âPoldarkâ criticised for not starring Benedict Cumberbatch
The BBCâs new big budget period drama has been attacked by viewers for not featuring Benedict Cumberbatch, according to reports this morning. âPoldarkâ, a tale of 18th Cornish smugglers and derring-do, was advertised as starring âthe sexy one out of the Hobbit filmsâ, leading to ire when people found out that didnât actually mean Cumberbatch. âIâd got the kids to bed and settled down with a bottle of red and some toffees to suck on furiously whenever Benedict said something clever and gave the camera a knowing, otter-like gazeâ, said Mel Harper from Newton Aycliffe. âAnd all I got was some bloke who played a midget that shagged some kind of fairy.â âI barely got halfway through my toffees, even when he took his shirt off.â âSort it out, BBC.â A spokesman for the BBC apologised for the omission of Cumberbatch, but stressed that the actor was appearing on Graham Norton, QI, Have I got News For You and other shows on various BBC channels at the same time. However, viewers remain unconvinced. âI just canât get into a drama unless itâs got his tremendous acting ability in itâ, said Mel. âItâs an intellectual thing. His gravitas and skill of expressing nuanced emotions helps me engage with character.â âNow if youâll excuse me Iâm going to lean against the tumble dryer whilst I watch that episode of Sherlock where he snogs Moriarty.â