Details Emerge On The 5th & Final Season Of ‘Poldark’ As Filming Begins
The BBC drama ‘Poldark‘ is about to start filming it’s 5th and final series, so writer Debbie Horsfield has been discussing how she has approached this last outing for the loved (and often shirtless) drama.
The entire Poldark saga consists of 12 original novels by Winston Graham. Season 4 was based on ‘The Angry Tide’, which was the 7th book in the series, which then has a 10-year time jump before the 8th book, ‘The Stranger from the Sea’.
“In ‘The Stranger from the Sea’ Winston Graham made many references to developments that happened in the ‘gap’ years,” comments Horsfield. “Much can also be inferred. There are, of course, also historical events and people of the time, both in Cornwall and in London. Series five will draw on all of these to follow the lives of the Poldarks, George Warleggan, the Enyses, and the Carnes in this intervening period.”
It is a new century and with it comes the promise of a hopeful future, but the past casts a long shadow over Cornwall. Following the death of Elizabeth, Ross Poldark (Aidan Turner) resolves to put Westminster behind him and spend more time with the people he loves. However, when an old friend emerges with a plea for help, Ross is compelled to challenge the establishment again. As the Enyses (Luke Norris and Gabriella Wilde) rally to join the cause, Demelza (Eleanor Tomlinson) must contend with dangers close to home, while George (Jack Farthing) courts corrupt powers whose influence spans the Empire.
As you would expect, Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson will return as Ross and Demelza Poldark for the fifth series. Also back are Jack Farthing (George Warleggan), Luke Norris (Dr Dwight Enys), Gabriella Wilde (Caroline Enys), Ellise Chappell (Morwenna Carne), Harry Richardson (Drake Carne), Tom York as Sam Carne, and Beatie Edney as Prudie.
A number of new cast members are joining ‘Poldark’ for its 5th outing, including Lily Dodsworth Evans (‘Genius’), Kerri McLean (‘Electric Dreams’) and Sofia Oxenham (‘Grantchester’). Vincent Regan (‘300’), Peter Sullivan (‘Entebbe’) and Freddie Wise (‘Maleficent 2’), although the parts they are playing have not yet been revealed.
“No-one can know what my father would have felt about the forthcoming series, let alone what he might have written, commented Andrew Graham, son of Poldark author Winston Graham and series consultant on behalf of the Winston Graham Estate. “However, Debbie Horsfield has demonstrated such an extraordinary affinity with his work and shown such remarkable skill in bringing his Poldark characters to the screen that we know we are in safe hands. Indeed, without her, the Estate would not have agreed to series five in this form.”
Poldark is adapted by Debbie Horsfield (‘Age Before Beauty’, ‘Cutting It’, ‘The Riff Raff Element’) produced by Michael Ray (Poldark) and directed by Sallie Aprahamian (‘Doctor Who’) and Justin Molotnikov (‘Stan Lee’s Lucky Man’). Debbie Horsfield continues to serve as executive producer alongside Karen Thrussell and Damien Timmer for Mammoth Screen and Elizabeth Kilgarriff for the BBC.
Although this is the final season, Karen Thrussell, executive producer for Mammoth, isn’t totally ruling out a return to the series at some point in the future. “At Mammoth, we’re all fans of the Poldark books and we hope our audience will continue with us on the next stage of the journey. We are confident that fans of the novels will appreciate the care with which Debbie Horsfield is continuing to adapt Winston Graham’s saga. This will be the last series in the Poldark chronicle… for now. Who knows what the future may bring.”
‘Poldark‘ Season 5 will film in Cornwall, Bristol and surrounding areas this week and will air on BBC One in 2019.
