It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Sunday evening must be in want of a period drama

What joy, what rapture! Poldark returns next Sunday

What joy, what rapture! Poldark returns next Sunday

What joy, what rapture: Poldark is returning to our screens on Sunday 10th June 2018. We will once again be treated to the exploits, romps, romances, hardships, joys and sorrows of all our favourite cast members including:

(*Spoiler alert* This blog contains lots of details about series 3 of Poldark which aired in 2017.) 

  • The lovely Demelza with her common sense and two lovers;
  • Ross in all his handsome, derring-do, pig-headed, taking-Demelza-for-granted glory;
  • Nasty, envious, bitter, anxiety-ridden George with all his evil schemes;
  • Beautiful, placid-but-steelier-than-we-thought (‘Is love cruel, is love unkind…’ and shout-out to the excellently worded oath on the bible) Elizabeth;
  • Drake with his zest for life and that grin, be still my beating heart;
  • Morwenna of the beautiful eyes and serene countenance amidst serious adversity;
  • Osborne – get off her you creepy, sex-addicted, toe-sucking, bumptious pig;
  • The exquisite Caroline;
  • A recovering Dwight;
  • The wonderful Verity
  • The too-good-for-her-station Rosina;
  • The resolutely Poldark Geoffrey-Charles;
  • The practical, grounding Zacky;
  • Good-hearted, serious (and handsome) Sam (‘I’ll pray for ‘ee’);
  • The warm, romping, laughing Emma (‘lug’);
  • Rascally Tholly; and
  • The wholly brilliant, lovable, give me a spoon and I’ll stir up trouble, Prudie.

There will be miners, fishermen, bal maidens, Lords, Ladies, gentlemen, unprincipled Warleggan Uncles, and, of course, The French (yes, all of them). There may be a Poldark child or two featured. These are Jeremy and Clowance but if you haven’t read the books you could be forgiven for never really catching their names. They are quite remarkable children if their ability to be left entirely alone all the time is anything to go by! Expect great things.

Series 3 ended with Demelza’s return to her marital bed but left so many questions to answer in series 4:

  1. How will Ross cope with a sensitive, soulful-eyed (if failing in sight) rival who would worship the very bread Demelza kneads and has ‘tasted heaven’ in the dunes?
  2. What will this mean for Demelza and her putting up with all Ross’s nonsense and neglect? Will her  ‘wonderful common sense’ return?
  3. Will Prudie get over her ‘blood boiling’ at Ross’s shenanigan’s enough to stop pushing her mistress into the arms of the beautiful Hugh Armitage for a minute?
  4. How will Ross and his tricorn hat fare in London Town if he achieves his new-found political ambitions? Good job he never just says whatever he thinks… oh… wait.
  5. Will George really be convinced by the excellently worded oath sworn by Elizabeth? Will he be able to break out of the anxiety/fear/jealousy/bitterness caused by a few words from a marvellous old crone (Aunt Agatha, God rest her feisty soul)?
  6. Will Valentine be ‘deformed’ by rickets?
  7. Will Geoffrey-Charles be played by the same wonderful actor as he grows up?*
  8. What next for the hopeless romance of Drake and Morwenna?
  9. What is the next move for Reverend Osborne Whitworth (he of the pig-tailed mole on his buttock), his pregnant mistress, and his revolting, unwanted advances towards his terrified wife?
  10. Will Dwight and Caroline’s marriage prosper as he continues his post-imprisonment recovery?

*Alas, I know the answer to this already, the brilliant Harry Marcus will be replaced by Louis Davidson (who also looks brilliant in all fairness) as an older version of Geoffrey-Charles is required. I’m sure Harry Marcus has a dazzling future ahead if his stint in Poldark is anything to go by.

Poldark Series 4 is on BBC1 on Sunday 10th June at 9pm

(If you’re in the US Poldark 4 premieres on 30th September 2018 on PBS)