Barrett Oh, woe and sorrow. If only cousin Francis had learned to swim. After years of personal turmoil and loss, Francis Poldark was redeemed — and promptly drowned, leaving his wife, Elizabeth, a widow and his young son, Geoffrey Charles, without a father.

CLIP

Prudie Someone come from Trenwith lookin’ for Mister Francis.

Demelza Is he not at the mine?

Ross At this hour?

Francis Help!

Barrett And on the other side of town, Ross’ finances teeter on the edge of disaster, as George snatches up the rest of his enemy’s sizable debts.

CLIP

Ross My debt is in the hands of the Warleggans. By Christmas I must find fourteen hundred pounds.

Demelza Or else?

Ross We lose everything we own and I go to debtors’ prison.

Barrett In lighter news, Caroline Penvenen is back in Cornwall, with her eyes fixed on Dr. Enys. But even true love faces obstacles, it seems.

CLIP

Caroline We meet after a year’s absence and you haven’t a civil word for me?

Dwight I’m old-fashioned in these matters, Miss Penvenen. I thought civility should be shown on both sides. Do excuse me.

Barrett I’m Barrett Brountas, and this is Mining Poldark, a podcast from MASTERPIECE.

Later in this episode, we’ll hear a bit of my colleague Jace Lacob’s interview with Kyle Soller about how it felt to say goodbye to such a complicated character finally making good.

Kyle Soller: He’s incredibly childish and impulsive and rash and he holds a grudge. You wish you could just slap him across the face and say, “Buddy, it’s going to be all right. Just say you’re sorry.” But the Poldark family is incredibly proud and his pride kind of got the best of him, I think for the majority of Season One.

Barrett But first, I’m joined by Robin Ellis, the original Ross Poldark in the 1970s adaptation of Winston Graham’s novels. Hi, Robin!

Robin Hello, Barrett!

Barrett So off we go down into the mines once again. Would you like to start us off with your recap of the episode?

Robin With pleasure. Oh cruel fate. Ross and Francis as boys run carefree on the sands. And now that friendship is reborn. We see Francis in such a positive light. An equal partner with Ross in their new venture Wheal Grace. Readmitted to Elizabeth’s bedroom, taking up his duties as a magistrate and showing astuteness in dealing with Grumpy Old Halse. Such a contrast to Ross. Welcoming Verity with warmth. Good to have you back home! Telling George he is no longer welcome at Trenwith. At last the elusive Trevorgie Load. seems within their grasp. He’s on a roll.

Barrett Caroline puts an end to a potential engagement which was believable only through the vague reasoning that incorporates concepts of sexism, the patriarchy and inheritance law. The important thing here is that the buffoon Unwin is gone, and the door is now open for Caroline to take a woodland gallop with actual kissing with Dwight. She’s leaving to lay low in London until December, when she comes into her inheritance. Speaking of money, Ross’ giant debt is for sale and Warleggan snaps it up. Also up for grabs, at least in Elizabeth’s books, are Ross’s affections leading me to ask, ‘Can not a Poldark fan love and loathe a character at the same time?’ I’m looking at you Ross Poldark, whose, ‘Oh my God oh my God just be cool!’ reaction to Elizabeth’s very explicit reeling back in of Ross left him speechless with micro expressions of bafflement panic and hope fleeting across his face.

Robin Meanwhile there’s an informer sending tremors of fear through Sawle village, as a new boatload of contraband is due. Captain MacNeil and the customs man are all ears.

Barrett So Robin there is a lot to dig into here and I understand that you and I both chose the same scene as our first choice.

Robin The first scene I chose was the Ross and Elizabeth conversation at the table at the dinner. Is that what you chose?

Barrett Yes it certainly is.

Robin Why did you choose it, Barrett?

Barrett Oh Robin Robin Robin I chose this scene because it was crazy. Just a couple of episodes ago, Ross made advances to Elizabeth. After dinner they were alone up late in this room and there was like a very flirtatious, sweet-nothings tension between the two of them. And Elizabeth was like, ‘Bye! Bedtime. See you later.’ She was not engaging in it. And then suddenly, she’s made this switch where she is seated next to Ross and they’re sort of having one of their, ‘Oh what a past we shared together’ moments. ‘And look at us now as we’re adults.’ And she turns to him and like very explicitly decides to reel him back in and does it so intentionally and perfectly.

