Oooh Demelza

One of Danny Cohen's last sign-offs as Controller of BBC1 - a six part adaptation of Poldark. Yes, back from two BBC series in 1975 and 1975, and an ITV follow-up in 1996. Risk-taker Danny's version will be scripted by Debbie Horsefield, of Cutting It fame. Steeped in Cornish history, Debbie comes from Eccles, went to Newcastle University, lives in Ramsbottom and is a patron of the Manchester United Supporters' Trust.

As you can see below, much of the action in the original tv version needed no script.



A remake of Poldark (on mopeds) was forecast sometime ago by Vic and Bob.

• I can't find the scenes I want from the 70s online, but there is one where a mansion is torched by angry miners and villagers. No expense had been spared to dress the indoor set at Television Centre. There were some genuine art works on the dummy walls, and the chair usually used for the crowning of Miss World was in the room. So the extras had detailed instructions on what NOT to torch. Only one take was possible - some of the extras could be seen trying to remember which paintings were marked for destruction, which rather dissipated the dramatic tension - and the Miss World chair was burned anyway, unnoticed by the studio director.