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

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

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, sometimes credited as Siri O'Neal, is a film and television actress. She is best known for appearing as Minty, the lead role in ''Moondial (TV serial), Moondial'' (1988). Career Born Siri Willow Ceridwen Neal, 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 sundials, using the moon to cast shadows on a marked dial. The most basic moondial is accurate only on the night of the full moon. Every night after that, it loses on average 48 minutes, while every night ...

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 reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...

, 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 1687 by Sir John Brownlow, 3rd Baronet. It is surrounded by formal gardens and a series of avenues lead ...

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...

) 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 Reginald Hewlett (12 March 1907 – February 1997) 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's ''Buoyant Billions'' at the ...

as the elderly, mysterious Mr. World, and

Jacqueline Pearce Jacqueline Pearce (20 December 1943 – 3 September 2018) was a British film and television actress. She was best known for her portrayal of the principal villain Servalan in the British science fiction TV series ''Blake's 7'' (1978–1981), ...

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 ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wi ...

and later re-released on DVD by Second Sight in May 2015.

References

External links

* *{{IMDb title, 0098866, Moondial
''Moondial'' on Little Gems
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 British English-language television shows British television series about teenagers