‘Moondial’ Review – A Healthy Dose of Nostalgia for Fans of Eighties Children’s TV

For people who watched children’s television in the eighties in the UK there was a time when you would rush home to make sure you were sat in front of the television for the latest BBC series, especially if it was a supernatural one, which they tended to do well with.  Moondial, a lot like Tom’s Magic Garden was one that I remembered nostalgically, so when I found out it was getting a release on DVD I was more than happy to review it to see if it was as good as I remembered.

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When Minty (Siri Neal) goes on holiday to her mother’s godmother “Aunt” Mary’s (Valerie Lush) house near the historical Belton House she expects it to be boring.  Soon after her arrival though her mother is injured in an accident which leaves her in a coma and Minty trapped at her aunts until some sign of recovery is shown.  With her life in turmoil Minty begins to wander the grounds of the old house, finding a Moondial that sends her into the past allowing her to meet Tom (Tony Sands) from the 19th century and Sarah (Helena Avellano) from the 18th who need her help to find peace in their own times.

Though the first episode does see a little overacting that does damage the atmosphere of the scenes somewhat this soon thankfully is revealed to be only a minor blip, with the rest of the episodes calming down so the audience can become caught up in the world of Minty and her two friends from the past.  The style of the show and the obvious plot holes are easy to see for adults, but you have to remember this was aimed at children who as the target audience don’t really getting caught up on the fact that every story element must find a resolution or make sense.  With a certain silliness and even a dash of spookiness Moondial still has its charm.

One thing that I can’t help but think with the show is if it could be re-edited to be a feature-length movie instead of being split up over six episodes.  At almost three hours long, if watched as a whole in typical binge-watching fashion, there is a feeling that the story is dragged out slightly to extend it to fit the time that required.  With a bit of trimming of unneeded scenes and some editing this would have worked as a made for television movie and probably still could.  As it is though, it still manages to be an enjoyable tale and watchable without becoming boring.  With cliffhanger style endings to keep interest going there is an interesting conclusion to the story waiting to be discovered.

When it comes to the acting as mentioned there are a few moments in the first episode featuring Siri Neal and Valerie Lush that are slightly cringe-worthy, but this isn’t something that becomes a regular problem.  For the most part Siri Neal does well in her role as does Tony Sands and Helena Avellano, their characters are likable and connect with the audience making you care about what happens to them and what they experience.  Often this can be the biggest challenge for a show like this but it is handled well here.

I’m sure that there are some people who remember this nostalgically and may feel slightly disappointed by what they find with this release, but I for one enjoyed what I found.  This may be the fact that in the last few years I’ve revisited shows like Tom’s Midnight Garden and movies like The Amazing Mr. Blunden which follow similar storylines so I knew what to expect.  With my expectations set at a correct level I enjoyed Moondial and can easily recommend this for anybody who has a faint memory of the show and would like to revisit something that left them with many pleasant childhood memories.  For fans who are also interested in the making of the show, be sure to check the special features which include commentaries for episodes one and six as well as interviews with the director Colin Cant and Siri Neal.

Moondial is available on DVD in the UK now.

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