CLIP

Ross It’s only now I realize how young you were when you promised to marry me.

Elizabeth I should have been old enough to know my own mind.

Ross Let us agree that you were young. And then you thought I was dead.

Elizabeth Did I? Or did I think I loved Francis better? How soon I discovered my mistake!

Ross This is some pleasant jest, surely?

Elizabeth If it is, then it’s against myself. Is it so astonishing that a woman who changed her mind once would change it twice? Cannot a woman love two men? Cannot a man love two women? I’m with Francis, I’m happy to be so. We’re alike in many ways. But a piece of my heart will always be yours. As a piece of yours will always be mine.

Barrett I was kind of like Ross in that moment like wait, what is, what’s happening here?

Robin Absolutely. The barefaced cheek of it really. She’s sitting three three seats down from Demelza and you know within within Demelza’s view that Demelza’s keeping a very beady eye on her at the time I think.

Barrett Yeah.

Robin Hardly paying any attention to Captain MacNeil. But watching Ross and Elizabeth and here she comes out with these astonishing words which even Ross who who’s as you say quite recently been in a position to suggest something of the same himself. He is absolutely as we say over here gobsmacked. I mean he is completely rendered speechless fortunately. Yes. But it really it does affect him. He’s he’s he’s he’s truly moved he’s truly worried as you say he is disturbed by it and in a way it sets up the next almost the next two or three episodes. It’s a momentous moment which Elizabeth I don’t think quite realizes what she’s done.

Barrett Well that’s one of the most powerful things about it, is that finally Francis is finally the husband, you know that she deserves. He’s a he’s wonderful, he’s engaged in life. He’s working hard. He’s pleasant to everyone. He’s just a delightful person and he’s a great father now, he’s a devoted husband she’s let him back into the bedroom. Why now? That’s what makes this moment so bonkers and excellent and terrible.

Robin Absolute absolutely terrible terrible  It really was a wakeup call as far as Elizabeth goes. Just as a matter of interest. I did watch. Our version of it. I mean 40 years ago and in that version Elizabeth almost takes over from her mother in her absolutely barefaced ambition as far as George goes and her single-mindedness. And it’s not quite the same in this version except you know this scene is very disturbing but before she was really very much a reflection of her mother who you remember is pretty ambitious for her.

Barrett Yes. Yeah. Wait say more, she was sort of also laying groundwork with George?

Robin Yes. Yes.

Barrett Wow. And all this while Francis was still alive?

Robin Yeah yeah yeah.

Barrett Sounds like a very different Elizabeth in this moment.

Robin Yes I mean I think it becomes fairly clear where her where her intentions lie and she’s helped on that in that way by George’s attentions and George’s very clever campaign.

Barrett I asked Kyle Soller, the actor who plays Francis about Elizabeth’s motivation in this moment, back when the season originally aired and it was interesting his take on it not as a character but as himself was that she was very much still in love with Ross and that it was actually surprising that Elizabeth had turned Ross down back a few episodes again ago when he came onto her and that in his words in a way you could say it was only a matter of time before Elizabeth gave into her heart and her feelings for Ross. So. I wonder if that was what happened but what really got me was just how very intentional she was about it. I mean the way the camera is close on her face in that moment and she’s speaking these words very deliberately. It’s amazing. I loved it.

Robin It is amazing its quite shocking in a way you do is completely unexpected. And here she and I are our reaction is reflected in Ross’s face. It takes him definitely by surprise and sets him back and what sets him on a course that is pretty devastating in the end down the road, it all starts here, I think.

Barrett That’s right. It all starts at this party. So now for my second big moment. I chose something that I hope you like this moment too. There’s not a lot of meat here, or character development. This is a moment that when we first watched the series we all sort of came back and loved together, we just really enjoyed this and it is the interchange with Aunt Agatha and George Warleggan, where like almost like the Ross and Elizabeth encounter it was very, very surprising because George has just come to try to reestablish his friendship. That’s in quotes, friendship with Elizabeth and as he’s leaving he encounters Aunt Agatha who sort of belittles him in a way that sometimes old ladies on British television shows are allowed to get away with.

CLIP

Agatha George Warleggan? I remember the first time Francis brought you here! – fligged out in your frills and fallallery!

George I remember it too.

Agatha Speak up, boy, I’m a little deaf.

George And still above ground! There should be a law to kill off old crones.

