The Poldark series are all closely based on the novels of Winston Graham, well known for his thrillers and for the screen adaptations of his later nonhistorical books, the British film noir Fortune Is a Woman (1956) and Marnie (1964), directed by Alfred Hitchcock. In 1969 Associated British Picture bought an option on the Poldark best sellers and commissioned a four-hour Cornish equivalent to Gone With the Wind. However, the film project was dropped during the EMI takeover of the company. The option was taken over by London films, who eventually collaborated with the BBC.

The first BBC series dramatizes the original four novels Graham wrote at the end of World War II. Graham had initially planned a trilogy set in 18th-century Cornwall, which would explore the love triangle between the war hero Captain Poldark, his less-exciting cousin Francis Poldark, and the aristocratic Elizabeth Chynoweth. However, as the narrative developed, Graham became more interested in the social situation in Cornwall at that time and the dramatic contrast between the oppressed poor and the new landowning classes. Graham added the engaging urchin Demelza, who marries Ross out of her class, and a fourth book focused on the villain, the nouveau riche George Warleggan.

The first series established Ross Poldark as a character at war with his own class. After his return to Cornwall and his failure to win back Elizabeth, Ross attempts to restore Nampara, his father’s ruined estate. He shocks his neighbors by marrying Demelza, the daughter of a brutal miner, and interesting himself in the affairs of those who work for him. His legitimate business deals and mining company ventures bring him into direct competition with George Warleggan. Illegal activities, such as the false charge of incitement to riot and, later smuggling, also bring Poldark into conflict with the Warleggans. In this feud, Poldark is portrayed as the forward-looking, benevolent landowner and entrepreneur, whereas Warleggan is seen as a tyrannical arriviste, whose grand house is burnt to the ground by dispossessed miners and tenants. happy cousin Morwenna. All are affected by the intense rivalry between Poldark and Warleggan. Ross Poldark and George Warleggan continue their feud in London as well as Cornish society by becoming opposing members of Parliament.

The outdoor locations set the first series apart from other studio-based costume dramas. Scenes such as the dramatic rescue of Dr. Enys from a prisoner of war camp in revolutionary France; the wrecking of the Warleggan ship; and action set in mines, against seascapes, and on coastal paths all created a spectacular backdrop for the vicissitudes of Poldark’s marital and financial dilemmas. The contrast between the theatrical approach to studio production and the spontaneity engendered by location filming gave the historical drama a unique, fresh quality.

Not surprisingly, the BBC expressed an interest in making a third series, but at that time Graham did not feel that he could write the books required for the source material. However, Graham did come to write additional books dealing with a second generation of Poldarks, continuing the Warleggan feud and introducing the industrial revolution to Cornwall. The 1996 TV movie based on some of this material, and featuring new actors in the lead roles, was not as well received as the 1970s series.