AN ADAPTATION OF WINSTON GRAHAM'S POLDARK SERIES TX: 4th September 2016, 9pm on BBC ONE Introduction ........................................................................................................ Pages 2 -3 Character Descriptions ......................................................................................... Pages 4 -5 Aidan Turner is Ross Poldark ................................................................................ Pages 6-8 Eleanor Tomlinson is Demelza ............................................................................ Pages 9-11 Heida Reed is Elizabeth .................................................................................... Pages 12-13 Kyle Soller is Francis ........................................................................................... Page 14-15 Jack Farthing is George Warleggan .................................................................... Page 16-18 Ruby Bentall is Verity ......................................................................................... Page 19-20 Luke Norris is Dwight Enys ............................................................................... Pages 21 -22 John Nettles is Ray Penvenen ............................................................................ Page 23-24 Phil Davis is Jud Paynter .................................................................................... Pages 25-26 Beatie Edney is Prudie ...................................................................................... Pages 27-28 Caroline Blakiston is Aunt Agatha ..................................................................... Pages 29-30 Robin Ellis is Reverent Halse ................................................................................... Page 31 Gabriella Wilde is Caroline Penvenen ............................................................... Pages 32-33 Sebastian Armesto is Tankard........................................................................... Pages 34-35 Hugh Skinner is Unwin Trevaunance ................................................................ Pages 36-37 Pamela Haddock, Make-up ............................................................................... Pages 38-39 Ros Little, Costume ........................................................................................... Pages 40-41 Synopses .......................................................................................................... Pages 42 -44 Cast and Production Credits ............................................................................ Pages 45-46 For further information please contact: Lisa Vanoli 07899 060230 [email protected] Picture publicity: Alex Gill [email protected] 1 Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson are back on BBC One this September 4th at 9pm with a second series of the hugely popular Cornish saga POLDARK. The debut series peaked with 9.4 million viewers across TV and iPlayer, generating phenomenal media interest and devotion from viewers which culminated in it winning the Radio Times Audience Award at this year’s BAFTAs. Turner returns as hero Ross Poldark and Tomlinson as his wife Demelza. This series introduces other key characters including John Nettles (Midsomer Murders) as Ray Penvenen, one of the county's wealthiest landowners, and Gabriella Wilde (Endless Love) as his niece Caroline Penvenen, a beautiful and manipulative heiress. Hugh Skinner (W1A) plays Unwin Trevaunance, a prospective MP who hopes that Caroline (and her fortune) will consent to marry him. But does Caroline's heart lie elsewhere? Also back for the second series are Heida Reed as Elizabeth, Kyle Soller as Francis, Ruby Bentall as Verity, Jack Farthing as George Warleggan and Luke Norris as Dr Dwight Enys. Beatie Edney and Phil Davis return as Jud Paynter and his wife Prudie and Robin Ellis reprises his role as the Reverend Halse. 1790 and there is riot and revolution in the air. Ross Poldark (Aidan Turner) must fight for his freedom when George Warleggan (Jack Farthing) tries to have him hanged as a revolutionary. While Francis (Kyle Soller) and Elizabeth (Heida Reed) watch on in horror, can Demelza (Eleanor Tomlinson) save Ross from himself? Crippled by debts, Ross and Francis try to heal old wounds by joining forces in a new mine free of the Warleggans. Ross and Elizabeth are thrown together by unforeseen circumstances, and Ross risks everything in a desperate smuggling venture. Meanwhile, the fate of the Poldarks is tied to Dr Dwight Enys (Luke Norris) and young heiress Caroline Penvenen (Gabriella Wilde) in unexpected ways. The Poldark clan must learn to settle their differences once and for all, but at what cost? Writer Debbie Horsfield hints at what the new series has in store: ‘The stakes are higher, the rivalries keener and characters go to greater lengths to get what they 2 want. Ross continues to be a man of action, with his usual recklessness and headstrong risk-taking, but Demelza is no less proactive, often stepping in to save the day when Ross has overstepped the mark.’ Executive producer Karen Thrussell continues: ‘Series two feels darker both in tone and content. Ross starts the series with the threat of the hangman's noose and makes some risky decisions that threaten his and Demelza’s way of life at Nampara. ‘Once again, Debbie Horsfield’s unique talent has combined exciting dramatic events with exquisite character development. We cover book three and half of book four from Winston Graham’s POLDARK saga in series two and the content is so explosive that we needed to expand the run to 10 episodes. ‘We shot this series throughout the autumn and winter months which created a very different look and feel for the drama and some dramas of its own especially when storms hit our set on the rugged Cornish coast and filming had to be suspended for a day. ‘Our cast from series one returned to filming elated by the fantastic response we had for the first series and are joined by a rich array of new characters played by John Nettles, Gabriella Wilde and Hugh Skinner who each bring their own twists to the plot.’ POLDARK is filmed on location in Cornwall and the Bristol area and at The Bottle Yard Studios. A third series will go into production this autumn. Based on the novels by Winston Graham, POLDARK is a 10-part series written and created for television by Debbie Horsfield , (Cutting It, The Riff Raff Element) and directed by Will Sinclair (Vera, Misfits), Charles Palmer (Death in Paradise, Lark Rise to Candleford) and Richard Senior (Doctor Who, Our Girl). It is produced by Margaret Mitchell (Vera, Goodbye Mr. Chips, Poirot) and the executive producers are Debbie Horsfield, Karen Thrussell and Damien Timmer for Mammoth Screen and Elizabeth Kilgarriff for the BBC. 3 Character Descriptions ROSS POLDARK (Aidan Turner) Ross’ dogged belief in justice and morality puts him at odds with the class into which he was born and, as a champion of the common people, threatens to become his undoing. DEMELZA POLDARK (Eleanor Tomlinson) Demelza assumed her position as Ross’ wife with a grace few foresaw but a niggling sense of lowliness haunts her. She finds herself wrestling to not only save Ross from himself, but to embrace her own independence. GEORGE WARLEGGAN (Jack Farthing) George will stop at nothing to increase the might of his family’s banking empire, believing that with power comes the key to increased social respectability - something he desperately craves. ELIZABETH POLDARK née CHYNOWETH (Heida Reed) Elizabeth finds herself torn between the present and what could have been. As the Poldarks stand divided, Elizabeth seeks to unify them but finds her loyalties called into question along the way. FRANCIS POLDARK (Kyle Soller) Francis is a good man, but one plagued by self-pity and poor decisions. Jealously belying his true nature has fuelled Francis into actions at odds with his loyalties, actions he now seeks to rectify. VERITY BLAMEY (Ruby Bentall) Verity broke from her role as a dutiful daughter to marry Captain Andrew Blamey, a man with a dark past. Though happily in love, she yearns for familial reunion. DWIGHT ENYS (Luke Norris) Dwight is motivated by a fierce morality and strong principles. His mettle is tested, however, by the arrival of Caroline Penvenen - a woman who pulls Dwight from the familiar and into the thrilling. AUNT AGATHA (Caroline Blakiston) As wily and cunning as ever, Agatha sees more than she lets on and hears more than anyone would believe. JUD (Phil Davis) and PRUDIE PAYNTER (Beatie Edney) As Ross’ servants and his father’s before him, Jud and Prudie take liberties like it were part of the job. For all the trouble they cause, however, they are among the most loyal people in Ross’ life. CAROLINE PENVENEN (Gabriella Wilde) 4 Caroline is a complete minx: rich, beautiful and clever. She delights in tormenting people, but underneath there is a sweet, generous and complex heart. RAY PENVENEN (John Nettles) Caroline's kindly, sweet-toothed old Uncle who has raised her since she was orphaned. Ray is one of the county's most wealthy and powerful gentlemen. UNWIN TREVAUNANCE (Hugh Skinner) Unwin dreams of becoming an MP only so that Caroline (and her fortune) will consent to marry him. He is obsessed with the latest fashions and not the sharpest tool in the box. TANKARD (Sebastian Armesto) Tankard is the Warleggan’s iron fist in legal matters, helping navigate the law to identify areas George can exploit for his gain. CARY WARLEGGAN (Pip Torrens) George’s uncle, Cary is shrewd and determined