Agatha Velvets and silks you wore – ’twas plain your mother had no taste.

George If you were the last of the Poldarks I’d do it myself. Goodbye, old woman. I hope when I next call you’ll be six feet below.

Barrett That was shocking. I could not believe that this was actually happening and it was sort of like a battle of these two fantastic characters and all we could hope when we first started talking about this moment after we’d seen it was like let’s get those two together again. I can’t wait. Let’s let’s have them have more exchanges and up the ante. And I know that those of you who have seen this season already and seen the series already know that we have lots of more lots more good duels between the two of them to come.

Robin That’s right. And just on the kiss of the hand you dear did you notice he kissed his thumb? He didn’t kiss her hand in fact.

Barrett I did not notice that. Good job.

Robin Good job, indeed. In fact the payoff of the scene which is a wonderful scene is is a little bit further down the line in the same episode. I think where she reveals that of course she’s heard everything he says.

Barrett Yes, yes, she has.

Robin Crafty old crone that she is, and enjoying every moment. One of the pleasures of the scene is that it’s played very close to the camera very close and very close in vocal terms as well. So there’s a kind of intimacy a really intense rudeness about it — it’s very very strong and great to Aunt Agatha in an extended scene like that actually because it doesn’t happen very often in this series, it’s a hugely amusing and effective scene, I agree.

Barrett Let’s take a quick break before our next scene to hear a word from our sponsors…

Barrett Now what did you choose as your next scene?

Robin My next scene is the scene in the blue Belle Glade. The scene where Dwight and Caroline finally finally declare in a sense, it’s a very touching scene of two clever young people who, but inexperienced in matters of the heart who who find themselves able finally to take a risk on love and the two of them escape the conventions of the time and they show their real independence of spirit and it’s a terrific scene. It’s very touching scene. I mean it’s a really beautiful romantic scene, and interesting you know that Caroline wears this scarlet coat in most of most of the scenes she plays which matches all the soldiers in scarlet coats as well there’s a soldier and in most scenes it’s extraordinary. But in this scene she wears a different coat. She was what looks like a kind of mauvey, I think, a less striking-colored coat and I think that must have been intentional by the wardrobe department somehow that this this scene is is not her on horseback you know chasing Dwight, making fun of him that somehow her atmosphere around her is different and it’s just a very honest scene.

CLIP

Caroline  Tell me, who is Dwight Enys? Is he the strong, capable man that bestrides the sick room? Or the hesitant one I see here today?

Dwight A man with not the smallest fortune. Money was never plentiful and studying took all I had. I hardly ever met women, except as cases. So if you come to me with a sore throat, I know what to do. But if I meet you in a drawing room, you are a creature whose moods and manners I’ve never learnt to decipher – and if you laugh at me, which you frequently do – I become tongue-tied and foolish.

Caroline Poor Dwight! Do I show such confidence and poise? How well I’ve been schooled! While you were learning to be a physician, I was learning to be an heiress! An heiress must learn how to walk, to dress, to ride, to dance… You say you don’t know women except as patients. I don’t know men at all.

Dwight What would you like to know? And now no doubt you hate me.

Caroline And now no doubt I hate you.

Robin I loved the scene I thought it’s terrific and a terrific kind of wrap up in a sense to that part of the relationship. Obviously it’s got a way to go yet but she’s about to leave I think for a for some months. And they both go they both part with hope in their heart as well.

Barrett Yes they do. And I have hope in my heart for them too. I loved the scene. I love your choice and I loved your observations about it. First of all I didn’t know that there were beautiful wooded areas like that in Cornwall because I don’t know anything about Cornwall other than what I’ve seen in the show and it does feel as though their different environment physically allows them to escape these conventions that they normally have imposed on them. As you said it feels almost as though there they’ve escaped the conventions of the time. And I agree and and I think that they’re in like a little bubble, almost a fairy tale setting. It allows them to be more natural as as themselves rather than playing their societal roles and that as I love your observation about the color of her coat because then she is more like in nature instead of in the ballroom or the drawing room wherever. So it’s so sweet. And what I’ve loved about them so much so far as the sort of like verbal sparring they have in a positive way versus our sparring that we just talked about a minute ago with Aunt Agatha and George Warleggan. But and they don’t engage in that here it’s very special. They’re so vulnerable. Especially Caroline she her armor is always up.

