If one year's back on my shoulder
Not having read any of the source novels, approximately twenty minutes into the first series of Poldark (1975–77) as I lay on the couch self-medicating with the late eighteenth century, I remarked to ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
spatch, "Is there any aspect of this homecoming that is not going to be a clusterfuck?" on which the answer turned out to be no, whence it seems the engine of the plot. Since I came to this show by having to wait for the third season of Turn: Washington's Spies (2014–17) to arrive at my local branch library, I was more than ordinarily entertained by the line pertaining to the hero's soldiering past, "Shocking business, eh? Losing the Colonies." The bomber leather frock coat is as impressive as advertised.
spatch, "Is there any aspect of this homecoming that is not going to be a clusterfuck?" on which the answer turned out to be no, whence it seems the engine of the plot. Since I came to this show by having to wait for the third season of Turn: Washington's Spies (2014–17) to arrive at my local branch library, I was more than ordinarily entertained by the line pertaining to the hero's soldiering past, "Shocking business, eh? Losing the Colonies." The bomber leather frock coat is as impressive as advertised.
no subject
I do appreciate that at the same time as he poses romantically on the elemental sea-cliffs of Cornwall, Ross Poldark also wakes up on the world's least comfortable-looking settle after a night at the tables because stairs were too complicated when he came home.
In general, the 70s edition is my favourite (over books & 2015 version), as you will have noticed, but impressively in the books (and the 2015) the homecoming is even worse, because Ross walks right into the engagement party for Francis and Elizabeth, going, hi, not dead after all, everyone! (I understand why the 70s changed it, because they use that to do some key groundwork for the Ross & Elizabeth storyline, but the sheer drama of original canon there is faultless.)
It's the single most dramatic move he could have unintentionally made, which already feels on brand.
What do you prefer about the '70's adaptation to the books? Which I realize is a broad question, so I am probably asking for something like choices in the writing or acting or the handling of the material overall?
Also, generally: *flails* I mean, obv, I hope Turn comes in for you
If I time it right, I can give myself Kevin McNally future shock!
but while it's wending its way you-wards, I hope you enjoy your visit to the other side of the Atlantic.
Thank you! So far, so good! The internet totally lied about its availability on streaming services to which I have access, so I am watching copies on the Internet Archive that may literally have come off someone's VHS. It's definitely making me feel I need more interesting waistcoats.
And you'll have seen enough to understand now why I, having seen Robin Ellis first as Essex in Elizabeth R and then as Ross & also as Franklin Blake in The Moonstone, on spotting he was in the 1971 Sense & Sensibility just went, oh, well, yes, who else would be Willoughby? And then he walked in as Edward Ferrars & while I was still recovering from that, Clive Francis turned up as Willoughby, because sometimes watching non-linearly is the funniest way to do things.
Absolutely. Matched only by discovering an actor when cast against type, i.e. I wondered a night or so ago what Burn Gorman had been doing with himself and the answer turned out to be "playing the weirdo of a central quartet of villains in a potentially supernatural crime thriller, what was I thinking?"
(Funnily enough, while you've been watching this, I've been watching a 2019 film that had Clive Francis doing a cameo in the middle. I wasn't sure if he was still alive/still working to that date, but he still had that unmistakable weirdly off-beat charm of his, so it had to be him).
Nice! I can see that he was doing Bridgerton as late as last year, kudos for returning to one of his native eras. I agree with your assessment of his charm, since my affection for the actor is not explained by most of the roles in which I have seen him—case in point, the first having been the sleek solicitor-murdererer of the 1987 BBC Strong Poison.
[edit] A complication! Due to the intermittent nature of my interactions with media, my mother believes I could have seen him guest-starring in an episode of Granada Holmes before she showed me the BBC Harriet Vane mysteries, which since it was "The Man with the Twisted Lip" (1986) could definitely have imbued me with liking for a character as well as the caliber of his performance.
... I don't know why I say 'funnily' at this point, really. I should just say 'inevitably', given that we apparently do only have about 20 actors, so while you were watching Turn, inevitably I was watching Kevin McNally in a 2025 crime drama, and when you turned to Poldark, I watched a thing with 21st C Clive Francis. Oh, all while listening to a 1980s radio drama with Robin Ellis.
I am delighted by the shape of this cinematic universe. I don't think one can expect character actors or they shy off into the undergrowth, but otherwise they will reliably, unpredictably just appear.
(Which radio drama? I rewatched She Loves Me again after linking it for
no subject
I do like some of their changes - they definitely handle at least one of the most difficult storylines by far the best out of the three - and the very 1970s choices either suit me very well (like Demelza's extra fierceness and Angharad's delight in playing it, even if Winston Graham was less pleased, since he based her on his wife) or amuse me, like Verity being all "I used to be shy but I got over it," and them burning down buildings that should not be burnt.
Overall, though, a lot is just about how I encountered them, really - I was ill as a teenager too, so stuck home and I wound up reading a lot of my Mum's books, with varying results. She really loved Poldark so I didn't want to like it, but I read all 7 books of the first sequence because actually they were quite good but I was extremely grudging about it, refused to like Ross and Demelza, did not like the (highly unflattering) pics of Robin Ellis and Angharad on the covers at all, but I loved Dwight and Caroline so much, and later Morwenna and Drake.
