Netflix’s Top 10 rankings aren’t always about the latest trending hit that viewers can’t get enough of. Sometimes, the shows that chart are older titles that new audiences have fallen in love with or that existing fans are once again supporting. You can actually see an example of this in action on the streaming giant right now in the form of “Poldark,” the BBC drama that landed on the platform’s TV chart in recent days. As of October 13, the series sits at #9 on Netflix’s Top 10 TV shows ranking for the U.S., never mind that the show originally wrapped back in 2019.
Set against the backdrop of Cornwall in the 1700s, “Poldark” stars Aidan Turner as Ross Poldark, a war hero who returns home from the American Revolution to find his life is now pretty much a hot mess. That, basically, is the setup for a show that mixes romance and politics into a period drama that’s perfect for one of those cozy fall binges we all look for as the chilly weather starts to drive us indoors.
The BBC classic Poldark is a hit on Netflix
About the show, which is based on Winston Graham’s series of “Poldark” historical fiction novels, here’s how PBS (which broadcasts many BBC shows stateside) summarizes it: “Aidan Turner (“The Hobbit”) stars as Ross Poldark, a dashing redcoat who returns to Cornwall after battle to discover that his father is dead, his lands are ruined, and his true love is engaged to another. Can Poldark change his destiny, restore his lost fortune, and reclaim his sweetheart?”
“Poldark” really feels best-suited for the kind of viewer whose streaming content of choice tends to feature sweeping romance, complicated heroes, and the kind of story that makes you want to pour a hot cup of tea and settle in for a long binge. The series, which has an 89% average critics’ score and an 80% average audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, is filled, according to The New York Times, with “plunging cliffs, green fields, galloping horses, and burning glances aplenty.” A must-watch, in other words, for fans of dramas like “Downton Abbey,” “Bridgerton,” and “Outlander.”