Robin Absolutely.

Barrett You know it’s the red coat it’s the giant hair and the big hat, her armour is up high. And we don’t really know why but we understand that that’s that’s her thing. And she just completely leaves it behind in this scene it’s so tender, and sweet.

Robin There’s one or two shots right at the center of the scene where it’s just on her face in big clue close up and on him as well. But on her particularly where she looks incredibly vulnerable. The defenses are completely down. And I melt really at that point. I mean it’s wonderful.

Barrett Oh a little wardrobe note in talking about Caroline’s wardrobe. The actress, Gabriella Wilde, was pregnant as they were filming that season. And so when she is often like holding Horace in front of her carrying Horace around it actually served to hide her little tiny bump, sometimes, and the wardrobe department did work to try to conceal her pregnancy.

Robin They did quite right. Absolutely. I’d forgotten that because I knew she was pregnant when I spent my couple of days with the crew and I’d forgotten that Horace played a double role as it were.

Barrett Robin for our next our next big moment, we’ve chosen the same thing again. We are we are in sync.

Robin We are we are so done for this scene between Francis and Demelza.

Barrett That’s right. We’ve both chosen this incredible scene between Francis and Demelza where Francis goes, he’s really excited about the copper that he’s seen down in the mine in Wheal Grace. And so he goes to tell Ross about it. Ross isn’t there. And he has a moment with Demelza.

CLIP

Francis You do not ask me what amends I need to make.

Demelza I’m not sure I wish t’ know.

Francis Yet I think I must tell you.

Demelza Francis, there’s no need.

Francis Years ago – when the Carnmore Copper Company was fighting for its life, George came to me one evening. Verity had left and I blamed you for her marriage – and in my rage I gave George the names of the Carnmore shareholders. I suspect Ross – and you – already have some inkling – but I’ve never had the courage to come and tell you outright. But you can’t rebuild a friendship by ignoring what destroyed it. So… so now you know. I’ll go now.

Demelza Wait, Francis… If we break now, we’ll only hurt each other all the more. One bad thing does not outweigh the many good. ‘Tis the balance that counts.

Francis You believe that? I don’t wonder Ross loves you.

Demelza Do you suppose he still does?

Francis  You doubt it?

Demelza Sometimes I think he loves Elizabeth better.

Francis May I tell you something, Demelza? You have one failing – and that is that you don’t think well enough of yourself. You came here as a miner’s daughter, married into this ancient family and you took its standards as your own. So you mistake your own value. Ross was a wise man when he chose you. And… he will not forget it.

Demelza But Elizabeth is… so lovely – well bred – She’s Ross’s first love. How can I compete with perfection?

Francis  You must do away with the notion that someone has done you a favor by letting you into this family. Will you do that?

Demelza I’ll try.

Robin It’s done with such tenderness and truth that she she really can’t help but believe him. It’s a tremendous scene… I mean if you look back on the scene after what happens afterwards, you know, the poor man drowns and you look back and you think thank heavens they had a moment where they said this to each other because they’re such you know they’re such lovely people basically. And it would be awful if if it ended without them having some such scene as this one.

Barrett We saw him really embracing Verity when she returned to take care of Aunt Agatha. And we saw him sort of having a loving moment with his sleeping son before he headed off to the mine. And we saw him  fully reconciled with Elizabeth. And of course with Ross everything is great. So it was tragic for him, to go but he had the very best exit. It’s kind of all he could hope for. And he really earned he he really earned his redemption. He had a great journey as a character you know just sort of like tribute to Francis Poldark. He grew. Well it was funny when I talked to Kyle Soller, again, he said that he. He said Francis became a real boy. Like in the Pinocchio sentence. And I thought that was adorable. He did become a man. You know he went from sort of a spoiled kid and the insecurities and resentments from being raised that way to being bitter to just owning his actions and resolving to be a better person and then being that person. So his journey was a wonderful one, and I’m so glad that he was a part of this show.

Robin Using a modern phrase, he ended up being comfortable in his skin. And then that is very satisfying for an audience I think, with such a troubled character that they’ve lived with for so long, that we’ve lived with for so long. If it has to end like this it makes our life easier if this kind of wind up is on the screen, you feel satisfied in the way that it’s very sad but somehow it’s a good ending.

