aidan turner3 © Photo: Getty Images

Poldark to return for second series on BBC

April 8, 2015

Poldark fans can rejoice. The popular TV drama, starring Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson, will be returning for a second series and once again feature the two protagonists.

BBC One controller Charlotte Moore confirmed the exciting news, dubbing Poldark the new "Sunday night phenomenon" that has "captured the nation's hearts".

The new series will be made up of eight episodes and will cover books three and four of Winston Graham's novels.

© Photo: BBC

The first series of Poldark pulled in around eight million viewers

Poldark, which has appeared as a series twice before on the small screen in 1975 and 1977, tells the tale of British Army officer Ross Poldark, who returns to his home in Cornwall from the American Revolutionary War, only to find that his fiancée Elizabeth is engaged to his cousin and that his father is dead.

Aidan, 31, plays the male lead of Ross, while Eleanor portrays his love interest Demelza.

© Photo: BBC

Eleanor Tomlinson and Aidan Turner will return as the protagonists

The first series pulled in around eight million viewers, with the BBC crediting the show for helping BBC One reach its highest share of an audience in a decade.

Poldark's soaring ratings will no doubt be linked to Aidan's popularity as an actor. The Irish heart-throb often appears topless in scenes, flexing his incredibly muscled torso at the camera, while other shots have shown him swimming naked in the Cornish sea.

© Photo: Getty Images

Aidan Turner and his girlfriend Sarah Greene have been together for three years

A recent Twitter chat with Aidan, who has a long-term Irish girlfriend Sarah Greene, saw fans posting indecent proposals to the actor. "How do I refrain from licking my flatscreen TV?" one follower asked, while another requested, "Can you scythe my lawn topless?"

During the live question and answer session, Aidan revealed that he was drawn to play Ross because he is "a very different character" to any he's played before. "I enjoyed the books and loved the adaptation," he added.

When asked about Ross' most admirable quality, Aidan responded: "His sense of moral justice."

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