Kick-Back Friday: #178

"Poldark" (1975-1976)*: Notwithstanding the low and terribly inconsistent BBC production quality, "Poldark" stands for the British—probably like "Roots" does for Americans—as a venerable milestone in the annals of the TV mini-series (is there an annals of the TV mini-series?). And its value remains, like pretty much all good historical fiction, in the narrative's conflicts, the adherence to period behavior, and solid English acting (yay, Robbin Ellis).

However, I urge closed captioning or subtitles (which are not available through my Netflix streaming device) if you want any chance of understanding Poldark's interminably drunken servant, Jud Paynter, or of catching any dialog when an actor turns away from an overhead mic.

* Series 1.