AIDAN TURNER STARS AS THE IRRESISTIBLE, COURAGEOUS CORNISHMAN, ROSS POLDARK

IN

“MASTERPIECE: POLDARK SEASON 2”

Click Here for a Preview of the Program

Available on DVD and Blu-ray from PBS Distribution November 22

Premieres on MASTERPIECE September 25 (check local listings)

Arlington, Va. – November 16, 2016 – PBS Distribution announced today it will be releasing “MASTERPIECE: POLDARK SEASON 2” on DVD and Blu-ray. Neither pestilence, starvation, nor betrayal can stop Ross Poldark from fighting for justice in his native Cornwall. Aidan Turner (The Hobbit) returns as the ex-officer, class warrior, lover, and mining entrepreneur, called by The New York Times “the noblest, hottest, most down-to-earth hero.”

Also back is co-star Eleanor Tomlinson (Death Comes to Pemberley), playing Demelza, the miner’s daughter who is Ross’ equal in passion, wit, and daring—which is, of course, why they marry.

The returning cast includes Heida Reed (One Day) as Ross’ first love, Elizabeth, who broke his heart by marrying his duplicitous cousin Francis, played with intriguing ambiguity by Kyle Soller (Anna Karenina). Also back are Jack Farthing (Poirot) as George Warleggan, the arch-villain who would rather see Ross dead, a situation he does his best to arrange; along with Philip Davis (White Teeth) and Beatie Edney (Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day) as Ross’ exasperating servants, Jud and Prudie Paynter.

New this season—or thrust into prominence from last—are Gabriella Wilde (Endless Love) as Caroline Penvenen, a flirtatious young heiress under the watchful eye of her rich uncle, Ray, played by John Nettles (Midsomer Murders); Luke Norris (Titanic) as earnest young doctor Dwight Enys, who only has time for his patients— and for Caroline; and Henry Garrett (Zero Dark Thirty) as Captain McNeil, Ross’ old comrade from the war, now hunting smugglers and an opportunity to woo a certain married lady.

All of these characters inhabit the imaginative world created by Winston Graham in his bestselling “Poldark” novels, published between 1945 and 2002. Comprising an even dozen volumes, the epic commences in 1783, as British officer Ross Poldark returns to Cornwall, fresh from the American Revolutionary War. “POLDARK: SEASON 2” takes the plot into Graham’s fourth volume, “Warleggan”.

Viewers of the first season will recall that Ross shocks his relatives and neighbors when he shows up from America, since all had presumed him dead. Then he sets about upending their lives—threatening the copper mining interests of his uncle and cousin, Charles and Francis Poldark, and the rival operation of upstart George Warleggan. He is also ensnared in a romantic web that connects him, Francis, and George to the beautiful Elizabeth. Nevertheless, Ross happily marries Demelza and they have a daughter. But in the final episode of Season 1, an epidemic takes the child away, and a shipwreck and drowning are blamed on Ross.

So at the start of “POLDARK SEASON 2”, Ross stands accused of murder and “wrecking”— luring a cargo ship to the rocks for plunder. It’s a capital offense, the judge is unsympathetic, hostile witnesses have been bribed and Ross appears headed for the gallows. It’s just the first in a string of suspenseful episodes every bit as precipitous as the steep cliffs of Cornwall.

“POLDARK SEASON 2” is a Mammoth Screen production for the BBC and MASTERPIECE. Based on the novels by Winston Graham, it is written and created for television by Debbie Horsfield, produced by Margaret Mitchell and directed by Will Sinclair, Charles Palmer and Richard Senior. The executive producers are Debbie Horsfield, Karen Thrussell and Damien Timmer for Mammoth Screen, Elizabeth Kilgarriff for the BBC and Rebecca Eaton for MASTERPIECE. It is distributed internationally by ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

About MASTERPIECE

The top-rated primetime show on PBS, MASTERPIECE is celebrating its 45th anniversary in 2016. MASTERPIECE is presented on PBS by WGBH Boston. Rebecca Eaton is executive producer. Funding for the series is provided by Viking River Cruises and Audible with additional support from public television viewers and contributors to The MASTERPIECE Trust. MASTERPIECE is known for presenting iconic shows such as Upstairs Downstairs, Prime Suspect, The Forsyte Saga, Poldark, Sherlock and Downton Abbey.

About PBS Distribution

PBS Distribution is the leading media distributor for the public television community, both domestically and internationally, extending the reach of these programs beyond broadcast while generating revenue for the public television system, stations, and producers.

PBS Distribution offers a broad range of high quality content in multiple formats including DVD, Blu-ray, digital download, and digital streaming.  PBS International offers factual content for broadcast, cable, and satellite services internationally.  The PBS Distribution catalog includes films from Ken Burns, documentaries from award-winning series such as NOVA, FRONTLINE, AMERICAN MASTERS, NATURE, and AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, dramas from MASTERPIECE, as well as films from independent producers and popular children’s programming.

MASTERPIECE: POLDARK SEASON 2

Street Date: November 22, 2016

Genre: Drama

Run Time: Approx. 600 Minutes on 3 Discs

SRP: DVD $44.99, Blu-ray $54.99

Format: DVD & Blu-ray