Poldark and The Crimson Field

   Oh yes! To return to British drama is almost like going on a mini-vacation every Sunday night. With the ending of Downton Abbey in February and Call The Midwife in May, PBS' summer season has started off with the Sunday night premiere episodes of BBC's Poldark and ITV's The Crimson Field. Both of them were exceptionally good in their writing, acting, costumes, music and settings!

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Poldark

      Back from fighting in the Revolutionary War, Ross Poldark returns home to Corrnwall, England only to find out that everyone has thought him dead for two years. In his absence, everything in Ross' life has changed. His father is dead, his land and tenants are are at the bottom of the barrel, his inheritance is next to nothing, and the girl he planned on marrying upon returning is now set to marry his cousin and best friend, Storyline sound familiar? Ross now has a choice, either leave Cornwall and set out to London to return to school or stay there and give his people a new life and make his inheritance something worthwhile. 

     It seems that Poldark is going to be a 18th century Robin Hood story that is heavy on drama. darkness and forbidden love. Now, it's obvious that Aidan Turner (BBC's Being Human, The Hobbit trilogy) is clearly the primary reason for viewing, but Aidan's acting is incredible! The war for Ross was a coming of age and he returns home different man determined to pull his life back together and bring his struggling tenants out of their debt and poverty. 

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The Crimson Field

     In 1915, three volunteer nurses head to the war front in France where they are met with the dark, grisly and horrific realities of war. None of them are prepared, but all of them are determined to find their place in the hospital fields. While there, the nurses are met with the strict matron, the talented, but flirting doctors and the kindly colonel who tries to hold everything (and everyone) together. As intriguing as any other British Drama, The Crimson Field explores the day to day struggled, heartache, and even humor that is found in the WWI front.

     As the Edwardian era is my favorite time period, I was very excited about this one. While I thought that Call The Midwife was gritty, war hospitals have a whole different story. The nurses themselves are as opposite from one another as you can get, but they make for interesting character development that will continue on the next six episodes.