Poldark (TV 1996)

Director:

Richard Laxton

Writer:

Winston Graham (novel)

Stars:

John Bowe, Mel Martin, Michael Attwell

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Bowe	...	Ross Poldark
Mel Martin	...	Demelza
Michael Attwell	...	George Warleggan
Ioan Gruffudd	...	Jeremy Poldark
Kelly Reilly	...	Clowance Poldark
Nicholas Gleaves	...	Stephen Cravenson
Gabrielle Lloyd	...	Jane Gimlet
Sarah Carpenter	...	Lady Harriet
Hans Matheson	...	Ben Carter
Amanda Ryan	...	Cuby Trevanion
James Saxon	...	Prince Regent
Nicholas Rowe	...	Lord Edward Fitzmaurice
Andrew Readman	...	Dr. Dwight Enys
Fiona Victory	...	Caroline Enys
Patrick Pearson	...	Canning

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

sequel | cornwall | based on novel | character name in title

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Details

Country:

UK

Release Date:

3 October 1996 (UK)

Also Known As:

Poldark - Tuntematon mies mereltä

Filming Locations:

Coombe Haven, Menabilly, Cornwall, England, UK

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The dark velvet Spencer with white frog closures worn by Sarah Carpenter (Lady Harriet) while reading George Warleggan's letter is the same costume worn by Natasha Little (Becky Sharp) while speaking to Mr. Wenham in the street in Vanity Fair, and by Romola Garai (Emma Woodhouse) in church in Emma.

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Connections

Version of Poldark: Episode #1.1 (1975)

User Reviews

Mixed Reviews

The old Poldark afficiandos regard this as a blasphemy. But I've noticed some reviews on Amazon that are a little less anorak and a little more objective, some of which are fairly favourable, one or two very much so. On its own terms it does have flaws. The book on which it is based is more an old man's ruminations than a story and any adaptation was going to run into problems. That said, the cast is great (the much-missed originals might well have floundered with their mannered performances, okay in the seventies but ... well ...), the locations and design are quite stunning and the story sort of lopes along a bit erratically but there are some good scenes. Laxton directs with finesse, in my view, and the script is more elegantly poetic than I think its audience was expecting. It does end rather suddenly but this was probably meant as a pilot to a series. On reflection, the stories are resolved, in a way, but leave something to the viewer to work out. Probably far too ambitious considering its natural constituency and in the end, possibly a compromise between something new and pandering to the old. It couldn't win. But it's actually a good piece of work. Congratulations all round.