Complex, moral leading man sells British period drama.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
a little
Brief scenes of war show people shot and stabbed in graphic detail. Some fighting and dueling and one near drowning. Illness also leads to death. The issue of marital rape is a plot point in one season.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
This period drama reflects the time and place in which it's set, with strict class divisions and gender roles. Even so, some characters challenge the unwritten rules, as does Ross by opting to marry below his status and by sympathizing with the plight of the lower class. Betrayals and manipulations are common, even among family members and married partners.
Positive Role Models
some
Ross is no saint, having been a gambler and smuggler, but he's also honest, decent, and loyal. He values people over money and power, and he won't be bribed. Others around him (and many in his family) are less upstanding, and some aim to undo him through trickery and manipulation.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Poldark is a drama series set in late 18th-century England, shortly after the American War of Independence. As such, many cultural truths stand out as different from what exists today, particularly related to women's roles and the issue of socioeconomic hierarchy. All this makes Ross Poldark a pleasant oddity -- a member of a privileged family but one who lives by the values his father taught, including hard work and respect for the common people. The story doesn't shy away from harsh realities such as illness, war, and death, and there are some potentially upsetting incidents of each, as well as some steamy bedroom scenes.
Thought this was a great show until the main male character decided it was just to break every law you could think of then cheat on his wife with another woman and said “it had to be done”.
Encourages terrible morals and definitely not for children. I am 23 and I stopped watching the show after I saw the cheating that was being passed off as necessary.
This is not a series for christians or families who care about their walk with God or moral walk. The main character played by Aidan Turner returns from war and finds out his fiancee is about to marry another man. There are affairs throughout the show in each season. There is a 'priest' who is totally depraved. There are not any characters involved in marital relationships that are faithful to their spouses! Do not watch this show!
What's the Story?
POLDARK follows the return of Ross Poldark (Aidan Turner) to his Cornish home after fighting in the American War of Independence. But with his father dead, his inherited estate in shambles, and his sweetheart, Elizabeth (Heida Reed), betrothed to his cousin Francis (Kyle Soller), Ross must pick up the pieces of his shattered life. Against all odds and the advice of many, including his wealthy but unsupportive uncle Charles (Warren Clarke), he attempts to reopen his father's copper mine and rebuild his tenancies. Fate also sends him a new chance for love in the unlikely form of a runaway named Demelza (Eleanor Tomlinson).
Based on the Poldark novels by Winston Graham, Poldark is a sweeping drama about loss, love, grief, and vindication. Ross is a complex, powerful central figure whose refusal to give into other people's influence makes him an anomaly, and ultimately a beacon of morality, among an otherwise prototypical cast of characters. That's not to say that everyone around him is bad; it's just that they toe the line of status quo with far more vigor than Ross does, and in an environment where privilege and money tend to make the rules, it's always refreshing to see someone stand for liberty, equality, and common decency. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Turner is rustically handsome, war wound and all.
You don't need to have read the books to enjoy this beautifully crafted series set to a beautiful soundtrack and the matching backdrop of the English countryside, whose post-Revolutionary British point of view isn't a familiar one, at least on the American side of the pond. With its intriguing cast of tortured souls and master manipulators, and the struggle of some between duty and desire, many equally fascinating stories are being told simultaneously.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the time in which Poldark is set. How was England affected by its loss in the war? What economic repercussions did it suffer? How are these matters illustrated in this story?
Is Ross the only truly sympathetic character in this series? Which, if any, others go against the tide to chart their own course? Are they better for it, or do they suffer because of it?
To what degree has the class system changed in England since the time period in which Poldark is set? Would you say that one exists in modern America? Does this series do a good job setting its historical scene?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Emily Ashby
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
