Poldark (1975)
Capt. Ross Poldark returns from the American war to find his house in ruins, his copper mining business collapsed, and his girlfriend engaged to his worthless cousin. During an evening of excess alcohol he gets the servant girl pregnant and, to the considerable surprise of his neighbors, marries her. She shows considerable grit and makes a place for herself in local society.
It's mainly a women's romance story with men in puffy sleeves, women in big dresses, dances and social maneuvering, love won and lost. But we also have murder, courtroom drama, mine disasters, smuggling, shipwreck and pillage. Like a lot of soap operas, and series in general, it's not hard to keep watching.
The first season is 16 episodes and was wildly popular on Masterpiece Theater in the US. It was shot on video, giving it a low-rent appearance by today's standards.