I finally watched the series about 11 or 12 years ago now and it turns out those publicity shots were totally misleading and Robin Ellis and Angharad Rees were amazing, and I was older and better able to understand the other storylines. I have reread some of the books since & could appreciate them better, but since I still struggle with reading, the TV show is my favourite. But, as I said, I love the cast, and I like that even when it departs from its source material, it demonstrates that it gets it at every turn and somtimes improves on it.
They are interesting books, though, and I thought a new version could be pretty good, even if I resented its timing (I'd only just come to love the first one!), but either the BBC or the adaptor went for Sunday night candyfloss. Which could have been fine, except they also didn't change it enough, so it ended up as eye candy with mere lip service to the social issues but also kept the jailbreaks, murder, death, war, smuggling, copper mining, the (one central) rape, and abuse intact regardless. S1 isn't bad, though, and it had a strong cast, but it felt at times like the adaptor didn't know what was coming later.
If I time it right, I can give myself Kevin McNally future shock!
LOL!
and the answer turned out to be "playing the weirdo of a central quartet of villains in a potentially supernatural crime thriller, what was I thinking?"
But of course he has! XD
I agree with your assessment of his charm, since my affection for the actor is not explained by most of the roles in which I have seen him—case in point, the first having been the sleek solicitor-murdererer of the 1987 BBC Strong Poison.
I do like him as Francis here, and I've seen him in other things (amusingly, in the 70s, mainly only with fellow Poldark alumni - with RE in S&S, marrying Angharad Rees in As You Like It & being Norma Streader's brother-in-law in an episode of Enemy at the Door). I'm glad, whether or not he had earlier reason to engage your affections or not, that you get what I mean! Whatever it is, it seems to work for him.
(Which radio drama? I rewatched She Loves Me again after linking it
Ha, I had to watch bits of your linked Poldark! It was an adaptation of Wilkie Collins's No Name (1989), with Sophie Thompson as Magdalen. He's not in it that much, but I'm on the final episode where he comes to the fore now. I found it after looking Robin Ellis's radio credits up on Genome as he seems to have done a fair bit of it & hunted it down on YT.
no subject
My condolences to the author who is literally dead, I was thrilled by Demelza turning up as full-bore feral as she does. Her introduction made me inclined to bet that Patricia C. Wrede had seen this series. My mother has seen this series. I mentioned that we'd started it and she immediately began to describe Robin Ellis.
or amuse me, like Verity being all "I used to be shy but I got over it," and them burning down buildings that should not be burnt.
Haven't gotten there yet, am delighted to hear it, I like Verity immensely. So far she often seems to be the person in the room with the brain cell.
the (highly unflattering) pics of Robin Ellis and Angharad
That was very impressive of the photographer, considering the material to work with.
and I like that even when it departs from its source material, it demonstrates that it gets it at every turn and somtimes improves on it.
That is about the most important qualification for an adaptation, so, good!
But of course he has!
And if it ever turns up in this country, I'll watch it!
I do like him as Francis here
Francis is a trash fire, it should go without saying that I like him.
(amusingly, in the 70s, mainly only with fellow Poldark alumni - with RE in S&S, marrying Angharad Rees in As You Like It & being Norma Streader's brother-in-law in an episode of Enemy at the Door)
Hah! Why waste good chemistry, I guess? He also makes those couple of appearances as Caroline Blakiston's Russian opposite number in Mr. Palfrey. You should do him as an Element sometime.
Ha, I had to watch bits of your linked Poldark!
Oh, good, feedback loop!
I found it after looking Robin Ellis's radio credits up on Genome as he seems to have done a fair bit of it & hunted it down on YT.
Nice! I'm glad you have his radio work to branch into.
no subject
Aw, good. I mean, I think she's quite feral at the start in the books, too; she just calms down sooner and rather more than the 70s one ever entirely does & I am 110% Team Angharad on that one. And, heh, re. your mother! Glad to know Ross was so memorable. XD
I like Verity immensely. So far she often seems to be the person in the room with the brain cell.
Yeah, she is the one possible exception to the non-clusterfuck Poldark rule, but then again, she also makes Choices, lol. I do like Norma Streader generally, too. I forget what else I've come across her in aside from EatD and Poldark, but I'm sure there was something, and she's always good.
Francis is a trash fire, it should go without saying that I like him.
Also aww and yay. (George is an even bigger trash fire, but unless you're going very speedily, I don't think you will have achieved Ralph Bates yet, or at least not more than a glimpse of him).
Actually, one funny thing about you giving that link is that I had never realised there were 16 episodes in s1! I'd just assumed there were 13 as usual for UK 70s TV. My DVD copy is unfortunately one of the BBC Playback ones they did of a few things taken from the VHS editions where they edited three or four episodes into one long episide. (Only the intro/credits are missing, though, but it does mean that I have to guess where each episode starts and ends. Now I realise I have three whole more episodes than I may have been accounting for!)
You should do him as an Element sometime.
He would be a rather good one! I wonder which... ?
no subject
That's neat. I assume it made good use of the extra time.
He would be a rather good one! I wonder which... ?
I was going to complain about how difficult it is to think of an unexpectedly charming element, but then I thought of how much I like tungsten filaments over LEDs. It has a variety of weird properties, alloys well, and its source ores are often found when mining tin.
no subject
Ha. <3 It also has some fabulous coats! Ross's bomber jacket and red velvet have already been noted, but Francis has a beautiful embroidered blue one later, and George Warleggan gets an memorably striped one.
no subject
I'm not knocking the coats! I just feel my chances of improving my waistcoat game are realistically better than my eighteenth-century coat prospects, sadly.
no subject