We’re delighted to confirm that The Bottle Yard Studios is once again hosting production of hit BBC One drama Poldark, as it returns to the South West to shoot its hotly anticipated second series.
Filming has begun this week for the new series of the 18th Century drama, starring Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson as Ross Poldark and Demelza. For the second year running, Mammoth Screen, the production company behind the hugely successful romantic saga, is basing Poldark at The Bottle Yard Studios, the largest film and TV production space in the West of England.
Poldark’s eight-part first series, which attracted on average eight million viewers per episode, filmed at The Bottle Yard between April and October 2014. Sets were built within the Studio’s Tank House 2 to create key settings featured in the drama, including The Red Lion pub and ‘Nampara’, Ross Poldark’s home.
This year, sets will once again be built on site, and the production will expand its Studio footprint by using additional build space. The team are coordinating Poldark’s shoot from The Bottle Yard’s production offices, and basing a comprehensive costume department onsite, complete with sewing, dying and fitting rooms.
As well as filming on-site at The Bottle Yard Studios, the seven month shoot for the ten part series will feature locations across Cornwall, Bristol and Wiltshire.
Fiona Francombe, Site Director of The Bottle Yard Studios, said: “We’re very happy to be welcoming the team from Mammoth back again this year and are looking forward to another busy and productive time with them on-site. As so often happens with a second series, needs have changed and requirements have grown and we’re delighted to be able to accommodate everything the production team need. We have no doubt that the outstanding success of the first series will continue with series two, and we are proud that The Bottle Yard, Bristol and Bristol’s crews are very much playing their part in the making of this high calibre of drama.”
1790 and there is riot and revolution in the air. Ross Poldark must once again fight for his freedom when George Warleggan tries desperately to steal his mine and have him hanged as a revolutionary. Can Demelza save Ross from himself?
Also back for the second series are Heida Reed as Elizabeth, Kyle Soller as Francis, Ruby Bentall as Verity, Jack Farthing as George Warleggan and Luke Norris as Dr Dwight Enys. Beatie Edney and Phil Davis return as Jud Paynter and his wife Prudie and Robin Ellis reprises his role as the Reverend Halse. Series two also introduces other key characters including John Nettles (Midsomer Murders), Gabriella Wilde (Endless Love) and Hugh Skinner (W1A).
Based on the novels by Winston Graham, Poldark is adapted by Debbie Horsfield (Cutting It, The Riff Raff Element) and directed by William Sinclair (Vera, Misfits) and Charles Palmer (Poirot, Death in Paradise, Lark Rise to Candleford). It is produced by Margaret Mitchell (Vera, Goodbye Mr. Chips, Poirot) and the executive producers are Debbie Horsfield, Karen Thrussell and Damien Timmer for Mammoth Screen and Liz Kilgarriff for the BBC.