'Poldark' Season 5 Air Date, Spoilers: BBC's Popular Period Drama Officially Starts Shooting Its Last Installment

BBC's exciting retelling of Winston Graham's historical novels is on schedule for the production of “Poldark” season 5. With the show confirmed for renewal even prior to the fourth season's official broadcast date in June, fans have been left in the dark about the season 5 plans of their favorite series up until now.

The official “Poldark” Twitter account recently posted a photo of the cast and crew of “Poldark” season 5 as they get ready for the first day of shooting.

But there are times when good news must come with unwelcome announcements. While the start of production for “Poldark” season 5 is definitely good news for those eagerly awaiting the series' return after season 4 wrapped up last July, BBC recently announced that the upcoming installment will be Poldark's last.

The series's writer, Debbie Horsfield, shares that “Poldark” season 5 will be based on Graham's eight book, the “The Stranger from the Sea.” Fans of the novels will remember that there is at least a decade's worth of a gap between “The Stranger from the Sea” and “The Angry Tide,” the novel that parts of “Poldark” season 4 are based on. Horsfield mentions that viewers can expect events that have been noted to happen in the gap years between Graham's novels to be used as inspiration for season 5's stories.

The cast and crew behind “Poldark” season 5 gave no indication or explanation to fans who may be wondering why the fifth season has to be the show's last. Fans may be left to speculate if the 10-year gap between Graham's seventh and eighth book, as well as the further time gaps as the novels progress, make it a larger challenge to keep the show's lead stars such as Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson authentically in character.

Fans of the series can look forward to “Poldark” season 5 returning on air with its premiere episode sometime in 2019.