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Poldark is a story about love conquering all and about courage and equality being rewarded and avarice and greed being punished. Its heart is in the right place.

"Caroline (Gabriella Wilde) and Dwight reached an uneasy equilibrium at the end of last series, and things are slowly getting back to normal until some new and disruptive characters enter their world, one of whom unintentionally drives a wedge between them.

Kitty Despard (Kerri McLean) arrives this series with this firebrand spirit and Dwight becomes unromantically smitten with her. This naturally causes Caroline to create narratives about him being in love with Kitty, when really it is just a deep admiration he has for her, for her story and her plight. He follows Kitty on her mission for social justice and leaves Caroline behind, so it eventually comes to a head towards the end of the series and he realises he may not have been the attentive husband he should have been, considering what they have been through."

Luke discusses what is in store for his character this series, starting with his interest in mental health and where that leads him.

"Mental illness is a hot and important topic at the moment, which is one of the reasons why our writer, Debbie Horsfield has included it this series. But back then it was ungenerously treated. However, there was a new school of thought about 'talking therapy', rather than just straight-jacketing or lobotomising people, that instead suggested the idea that mental illness wasn’t a moral failure or an inherited one, but that it could affect anyone who has been through trauma, which is something that interests Dwight. Having gone through his own trauma in series three, suffering from PTSD after being a prisoner of war in France, he is the obvious exponent of this new school of thought.

Dwight’s own experience sparked an interest in mental health that has equipped him with a proficiency in the field which leads him to being the key witness for the defence in a contentious murder trial. This storyline is based on a true story of a man who attempts to assassinate the King. Dwight’s argument is that if he is not of sound mind then he cannot be held responsible for his actions, which is something we believe to be self-evident now but was incredibly shocking to people at the time."

Considered to be one of Poldark’s most honourable characters, Luke reveals that audiences will see a brand new side to the noble doctor this series.

"Debbie reminds us at the end of this series that Dwight has not always been squeaky clean, and the reason he has appeared so good in the past few series is because of a fundamental error of judgment in series one with Keen Daniel, and everything afterwards is an attempt at atonement for that.

One of Dwight’s first ever lines in Poldark is, 'I intend to keep my head down here' - which just shows you how much he wants a quiet life but is unable to ever achieve that. This year however, he fights a bit harder for that life. He is not as generous as you might expect him to be with certain things this series because he is sick to the back teeth of the conflict. As a result, he struggles more this series with acquiescing to Ross’s plans, and the two of them fiercely butt heads like we have never before seen.

Aidan and I have a few great scenes where we are nose to nose, which was great to play. After years of gentle cajoling, Dwight’s tactics this series are much more confrontational, as he is just done with it. That's part of their friendship we haven’t seen yet, so it was exciting to lift the lid on it.

Ned Despard (Vincent Regan) was their commanding officer back in the American War of Independence and is a bit of a hot head and renegade - all the things Ross aspires to be and that Dwight loathes. So their differences are mainly about Ned, who has this cross to bear and is righting perceived wrongs which are probably justifiable, but which do not directly involve Dwight.

Dwight becomes involved due to Ross’s involvement, but he would rather Ross stayed out of it for his sake, for Demelza’s sake and for the sake of their children. Dwight, partly because of the events of last year and having lost a child, is much more forthright in calling out Ross’s irresponsibility to his family. Dwight is angrier than he has ever been this year."

Luke reveals a connection that struck a chord with him following the last series.

"After the tragic death of baby Sarah was aired I received one particular letter that was quite staggering and humbling to read. It was from someone who had lost a child, and they talked about how honestly that storyline had been depicted, which was the aim for Gabriella and myself. I felt a responsibility with this storyline to not misrepresent that experience. Part of the reason that television is in everybody’s language is that it allows us to try and make sense of our own lives, and we get to deal with heavy subjects on this show. And whilst we do it through the glossy lens of TV with the beautiful landscapes, there is a huge responsibility to get it right."

Luke offers a final thought on the success of Poldark...

"Its heart is in the right place. Poldark is a story about love conquering all and about courage and equality being rewarded and avarice and greed being punished and that is what we wish was happening in our society - it represents the good of our humanity."

Foreword by Debbie Horsfield

"When I first picked up the novel Ross Poldark in 2012 I had no idea that seven years later I’d have adapted seven books and completed five series (43 hours!) of Winston Graham’s extraordinary Poldark saga.

In 2015, with great trepidation, we awaited the response to series one - knowing that the 1970s adaptation had been massively popular, and praying that we’d done justice to these amazing stories, characters and Cornwall. Fortunately the casting - Aidan (Turner), Eleanor (Tomlinson), Jack (Farthing), Heida (Reed), Luke (Norris), Kyle (Soller) and Ruby (Bentall) - found favour with audiences, and to our great delight we were asked for more.

Although none of us ever dared to look more than one series ahead, we found ourselves approaching the end of series four (and book seven, The Angry Tide) with something of a dilemma. Our cast was optioned for five series - so what to do with an 11-year time jump and five more books? We knew we’d never be able to wrap up five books in a single series, but no-one wanted to call time just yet, so we looked at another option.

In book eight (The Stranger From The Sea), 11 years down the line, we meet Ross abroad on a special mission for the government. How did he go from restless, sometimes reckless, and somewhat disillusioned MP, who despaired of ever really 'making a difference' in the world, to Special Agent Poldark, sent by the Crown to report from Portugal on the Peninsula War against Napoleon?

Winston Graham had left plenty of hints in book eight about events which had happened in those intervening years, but he gives little away about how Ross achieved that transformation. So for me it was the starting point, the way to navigate through series five. Winston Graham’s son Andrew endorsed my wish to continue his father’s methodology: looking at the historical context (Napoleonic Wars, Act of Union, fast-approaching Abolition of Slavery) and using real events and real people to drive the narrative.