Barrett And speaking of good endings let’s try to evaluate how heroic our hero has been this week. I am going to go ahead and give him a five. He’s um he’s just like right in the middle. Wheal Grace looks promising so he does have that in his favor it’s pumped out the water he achieved that but weighing against him is his as ever stubborn refusal to think about consequences he’s insisting on participating in smuggling against him else’s advice and that is borne of the very same flaw that led him to take out his like payday loan and end up completely in George’s grasp. What do you think?

Robin I’m going to give him a five as well. And I know their relationship in this episode is in very good shape despite his his agreeing to Trencrome using the beach and the financial situation. There’s a very pleasant fun scene in the bath. That chat before dinner, where he says, ‘Tonight I’ll have eyes for none nut you,’ and then this bombshell happens and it throws him completely. But I give him a five. Yes I mean, I think for this episode anyway.

Barrett Yeah right. Because this bombshell that you just referenced. Boy oh boy we see we see a consequence of Elizabeth’s overture toward him. And there’s that moment at the very end of the episode. At Francis’s funeral where Elizabeth collapses sobbing into Ross’s arms for comfort and it’s almost again like a microexpression that you just see Demelza for a split second you know she’s in the moment she’s completely heartbroken for her family for Elizabeth for the loss of Francis but there’s like this fleeting fleeting moment that crosses her expression where it it it dawns on her that the person who stood between Ross and Elizabeth is gone now. Did you see that too?

Robin Absolutely, I mean that look in the background with Demelza in the background. And Elizabeth really putting it on actually in public grasping to old potential love as it were was pretty, pretty unthoughtful I thought. I found an antipathy towards Elizabeth in this in this episode creeping up on me. And as you say this is the final shot of the end of the episode. And poor Demelza in the background is reawaken having I mean being reassured a bit by Francis in that wonderful scene. Oh the doubts come flooding back into her mind.

Barrett Oh yeah, yeah. And I think when we first aired this season I remember people started  thinking of it as Team Demelza and Team Elizabeth and being against Elizabeth. I remember feeling the same way but coming to understand her position a little better so I think I have to steel myself and be prepared to try to understand Elizabeth and have some empathy toward her as we go forward because she’s going to. She’s going to need it.

Robin She is, I mean she’s in a very difficult position. She’s a she’s suddenly a widow with a young child and she’s going to be living with Aunt Agatha, which is not a great prospect for her. I hope she likes playing cards right. And she she is not really worldly wise I mean she’s been she’s grown up in a very protected household with a very ambitious mother. She’s achieved some something by marrying Francis. She has she’s lost her real love. So one can understand when you know George being so almost aggressive in his attentions that it could be effective. But that’s all to come. But I agree. It’s an interesting character actually which which is going to develop further and we’ll have lots of talks about it I hope.

Barrett We certainly will. And I can’t wait. So thank you so much Robin for this terrific discussion of Poldark Season Two, Episode Five. This was a big one.

Robin Thanks Barrett.

Barrett And now, let’s give Francis a true sendoff by hearing from actor Kyle Soller’s illuminating interview with my MASTERPIECE colleague, Jace Lacob, host of our MASTERPIECE Studio podcast.

Jace Lacob: What did you make of the character of Francis Poldark initially when you first saw the script? How has Francis changed significantly from that first episode? What do you make of his journey over-all?

Kyle: What first attracted me to the character was his journey. I got sent the entire first season and I watched that rollercoaster that he winds up going through. I thought that would be really fascinating to play. I got sent the character arc of what would happen in season two, him attempting suicide and then having this rebirth, I guess, and then his eventual drowning. I just thought that that would be really exciting and difficult to play. I thought he was really complex and conflicted. He starts out as a happy go lucky young guy. He can’t believe his luck actually that he’s got Elizabeth in the first episode of the first season. She’s the kind of Prom Queen and he never expected… I don’t think he ever expected that she would say yes. That was out of a point of sadness because he knew that she and Ross were betrothed. They were promised to each other. Everyone thought that Ross was dead so Francis believed he was acting. He wasn’t shooting his best buddy in the back or anything. After Ross’ return, he really goes through in a really, really upsetting downward spiral where he’s horrible to everyone in his family. He has got an incredible amount of self-loathing and is faced with watching him destroy his own life. I think that journey to the suicide is quite a sad one but I really, really did enjoy playing. I think what I enjoyed was knowing that Francis could really be as horrible as he wanted to in season one because I knew that he would wind up coming good in the end.

