The return of Poldark means Sunday nights are sorted again so in celebration of scything and all things Cornish, here's why we're happy he's back.

Ross is off to London

Who wouldn't vote for Ross as their MP – he's got the unpredictability of John Prescott, the passion of Tony Benn, the oratory skills of Churchill, the charisma of Boris Johnson, the innate decency of John Smith and the looks of well, no politician ever?

?Warleggan will lose his seat

Chances are if Ross is off to London, it means Warleggan will be getting the full Michael Portillo experience and losing his seat in style. Cue humiliation, buried rage and the usual face like a cracked turnip. Hurray!

?Francis is still dead

His milky face and whiny desperation were never appealing. And as he'd stolen his cousin's intended while Ross was off fighting for his country, Francis is definitely best off languishing at the bottom of that mine.

?Elizabeth's secret

As any parent knows, the parentage of their child is immediately obvious to all, yet evil Warleggan is still determined not to notice that the suspiciously dark-haired little scrap she produced after her controversial night of passion with Ross is not his. The man is so blind, he won't even admit the truth when young Valentine takes up his first scythe and asks if he can take his top off.

?Dwight and Caroline

Quite why these two find each other attractive is a mystery to all. Caroline is interfering and annoying and Dwight clearly has a serious man-crush on Ross. Hopefully, this series their unlikely pairing will move away from its usual unctuousness and they might have their first humdinger.

?Demelza is living out every woman's fantasy

She has the devotion of two gorgeous men and can take her pick. The smart money is on Ross – (Hugh, who?) - but despite gushing comments from the show's producer about how great it will be to see the pair of them rebuilding their relationship this series, we're all looking forward to lots more smouldering regret and jealousy – otherwise they'd just be William and Kate, sweet to watch, but you wouldn't want to hang around for the conversation.

More smouldering from Drake and Morwenna

Drake's not a natural smouldered but his passion for Morwenna is endearing. Meanwhile, she deserves all the excitement she can get after being saddled with the repulsive Osbourne Whitworth and his toe fetish.

?Osbourne Whitworth

He's so repulsive! Love him. Hopefully there will be fewer toes in this series however.

?Morwenna's evil sister Rowella

Quite what her game is with Osbourne is anybody's guess, but whatever it is, you have to admire her commitment. She'd better keep her feet clean.

?Osbourne's evil mother

What kind of childhood could have created a character like Osbourne? With the arrival of Rebecca Front as Lady Whitworth, we'll find out.

?Cornwall's makeover

Not that it needs one, but if you're not having a holiday this year, the shots of rugged landscapes and crashing seas will do just as well – and there's no risk of rain, either.

?The most rugged of them all

Tall, dark and gorgeous, Seamus the horse is everyone's fantasy ride.

?New characters

An amoral rogue called Monk Adderley will be joining the cast so that's another potential suitor to add to Demelza's ever growing list, while real life characters this time will include PM William Pitt and anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce. No prizes for guessing which one Ross will prefer.

?Geoffrey Charles

His touching determination to remain close to his cousin Ross makes GC an inspiration for anyone mired in family politics. This series he will be played by Louis Davison, son of Peter, which is nice.

?'T'int right, t'int fair, t'int proper,'

Rumour has it that Jud won't be back this series. But every slam of the barn door will have us hoping for his filthy presence.?

Prudie

She should have her own show, but since she hasn't, let's see her more this series. Fun fact: Actress Beatie Edney, who plays her, is the daughter of Sylvia Sims.

?Aunt Agatha's gone for good

Actually, this isn't a good thing. Her spooky ways and old lady-rudeness will be sorely missed by all.

Poldark returns to BBC1 on Sunday night at 9pm