No one can resist Ross Poldark! Poldark, Season 2 Aidan Turner stars as the courageous Cornishman in an all-new new season SPECIAL TWO-HOUR PREMIERE Sunday, September 25, 2016 at 8PM ET On MASTERPIECE
Continues Sunday, October 2, 2016 at 9pm ET Sundays, October 16 – November 27, 2016 at 9pm ET* *Pre-empted on Sunday, October 9, 2016
Neither pestilence, starvation, nor betrayal can stop Ross Poldark from fighting for justice in his native Cornwall. Aidan Turner (The Hobbit) returns as the ex-officer, class warrior, lover, and mining entrepreneur, called by The New York Times “the noblest, hottest, most down-to-earth hero.” Poldark, Season 2 airs on MASTERPIECE in nine gripping new episodes, this fall on PBS.
Also back is co-star Eleanor Tomlinson (Death Comes to Pemberley), playing Demelza, the miner’s daughter who is Ross’ equal in passion, wit, and daring—which is, of course, why they marry.
Critics gave a warm reception to Poldark’s first season, withVariety writing that “MASTERPIECE has unearthed another gem,” and Entertainment Weekly urging readers to “make an appointment with your TV to tune into Poldark.” The Philadelphia Inquirer marveled at the title character: “He’s a cross between Robin Hood and Batman.”
The returning cast includes Heida Reed (One Day) as Ross’ first love, Elizabeth, who broke his heart by marrying his duplicitous cousin Francis, played with intriguing ambiguity by Kyle Soller (Anna Karenina). Also back are Jack Farthing (Poirot) as George Warleggan, the arch-villain who would rather see Ross dead, a situation he does his best to arrange; along with Philip Davis (White Teeth) and Beatie Edney (Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day) as Ross’ exasperating servants, Jud and Prudie Paynter.
New this season—or thrust into prominence from last—are Gabriella Wilde (Endless Love) as Caroline Penvenen, a flirtatious young heiress under the watchful eye of her rich uncle, Ray, played by John Nettles (Midsomer Murders); Luke Norris (Titanic) as earnest young doctor Dwight Enys, who only has time for his patients— and for Caroline; and Henry Garrett (Zero Dark Thirty) as Captain McNeil, Ross’ old comrade from the war, now hunting smugglers and an opportunity to woo a certain married lady.
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All of these characters inhabit the imaginative world created by Winston Graham in his bestselling “Poldark” novels, published between 1945 and 2002. Comprising an even dozen volumes, the epic commences in 1783, as British officer Ross Poldark returns to Cornwall, fresh from the American Revolutionary War. MASTERPIECE’s Poldark, Season 2 takes the plot into Graham’s fourth volume, “Warleggan”.
Viewers of the first season will recall that Ross shocks his relatives and neighbors when he shows up from America, since all had presumed him dead. Then he sets about upending their lives—threatening the copper mining interests of his uncle and cousin, Charles and Francis Poldark, and the rival operation of upstart George Warleggan. He is also ensnared in a romantic web that connects him, Francis, and George to the beautiful Elizabeth. Nevertheless, Ross happily marries Demelza and they have a daughter. But in the final episode of Season1, an epidemic takes the child away, and a shipwreck and drowning are blamed on Ross.
So at the start of Season 2, Ross stands accused of murder and “wrecking”— luring a cargo ship to the rocks for plunder. It’s a capital offense, the judge is unsympathetic, hostile witnesses have been bribed and Ross appears headed for the gallows. It’s just the first in a string of suspenseful episodes every bit as precipitous as the steep cliffs of Cornwall.
Poldark, Season 2 is a Mammoth Screen production for the BBC and MASTERPIECE. Based on the novels by Winston Graham, it is written and created for television by Debbie Horsfield, produced by Margaret Mitchell and directed by Will Sinclair, Charles Palmer and Richard Senior. The executive producers are Debbie Horsfield, Karen Thrussell and Damien Timmer for Mammoth Screen, Elizabeth Kilgarriff for the BBC and Rebecca Eaton for MASTERPIECE. It is distributed internationally by ITV Studios Global Entertainment.
About MASTERPIECE The top-rated primetime show on PBS, MASTERPIECE is celebrating its 45th anniversary in 2016. MASTERPIECE is presented on PBS by WGBH Boston. Rebecca Eaton is executive producer. Funding for the series is provided by Viking River Cruises and Audible with additional support from public television viewers and contributors to The MASTERPIECE Trust. MASTERPIECE is known for presenting iconic shows such as Upstairs Downstairs, Prime Suspect, The Forsyte Saga, Poldark, Sherlock and Downton Abbey.
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About WGBH WGBH Boston is America’s preeminent public broadcaster and the largest producer of PBS content for TV and the Web, including Frontline, Nova, American Experience, Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, Arthur, Curious George and more than a dozen other prime-time, lifestyle, and children’s series. WGBH also is a major supplier of programming for public radio, and oversees Public Radio International (PRI). As a leader in educational multimedia for the classroom, WGBH supplies content to PBS LearningMedia, a national broadband service for teachers and students. WGBH also is a pioneer in technologies and services that make media accessible to those with hearing or visual impairments. WGBH has been recognized with hundreds of honors. More info at www.wgbh.org.
About Mammoth Screen Mammoth Screen is one of the UK's leading production companies. Current productions include Poldark II, based on the novels by Winston Graham and adapted by Debbie Horsfield, and The Witness for the Prosecution, an adaptation by Sarah Phelps of the Agatha Christie story, both for BBC ONE; NW, adapted by Rachel Bennette from the novel by Zadie Smith, and The City and the City, adapted by Tony Grisoni from the novel by China Miéville, both for BBC TWO; Endeavour IV, the Inspector Morse prequel series written by Russell Lewis and Victoria, written by Daisy Goodwin, both for ITV, and Agatha Raisin, based on novels by MC Beaton and adapted by Stewart Harcourt for Sky One.
About ITV Studios Global Entertainment ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVS GE) is one of the world’s leading international TV distribution, home entertainment, publishing, merchandising and licensing businesses. ITVS GE distributes celebrated content across all genres from both its in-house production business, ITV Studios, and in collaboration with leading producers from around the world. Part of ITV PLC, which includes the UK’s largest commercial broadcaster, ITV Studios Global Entertainment has offices in London, Hong Kong, Los Angeles and Sydney. pbs.org/masterpiece
MASTERPIECE Press Contacts Ellen Dockser, [email protected], 617-300-5338 Laura Garvey, [email protected], 617-300-5342 Heidi Schaeffer, [email protected], 310-854-4800
August 2016
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