The Moonstone (miniseries)

The Moonstone
series title over a Victorian theatre stage curtain
Genre Drama
Based on The Moonstone novel by Wilkie Collins
Written by Rachael Flowerday
Sasha Hails
Starring
Composer(s) Patrick Neil Doyle
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original language(s) English
No. of series 1
No. of episodes 5
Production
Executive producer(s)
  • Jo Sargent
  • John Yorke
  • Dan McGolpin
Producer(s) Joanna Hanley
Cinematography Stephen Murphy
Running time 45 minutes
Production company(s) King Bert Productions
Release
Original network BBC
Original release 31 October (2016-10-31) – 4 November 2016 (2016-11-04)
External links
BBC website

The Moonstone is a daytime drama series produced by King Bert Productions for BBC 1 Daytime. It is an adaptation of the Wilkie Collins novel described by T.S. Eliot as the first and greatest of English detective novels. It stars Joshua Silver and John Thomson.[1][2]

Plot

Rachel Verinder, a young English woman, inherits a large Indian diamond on her eighteenth birthday. It is a legacy from her uncle, a corrupt British army officer who served in India. The diamond is of great religious significance as well as being extremely valuable, and three Hindu priests have dedicated their lives to recovering it. Rachel's eighteenth birthday is celebrated with a large party, at which the guests include her cousin Franklin Blake. She wears the Moonstone on her dress that evening for all to see, including some Indian jugglers who have called at the house. Later that night, the diamond is stolen from Rachel's bedroom, and a period of turmoil, unhappiness, misunderstandings and ill-luck ensues in a complex plot to explain the theft, identify the thief, trace the stone and recover it.

Cast and characters

Episodes

No. in
series
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1"Episode 1"Lisa MulcahyRachel Flowerday and Sasha Hails31 October 2016 (2016-10-31)N/A
Franklin Blake returns to England for his father's funeral and to solve the theft of The Moonstone stolen the year before on his cousin Rachel's 18th birthday. In love with Rachel she disowns her own feeling for him when his lies over his debts come to light. He seeks out the Verinder family butler, Gabriel Betteredge to relate the events up to the night the Moonstone went missing. A night Dr Candy gave him a sleeping draught.
2"Episode 2"Lisa MulcahyRachel Flowerday and Sasha Hails1 November 2016 (2016-11-01)N/A
Sergeant Cuff returns to relate his investigation to Blake. He reports on Rachael Verinder's unwillingness to co-operate with the police; her maid Roseanna Spearman known to him as a thief with access to a jewel broker in London. A clue of smeared paint on a nightgown. How his investigation falls apart as first Godfrey Ablewhite leaves for London followed by the uncooperative Rachel. Blake unable to placate Rachel leaves for the continent. How he and Gabriel search for Spearman near quicksands and fail to find her.
3"Episode 3"Lisa MulcahyRachel Flowerday and Sasha Hails2 November 2016 (2016-11-02)N/A
Miss Clack arrives in Yorkshire to relate events following the theft of the Moonstone. How Godfrey Ablewhite after meeting jewel broker Septimus Luker that they were both kidnapped by Indian men. How Rachel knew who stole the Moonstone and her regret on her mother's deathbed that she had kept the secret from her. How Rachel vindicated Godfrey and accepting his proposal of marriage despite not loving him. Franklin is told Godfrey, before his proposal had seen Rachel's mother's will and is determined to stop the marriage. A secret letter of Roseanna Spearman comes to light revealing the whereabouts of a casket hidden in the quicksands.
4"Episode 4"Lisa MulcahyRachel Flowerday and Sasha Hails3 November 2016 (2016-11-03)N/A
Recovering the casket the contents of which was Franklin's nightgown smeared with paint and a letter professing her love for him. Mr Bruff, Franklin's solicitor, informs Rachel of Godfrey Ablewhite's motives and she deceives Godfrey into breaking their engagement. Bruff engineers a meeting between Franklin and Rachel, at which she tells him she saw him enter her bedroom and take the Moonstone and only her love for him prevented her exposing him. Shocked at this revelation Franklin departs.
5"Episode 5"Lisa MulcahyRachel Flowerday and Sasha Hails4 November 2016 (2016-11-04)N/A
Accused of theft by the woman he loves, Franklin returns to Yorkshire to recreate the events of a year ago. Dr Candy is dead and his assistant Dr Ezra Jennings reveals he was given laudanum as a sleeping draught; a drug that he himself is addicted to. The re-enactment proved Franklin took the Moonstone but passed the diamond on. Returning to London a watch is kept on jewel broker Septimus Luker which leads to a number of suspects each of whom is followed. Godfrey Abelwhite is found dead smothered on the bed, the Moonstone gone.

References

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