Poldark

Based on the Poldark novels by Winston Graham, Poldark is a sweeping drama about loss, love, grief, and vindication. Ross is a complex, powerful central figure whose refusal to give into other people's influence makes him an anomaly, and ultimately a beacon of morality, among an otherwise prototypical cast of characters. That's not to say that everyone around him is bad; it's just that they toe the line of status quo with far more vigor than Ross does, and in an environment where privilege and money tend to make the rules, it's always refreshing to see someone stand for liberty, equality, and common decency. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Turner is rustically handsome, war wound and all.

You don't need to have read the books to enjoy this beautifully crafted series set to a beautiful soundtrack and the matching backdrop of the English countryside, whose post-Revolutionary British point of view isn't a familiar one, at least on the American side of the pond. With its intriguing cast of tortured souls and master manipulators, and the struggle of some between duty and desire, many equally fascinating stories are being told simultaneously.