| Genre: | Drama |
| Based On: | The Moonstone, novel by Wilkie Collins |
| Composer: | Patrick Neil Doyle |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Num Series: | 1 |
| Num Episodes: | 5 |
| Producer: | Joanna Hanley |
| Cinematography: | Stephen Murphy |
| Runtime: | 45 minutes |
| Company: | King Bert Productions |
| Channel: | BBC One |
The Moonstone is a daytime drama series produced by King Bert Productions for BBC One. It is an adaptation of the Wilkie Collins 1868 novel of the same name described by T.S. Eliot as the first and greatest of English detective novels. It stars Josh Silver and John Thomson.[1] [2]
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.
In July 2016, a new adaptation of The Moonstone was announced, starring John Thomson as Sergeant Cuff and Sarah Hadland as Drusilla Clack. Billed as an afternoon drama, it was scheduled at a earlier time to appeal to a younger audience as part of the BBC's #LoveToRead initiative.[3] The programme aired on five consecutive days between 31 October and 4 November 2016.
Jasper Rees of The Daily Telegraph gave the show a positive review, highlighting the way in which each episode focused on a different character and complimenting Wringer and Hadland's performances. "This charming Moonstone should prove a great gateway drug for crime drama, costume drama and for Collins himself."