Poldark launches with 7m viewers - and one or two complaints about Aidan Turner's scar

The BBC remake has been widely hailed as a success

Breeches of the peace: Eleanor Tomlinson and Aidan Turner in Poldark (Mike Hogan / BBC)

The BBC’s Poldark revival has proved an early hit with viewers after nearly seven million tuned in to Sunday night’s opening episode.

The remake of the 1970s classic, starring Aidan Turner, opened with 6.9m viewers, leaving ITV’s drama Mr Selfridge trailing with an audience of 3.7 million.

The saga of life and love in 18th century Cornwall fared better than the 1975 original, which began with five million viewers but soon became compulsive viewing and was watched by 15 million at its peak.

The new Poldark received positive reviews with many focusing on the smouldering performance of Turner as the dashing soldier with a scar, who returns from the American war of Independence to find his family seat in ruin.

However some viewers complained that Turner’s scar lacked authenticity and looked more like “mascara” or “hair dye” running down his face.

One viewer tweeted: “How come the make-up department did Poldark's scar so much better in the 70s?”

Other viewers complained that the Cornish accents were “dreadful” and made local people sound like “Wurzels”.

Actors in the series said they had concentrated on delivering their lines with clear enunciation following the 2,000 complaints received by the BBC over inaudible dialogue when its Jamaica Inn drama was screened last April.