfortably restrained by her maid’s uniform and that perfectly sums her up.  She is very layered; throughout the series she presents herself as numerous different characters, which makes people think she may have changed for the better and that her motives aren’t the same as what they previously were. However, Tess is a master manipulator.

‘Demelza thinks she can help Tess and change her troublesome ways, but in order to do so she needs Tess around her so she employs her as a farm hand at Nampara, helping Prudie (Beatie Edney) and doing extra work for them. There is a glimmer of something Demelza recognises, possibly from a past version of herself, in Tess and she really wants to help guide her. However, Tess is hugely bitter of those who have it easier than her, especially people like Demelza who once walked in Tess’s shoes. The resentment from Tess is so strong that the more Demelza tries to help her, the more Tess ends up hating her.’

Sofia discloses that Tess sets her sights on the eldest of Demelza’s brothers, Sam Carne (Tom York): ‘Whilst Tess does actually fancy Sam, more importantly she thinks she can use him to her advantage. She is sure that if she plays the role of this holier than thou girl in need of saving he won’t be able to resist helping her and in turn she will be able to control him.

Sofia explains that Tess takes on a leading role in stirring up trouble this series: ‘Tess is causing unrest in the mine, purposely winding people up in order to anger them enough to speak up and demand more.

Sofia recalls a hilarious moment from filming that she won’t soon forget: ‘Just before Christmas we were filming a big celebratory dinner at Nampara and a lot of the cast were involved. Prudie and Tess were serving everyone and at one point Tess steals a bit of cake and starts eating it. So Prudie is meant to shove her quickly out of the view of the rest of the dinner guests. Beatie literally barrelled me over in one swoop but no one knew she was going to do this, so it seemed as if she had just shoved me out of the room out of no where. No one could contain their laughter.’

Related Links:
Aidan Turner Talks 'Poldark' Series Five
Eleanor Tomlinson on 'Poldark' Series Five
Jack Farthing on the Final Series of 'Poldark'
Luke Norris Talks 'Poldark' Series Five
Gabriella Wilde Talks 'Poldark' Series Five
Vincent Regan is Ned Despard in 'Poldark'
Kerri McLean is Kitty Despard in 'Poldark'
Ellise Chappell on 'Poldark' Series Five
Harry Richardson Talks 'Poldark' Series Five
Tom York on 'Poldark' Series Five
Freddie Wise is Geoffrey Charles Poldark
Lily Dodsworth-Evans is Cecily Hanson in 'Poldark'

Source:  BBC Press Pack