A 'bizarrely gripping' and 'brilliantly addictive' period drama series streaming on Netflix has been given 10 out of 10 stars by fans who just can't stop raving about the show.07:14, 31 Jul 2026‘Brilliant and totally addictive’ is how viewers are describing a period drama streaming on Netflix, and fans of the genre just can’t get enough.‌The historical British period drama series has viewers utterly obsessed, and for good reason.‌Adapted from Winston Graham’s best-selling book series of the same name, Poldark was originally developed for the BBC and aired on BBC One between March 2015 and August 2019. During its time gracing airwaves, the series became a blockbuster megahit, and its indelible impact is still being felt all these years later.‌Graham’s novel series is made up of twelve books, of which the first seven served as the building blocks of the television show. The period drama series is set between 1781 and 1801 and spans five seasons with a total of 43 episodes. The last and final series features an original storyline which ends in 1801, nine years prior to the events of Graham’s eighth Poldark novel.The show stars Aidan Turner in the lead as Ross Poldark, and the Irish heartthrob is joined by Eleanor Tomlinson, Ruby Bentall, Heida Reed, Jack Farthing, and Luke Norris alongside a larger ensemble cast.‌This is the BBC’s second outing with Winston Graham’s renowned book series, with another adaptation of Poldark having been broadcast decades earlier, between 1975 and 1977, which starred Robin Ellis in the lead as Ross Poldark alongside Angharad Rees and Jill Townsend.The 2015 Poldark series has garnered immense praise from all quarters, with audiences and critics thoroughly delighted with the period drama.One impressed critic compared it to fan-favourite Downton Abbey: “Not since Downton Abbey has TV offered such a captivating, soapy period drama.”‌While another reviewer commented: “Poldark is one of my comfort-food shows, an easy, pretty, and transporting escape to a time and place, the 18th century, where everything was simpler - or, thanks to the writers, everything seemed simpler.”A third critic simply said, “Poldark is, as always, almost bizarrely gripping and entertaining,” while another reviewer wrote, “Debbie Horsfield's adaptation of Winston Graham's epic saga is cut from sophisticated cloth.”‌Audiences are bowled over too, with one viewer writing: “Got hooked quick. The characters are so well casted that they jump out at you and are so believable. Each episode is a roller coaster and twists and turns here and there. Funny in spots and sad in others . It's a fun ride.”A user review posted to IMDB saying: “Singularly the best historic TV series drama that I've seen bar none. Very accurate to the book, very entertaining. There's very few series or films I can watch again, but I've watched this all twice and loved every minute of it.”While one fan of the series said: “As good if not better than the book(s). I fell in love with the first season of Poldark and realized they were based off of the 12 books written by Winston Graham. I decided to read the books while waiting for the next series and it's one of a few instances where the tv series is as excellent as the books. This series is so well cast and the story so well written (closely following the books) that you can't help but love these characters and their lives.”‌An audience review on Rotten Tomatoes added: “I'll recommend this show to everyone I meet for the rest of my life, well done Debbie Horsfield.”While one IMDB reads: “Brilliant and totally addictive! Woow. I did not expect to find such a gem when I started watching. What a story. And what a hero. Whoever cast Aidan and Eleanor deserves the best prize.“This series goes straight to your heart. It's the level of production quality when you forget these are not real people. 10 stars, friends. No words will suffice to express my gratitude to the cast and crew - for almost 40 hours of pure bliss.”Article continues belowPoldark is available to stream on Netflix