Let me say I enjoy both versions and own both on DVD. However, I give the edge of Poldark '75.

Poldark '75 was just cast better. All the actors were perfect for the parts they played. In Poldark 15 the guy playing George just is all wrong for the role. In Poldark '75 the actor playing Jud was perfect in the part. I also think the period costumes and hairstyles were more authentic than what we're seeing in Polkdark '15. I also thought the gritty and poor atmosphere of the novels is felt more in Poldark '75; Poldark '15 is so stylized and features so much pretty scenic shots it kind of robs the story of the poverty and suffering the poor people go through.

I was also impressed by the fact Poldark '75 did a very fast and loose versions of the books they adapted in season one, but stuck chapter and verse to the books in season 2. Not many shows are able to pull something like that off.

And Aidan Turner fans will want to kill me for this but I thought Robin Ellis brought a more aristocratic bearing to the role of Ross than AT is able to. You could really believe he was born in the upper classes. He still had that bearing even when he was filthy and dressed in miner's clothing.

Again, I like both versions. Ellis/Rees' Ross and Demelza have a very bawdy and humorous feel about them, while Turner/Tomlinson's Ross and Demelza are more passionate and romantic.

One final thing, I used to loathe Poldark '75's Elizabeth but after being subjected to the simpering mess that is Poldark '15's Elizabeth, I absolutely adore Poldark '75's Elizabeth.

I could have written your post myself, talk about being on the same page! I do give more than an edge to the older version, though. I admit I may just be too prejudiced in favor of it. That Poldark is right up there with The Forsyte Saga and I, Claudius to me. I don't really like the Oldark/Newdark appellation, so I'm switching to a condensed version of yours. Pk75 was brilliantly cast. Decades ago, it took a few episodes for me to warm up to Robin Ellis, but I did. Ultimately, I couldn't imagine anyone else playing that part. Aiden Turner is a hot little number, but he has no gravitas. Loved him in the Hobbit, and I enjoy watching him in Pk15, just not as much as Robin Ellis. Anghared Rees was so much fun to watch. Loaded with personality and fiestyness, I just loved her. Ms. Tomlinson does a great job, but she's almost too classy to portray Demelza. And her red dress is a good example of unauthentic costuming. Of course the modern production values capture the scenery beautifully. But I miss the original title music when Pk15 opens. Jill Townsend brought just the right amount of bitchy entitlement to the role of Elizabeth. It's as if Heida Reed is portraying a different character all together. And some of the smaller roles, like Zacky Martin or Paul Daniel, well, those guys just seem to fade in Pk15. The worst is Jack Farthing as George. I know we're not supposed to like him, but I can't stand watching him and he is in too many scenes. Ridiculous that this Elizabeth would marry him. In Pk75 Ralph Bates was fantastic; I loved hating him. I do enjoy P15 quite a bit, and we still have a good bit to look forward to.

Oh, god, don't get me even started on George's "terror" tactics to get Elizabeth to marry him. Although they were more humorous than terrifying. That scene where Elizabeth's mother has apoplexy because some dirty miners are digging up the lawn is just so ridiculous.

Farthing has too much of an aristocratic air to be George. George wants to fit in with these people and be accepted by him but he's always like the ugly duckling among the graceful swans. He also seems to be too much of a light-weight to be George.

I really hope I'm wrong, but I feel like Debbie Horsfield cast most of the male roles with the mindset that they not outshine Aidan Turner. While I grew to like Kyle Solfer as Francis, he's not very attractive. Clive Francis was on a leveled playing field in the looks department with Robin Ellis. They were both very attractive men.

And what the heck was the woman thinking when she cast the part of Caroline?

Wasn't the lawn scene supposed to be funny? I guess I got their intentions wrong! One of the most rewarding moments in Pk15 is, after all of George's boxing lessons (difficult for me to watch) Ross still beat the hell out of him! Thank you, writing gods, for that moment! Which I replayed several times. George is supposed to be a blacksmith's son, isn't he? Farthing is the worst. You're right, too aristocratic. I saw Clive Francis recently in The Crown. I recognized the voice first, so posh, and then the face. Did you see that? Judy Geeson was a tough act to follow as Caroline, I loved her story arc with Dwight.

No, I didn't see The Crown. I'd love to see what he looks like, today.

All those scenes with George and his boxing scenes were a waste and could have been giving to the story of the side characters. DH writes George like he's from the upper class and doesn't know how to fight. DH has got George's character completely wrong.

There's a pretty good current picture of him on imdb.com. I think he's still attractive, but I love mature men. I also found out from visiting his page that he did Sense and Sensibility with Robin Ellis in 1971, maybe some kind soul uploaded that on YouTube. The Crown is a an excellent series, but you have to be a Netflix subscriber to see it. I just checked YouTube. S and S is on there, and the film quality is acceptable.

"Wasn't the lawn scene supposed to be funny?"

I don't think it was supposed to be. We were supposed to see how dastardly George was terrorizing poor Elizabeth so she's marry him. But it came off as being cartoonish and something Snidely Whiplash would have pulled. And it's all evil George's fault that Elizabeth's mother is incapacitated now.

The fact is both in the book and in Poldark '75 Elizabeth needed no terror tactics to agree to marry George. This was just more of DH trying to write Elizabeth as a blameless victim.

DH missed an opportunity for some cheeky fun, there. However, there were a group of guys at my office that we called the Lawnmower Men. I really do think they'd have heart attacks if any trespassers disturbed a few of their precious blades! This leads me to another comparison. The flirtation between Demelza and McNeil was portrayed with great humor in Pk75. The striped stockings and Parisian underwear were displayed to clownish effect while they tussled! The Pk15 scene was dull by comparison. I've watched Pk75 about 5 times since it premiered, most recently on Netflix. But I haven't read the books in forty years, so I really don't remember them at all. George and Elizabeth were well-suited; she wouldn't have lasted a week at Nampara. Ridiculous that Ross couldn't, or wouldn't, recognize this.

That's what I liked about Pk75. It had a lot of humor in it to lighten the really heavy moments. Funniest moment had to me Jud's resurrection with played exactly like written in the book. Especially remember one of the guy shooting a gun off near Jud's ear.

Pk15 is pretty dour and joyless at times.

I think Ross built up a fantasy in his mind that had no basis in reality. Like how Princess Elizabeth would have never been able to handle Nampara.

I just watched "Sense and Sensibility" from 1971 because I wanted to see Robin Ellis and Clive Francis. It's on YouTube. Not all that, but Robin did a good job with Edward Ferrars' stammer.

I like both in their own way. I agree with you about the Debbie Horsfield's warming up of Elizabeth but I just watched the second season of the 1970s Poldark and I did not like how the writers assassinated Verity with her helping George Warleggan take over ownership of Aunt Agatha's estate. Verity in the books would have never helped George in such a betrayal. Debbie Horsfield has stuck to the books with Verity and Captain Blamey in the new adaptation and Ruby Bentall and Richard Harrington are perfect for the roles.

I haven't read the books since the seventies so I don't remember them well. I'veGotaSecret said they "stuck chapter and verse to the books in Season 2". I've so many books on my reading list that I don't want to 're-read the Poldark series. It wasn't _that _good! I agree with you about Ms. Bentall and Mr. Harrington: they do a great job.