WE will apparently be spared a rape scene in the next TV series of the immensely popular Poldark.
Actor Aidan Turner, he of the enjoyable shirtless threshing, let the cat out of the bag about a controversial plotline from the original third novel by Winston Graham. This featured a rape scene of Poldark’s original love, Elizabeth, which has now been changed to something more consensual for the upcoming series because it seems the producers didn’t want to tarnish Ross’s female-friendly image.
It doesn’t seem right to alter the character of the famous 12-book series’ main protagonist. It not only sanitizes who Ross is - quite a dark and complex type – but has plotline implications.
We all know TV and film take massive liberties with original stories when they adapt best-sellers for the small or large screen, but hijacking a classic in this way seems dangerous.
What next? Professor Frankenstein made out to be a misunderstood biologist or Uriah Heap a people-pleaser? Hands off our classics – the original authors knew best.
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