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Moondial (TV serial)
Encyclopedia
Moondial is a British
television
serial made for children by the BBC
and transmitted in 1988, with a repeat in 1990. It was written by Helen Cresswell
, who also wrote the novel on which the series was based.
The story deals with a young girl staying with her aunt after her mother is injured in a car accident. Minty (Siri Neal
) spends much of her time wandering around the grounds of a nearby mansion, and is drawn to a moondial
that enables her to travel back in time, where she becomes involved with two children, Tom (Tony Sands), who lives in the Victorian era
, and Sarah (Helena Avellano), who seems to live in "the previous century" to that, and must save them from their own unhappy lives.
Regarded as a nostalgic favourite by followers of 1980s BBC children's drama, Moondial employs extensive location filming (in the grounds of Belton House
in Lincolnshire
) and fantastical, dreamlike imagery.
The series was produced by Paul Stone and directed by Colin Cant
. Other cast members include Valerie Lush as Minty's aunt Mary, Arthur Hewlett
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.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
serial made for children by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and transmitted in 1988, with a repeat in 1990. It was written by Helen Cresswell
Helen Cresswell
Helen Cresswell was an English author of more than 100 children's books, including the Lizzie Dripping series, and The Bagthorpe Saga...
, who also wrote the novel on which the series was based.
The story deals with a young girl staying with her aunt after her mother is injured in a car accident. Minty (Siri Neal
Siri Neal
Siri Neal is a film and television actress.-Career:She is best known for appearing as Minty, the lead role in Moondial , dramatic children's television series originally aired on the BBC....
) spends much of her time wandering around the grounds of a nearby mansion, and is drawn to a moondial
Moondial
Moondial is also the name of a television series.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...
that enables her to travel back in time, where she becomes involved with two children, Tom (Tony Sands), who lives in the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
, 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
Belton House is a Grade I listed country house in Belton near Grantham, Lincolnshire, England. The mansion is surrounded by formal gardens and a series of avenues leading to follies within a larger wooded park...
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
) and fantastical, dreamlike imagery.
The series was produced by Paul Stone and directed by Colin Cant
Colin Cant
Colin Cant is a British television producer and director, best known for his work in the children's department of BBC Television. Within that department, he was for many years involved as both a director and producer of the long-running children's drama series Grange Hill, and also directed...
. Other cast members include Valerie Lush as Minty's aunt Mary, Arthur Hewlett
Arthur Hewlett
Arthur Hewlett was a British actor.He is best remembered for his roles on television, including Quatermass and the Pit, Police Surgeon, The Avengers, The Saint, No Hiding Place, The Baron, The Troubleshooters, Menace, Follyfoot, The Changes, Blake's 7, Doctor Who Arthur Hewlett (12 March 1907...
as the elderly, mysterious Mr. World and Jacqueline Pearce
Jacqueline Pearce
Jacqueline Pearce is a British actress.-Career:Jacqueline Pearce trained at the British stage school RADA and at Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio in Los Angeles....
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.