So what would be our events and who would be our new characters? It seemed to me that one thing we had never met so far was a character to whom Ross really looked up to, even to the extent of hero-worship. So when I was researching the early 1800s I came across Colonel Edward Despard. Reading about him I was so reminded of Ross himself that I felt sure Winston Graham knew of him (though Andrew Graham thinks not).

Ned Despard was a war hero who, like Ross believed in justice, compassion, equality and liberty for all. His wife Catherine was a former slave from Jamaica. And her rise to be his equal, her determination in the face of prejudice and scorn was uncannily reminiscent of Demelza’s own journey. As was the love and devotion both couples felt for each other. I wanted Ned to be part of Ross’ journey towards greater maturity, to be the salutary lesson, his 'there but for the grace of God'.

Tracing Despard and Catherine’s real life story, intertwining it with Ross and Demelza’s and seeing them deal with the consequences of that entanglement, forms the spine of series five and introduces on the way other real-life characters such as James Hadfield (would-be assassin of George III), William Wickham (founder of the British foreign secret service) and Joseph Merceron (the 'Godfather' of East London). Inextricably involved with Ross and Demelza’s journey are Ross’s nemesis George Warleggan, as well as friends and allies Dwight and Caroline Enys, Sam, Drake and Morwenna Carne.

It feels strange, and a little sad, to be approaching the transmission of series five knowing that we won’t be returning to Cornwall, but it’s been an extraordinary journey for all of us and we feel truly fortunate to have lived with these characters and stories for so long. What’s next for me? A contemporary series. Watch this space. Not a tricorn in sight. I’m excited for the next project - but I’ll miss that Cornish surf!"

Character Descriptions

Ross
Ross hoped to put London behind him to focus on peaceful, family life, but a plea from his old Army Colonel, Ned Despard, compels him to the capital to help. As Ross’ world becomes entangled with the Despards', new alliances and old enemies threaten his loved ones and the nation itself, testing our hero’s resolve like never before.

Demelza
As she grows into her role of Cornwall’s beloved defender, Demelza is still looking out for the less fortunate of her world. But when the Despards enter her life, Demelza finds there are repercussions to getting involved: Cornwall needs her own help now more than ever, and new forces threaten all she holds dear.

Drake
Although he has finally married and settled down with Morwenna, Drake yearns to mend the wounds of her past. As the journey to wedded bliss proves uncertain, Drake’s love is tested. How far is he truly willing to go?

Sam
Sam is rising in the community and is admired as a leader. When Tess Tregidden makes it her mission to cause trouble, Sam makes it his to convert her wayward soul. As he helps Demelza in the community, an unexpected romance blossoms for him too.

Morwenna
Though reconciled with Drake in marriage, Morwenna struggles with intimacy, in the wake of her life with her brutish former husband. With the loss of John Conan still haunting her, Morwenna finds her old life overlapping with her new, but as the community come to rely on her she grows into a new role with a hope she had not foreseen.

Geoffrey Charles
Following his mother’s death, Geoffrey takes his future into his own hands and follows in Ross’ footsteps by joining the military. His path takes him to the capital, where an unlikely attraction finds him in the dangerous waters of forbidden love... 

George
Haunted by the loss of Elizabeth, George looks for his missing spark as he forges onward. His journey sees him entering into an alliance with merchant Ralph Hanson, whose business in the mahogany trade and influence in London promises to expand the Warleggan empire around the world.

Dwight
The future holds great promise for Dwight, who has finally gained recognition in his field. However, the arrival of the Despards comes to drive an ever-growing wedge between him and Ross, testing Dwight’s loyalty to his closest friend and the strength of his bond with Caroline.

Caroline
Caroline finds a new distraction in championing the Despards, but old insecurities arise as she joins her friends against their common enemy and finds she must battle with her demons once again.

Prudie
Having settled into her role in the Poldark family, Prudie is trusted to run the home and family in their stead. With new enemies emerging, Prudie‘s role as Nampara’s guardian becomes more important than ever and she must employ all her cunning to help save their world from being upturned.

Ned
An ex-army colonel and Ross and Dwight’s’ ranking officer in American Revolutionary War, Ned was made the governor of British Honduras, where he took a former slave as his wife and tried to implement policies ahead of his time. But when he locked horns with corrupt forces in his posting, Ned was recalled to London and locked away in Coldbath Fields prison, without a fair hearing, leaving him hungry for liberty, vindication and revenge.

Kitty
A former slave, Kitty fell in love with her master, Edward 'Ned' Despard, whom she married. In her fight to exonerate her husband, Kitty finds allies in our heroes and her resilience gains their admiration, as she carves a determined path through the moral corruption that surrounds them.

Tess
A former employee of Trenwith, when Tess suddenly finds herself without the means for an honest life, she harbours revenge against the upper classes. Bitter in her quest for a better life, Tess becomes a persistent thorn in our heroes’ sides, and her machinations threaten the stability of their homes.

Cecily
The daughter of Ralph Hanson, Cecily is a staunch supporter of the abolitionist movement, putting her at odds with her family and peers. Educated and independent, Cecily is ahead of her time. In pursuit of her own brand of happiness Cecily falls in love with a man in league with her father’s rivals, testing family loyalties as she tries to make her future her own.

Ralph Hanson
Father of Cecily and a wealthy mahogany merchant, Ralph Hanson seeks a new backer to fund his enterprise abroad. To this end he enters an alliance with the Warleggans, and crosses swords with our heroes when his dealings come to impact upon their lives.

Joseph Merceron
Joseph is a powerful and enterprising magistrate with connections and influence throughout the social and political tiers of London.

Related Programme Information

• Episode one
• Episode two