Jace :One of the things I love is that, that Ross and Francis do complement each other. At one point Demelza even says that the cousins put the two of you together and that would make a complete man. Is she accurate in that respect? Do they fuse together to be one complete man?

Kyle :I think this is what you see in season two when they can actually put their differences aside and their pride aside and join together in their mining venture and in their friendship and a lot of stuff gets done. They’re really productive. Their relationship start blossoming with their significant others. It’s interesting. I think she’s definitely on to something. Francs has a lot of attributes that Ross doesn’t and vice versa.

Jace :What does Francis see in Ross that he envies?

Kyle: I think his confidence and also his selflessness and his charity and his courage. I think those are probably the big ones. I think he’s got quite a noble spirit and always shunned the family name, I guess. He didn’t shun it. He respected the family name but he never bought into any of the crap that Francis did in the first season and becoming friends with George and appearances. I think Francis always really respected Ross for that and felt that he could never do that. He was too tied in to doing what was expected of him.

Jace: You said you knew going in that, what his arc would be in season two. You were aware of the fact that he was going to be killed off this season, what was it like having that over your head in constructing a character knowing that he would redeem himself just in time to meet his watery fate?

Kyle: It was really interesting. I think I liked being able to chart that journey and look at the bigger picture and figure out what I could further than… it seems I guess I could push further than other ones because you know that there would be an eventual payoff, a couple of episodes or whatever down the line. The great joy in doing a project like this which is already a series of books is that everybody knows what’s going to happen already. Everybody can do the same thing. They’re charting their own journeys because they’ll be doing it for, I don’t know how long, hopefully many more years. Like you say, knowing that he’s actually going to die, I don’t know, I guess I never really thought about that. Looking back on it, I would say maybe it made me make specific choices for specific reasons but during the time, I never looked at his death as a marker going like, “Oh! That means I can, I don’t know, get away with this or that”. I’m talking myself in circles here. I think Debbie Horsfield’s adaptation was really faithful to the books. That journey of Francis’ is quite straightforward. He starts out great and then he just gets really bad. He just goes on a steady, steady big curve downwards then goes up. I suppose because Francis was never really allowed to be happy, apart from maybe episode one or the first five minutes of episode one, season one. Episodes, what is it like, 2, 3, 4, 5 of season two were just amazing to play because-

Jace:   He becomes the best version of himself.

Kyle:   Exactly. Exactly. You see a person in the prime of his life effectively becoming a great husband, becoming a wonderful land owner and becoming quite capable at running a mine, and a great father, a great husband, just a good friend. I played it like he was just living every day like it was his last.

Barrett That was Poldark star, Kyle Soller, speaking with MASTERPIECE Studio host Jace Lacob. You can listen to the rest of their conversation, and many more interviews with his Poldark castmates besides, at our website, pbs.org/MASTERPIECEStudio, or on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Radio Public or wherever else you listen to podcasts.

Coming up next on Poldark: it’s romance of an entirely different color: The Warleggan variety.

CLIP

George I was passing and wondered if I might beg the favour of Elizabeth’s company for a few hours? We have a small gathering at Cardew. Only if she can be spared, of course.

Elizabeth I fear I cannot. We intend to keep Christmas quietly, just among ourselves.

Mrs. Chynoweth Elizabeth, dear, allow me to assist you in choosing a suitable gown?

Barrett Suffer through it with us, next time.

And you can join us in our rewatching adventure here on Mining Poldark by watching the entire series on PBS Passport — a new member benefit from your local PBS station. You can watch select MASTERPIECE titles like Poldark, Downton Abbey or Victoria as a part of the Passport experience. To learn more, visit pbs.org/getpassport.

You can also follow along with us on the the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel, available as an add-on service to your Amazon Prime Membership.

Mining Poldark is hosted by me, Barrett Brountas, with co-host Robin Ellis. We’re produced by Nick Andersen, with help from Robyn Bissette. Meredith Wheeler is our field producer. Tina Tobey-Mack is our sound designer. Susanne Simpson is our executive producer. The executive producer of MASTERPIECE is Rebecca Eaton.

Sponsors for MASTERPIECE on PBS are Viking Cruises, Raymond James and The MASTERPIECE Trust. Poldark is a Mammoth Screen production for BBC, co-produced with MASTERPIECE.