''Moondial'' is a British television six-part serial made for children by the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

and transmitted in 1988, with a repeat in 1990. It was written by

Helen Cresswell Helen Cresswell (11 July 1934 – 26 September 2005) was an English television scriptwriter and author of more than 100 children's books, best known for comedy and supernatural fiction. Her most popular book series, ''Lizzie Dripping'' and ''The ...

, who also wrote the 1987 novel on which the series was based. Belton Arch Giano

Plot

The story deals with a young girl, Minty (

Siri Neal Siri Willow Ceridwen Neal (born 14 August 1972, sometimes credited as Siri O'Neal) is a film and television actress. Career Neal's grandmother's surname was O'Neal; although her mother altered it to "Neal", from 1996 Neal has also used "O'Neal" ...

), staying with her aunt after her mother is injured in a car accident. Minty spends much of her time wandering around the grounds of a nearby mansion, and is drawn to a

moondial Moondials are time pieces similar to a sundial. The most basic moondial, which is identical to a sundial, is only accurate on the night of the full moon. Every night after it becomes an additional (on average)The Moon's orbit is not circular, s ...

that enables her to travel back in time, where she becomes involved with two children, Tom (Tony Sands), who lives in the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

, and Sarah (Helena Avellano), who seems to live in "the previous century" to that, and must save them from their own unhappy lives. Belton House moondial

Regarded as a nostalgic favourite by followers of 1980s BBC children's drama, ''Moondial'' employs extensive location filming (in the grounds of

Belton House Belton House is a Grade I listed country house in the parish of Belton near Grantham in Lincolnshire, England, built between 1685 and 1688 by Sir John Brownlow, 3rd Baronet. It is surrounded by formal gardens and a series of avenues leading t ...

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...

) and fantastical, dreamlike imagery. The series was produced by Paul Stone and directed by

Colin Cant Colin Cant is a British television director, producer and scenic designer, best known for his work for the children's department of BBC Television from the 1970s to the 1990s. After beginning his career as a designer, he moved to directing and w ...

. Other cast members include Valerie Lush as Minty's aunt Mary,

Arthur Hewlett Arthur Hewlett (12 March 1907 in Southampton, Hampshire – 25 February 1997 in London) was a British actor. Hewlett made his stage debut in 1930 at Plymouth Rep, and his theatre work included the original British production of Bernard Shaw ...

as the elderly, mysterious Mr. World and Jacqueline Pearce in the dual role of the vicious Miss Vole (who seems to have lived in the 18th Century) and the present-day ghost hunter Miss Raven. The series was released on video in 1990, and reissued in 1995, but only in a shortened "movie edit". This was released on DVD in 2000, but has long since been deleted. The full episodic version was released in 2009 by Reader's Digest and later re-released on DVD by Second Sight in May 2015.

References

External links

* *
''Moondial'' on Little Gems
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moondial (Tv Serial) 1988 British television series debuts 1988 British television series endings BBC children's television shows 1980s British children's television series British television shows based on children's books British children's fantasy television series English-language television shows Television series about teenagers