This show could become your new favorite period romance.
With the premiere of Bridgerton Season 3 on Netflix, many viewers have also been using it as an excuse to revisit Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. But if you’ve already exhausted both shows (again) and are craving your next fix of period romance, you might want to consider the historical drama Poldark, which aired between 2015 and 2019 on BBC One in the UK and PBS in the U.S. The show, based on the series of novels by Winston Graham, stars Aidan Turner as Ross Poldark, an army captain who returns home from the American War of Independence and soon falls in love with his new scullery maid, Demelza Carne (Eleanor Tomlinson). The two marry, and the rest of the series follows the highs and lows of their relationship alongside other events within the Cornish community in which they live.
The show certainly has its differences from Queen Charlotte — most noticeably, it lacks the racial diversity that the Bridgerton universe has been celebrated for, only deciding to introduce a Black character in its fifth and final season. It strikes a slightly more serious overall tone and depicts the lives of people across a range of social classes whereas Bridgerton focuses on the aristocracy. Poldark spans the years of 1781 to 1801, between the time when Queen Charlotte (India Amarteifio) marries King George (Corey Mylchreest) in 1761 and when Bridgerton is set in the 1810s, and most of the action takes place in Cornwall, so viewers can expect differences in styling and settings. And, sadly, there are no classical covers of your favorite pop songs or Julie Andrews as the iconic Lady Whistledown. But make no mistake — there’s a lot going on in Poldark that Queen Charlotte and Bridgerton fans are bound to love.
Just Like ‘Bridgerton,’ Love and Romance Are at the Heart of ‘Poldark’
While each season of Bridgerton — including the spin-off miniseries Queen Charlotte — focuses on a different romance, Poldark primarily centers on the love story of Ross and Demelza. The gorgeous pair has electric chemistry, with steamy scenes from the very start that could give Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon (Regé-Jean Page) a run for their money. Thanks to stellar writing and performances, their tumultuous partnership never gets boring as we constantly get to see them navigate new challenges — and we’re unable to tire of Ross’ angsty brooding. Poldark is also unafraid to introduce new romances to the show, like Dr. Dwight Enys (Luke Norris) and Caroline (Gabriella Wilde) in Season 2, and Drake (Harry Richardson) and Morwenna (Ellise Chappell) in Season 3; While they may not be leads, these couples receive considerable development and screen time that makes them easy to root for.
Like Bridgerton, Poldark, at its essence, is about a fairly small community of characters and the relationships between them — be they romantic, familial, platonic, or even antagonistic. Other key figures in Poldark are Ross’ cousins Verity (Ruby Bentall) and Francis (Kyle Soller), the latter of whom is engaged to Ross’ childhood sweetheart Elizabeth (Heida Reed). In Season 3, Demelza’s brothers Drake and Sam (Tom York) also become key cast members. Whether audiences are looking for something like the sibling dynamics of the Bridgerton family, or romances to rival that of Kate (Simone Ashley) and Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), Poldark has much to offer.
‘Poldark’ Is No Stranger to Soapy Storylines and Ridiculous Plot Twists
A big reason why we love Bridgerton is that it’s far from a stuffy period drama that’s overly solemn in nature. It perfectly balances a mixture of storylines that are both poignant and petty. From the Featheringtons’ latest schemes to the Gossip Girl-esque Lady Whistledown mystery, Bridgerton can hardly be accused of taking itself too seriously. Poldark has a similar amount of silly and shocking drama that could be straight out of a soap opera; it’s not quite Game of Thrones, but there are several plot twists and main character deaths to keep you hooked.
Poldark also has a deliciously diabolical villain in the form of George Warleggan (Jack Farthing), and we love to hate him as much as we enjoy the heroic antics of the protagonists. Lady Featherington (Polly Walker) is perhaps the closest thing to a clear-cut antagonist on Bridgerton, whereas, on Poldark, there’s no denying that George is the ultimate baddie. He goes on quite a journey over the course of the show and has almost everything you could want in a villain, from campy, fun evilness to moments of humanity and redemption.
