Television series

The Moonstone

Name: The Moonstone
Genre: Drama, Romance, Mystery
Released: 2016
Cast: Joshua Silver, Terenia Edwards, Stewart Clarke, Leo Wringer, John Thomson

Other titles called The Moonstone: the 1996 film.

The BBC's 2016 adaptation of Wilkie Collins's foundational detective novel. A man races to recover a stolen diamond and restore his reputation, navigating Victorian society's rigid codes alongside genuine mystery and romance. Sharp dialogue, strong cast, and the pleasure of watching period drama that knows how to build suspense. For anyone who loves solving puzzles alongside characters they actually care about.

TVMaze rating

3.3

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love a Victorian puzzle told with old-fashioned charm, where the pleasure is working out the mystery while a gentleman's romantic quest collides with a missing gem.

Skip it if you want a fast, modern thriller, since this moves at a leisurely pace through layers of talk and manners, and its romance feels more polite than urgent.

What it asks of you: Five episodes of roughly 45 minutes each, a light commitment, but it asks for patient attention to conversation and character rather than chases or set-pieces.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Sherlock2010

Modern take on Victorian detective fiction with the same puzzle-box plotting and intellectual cat-and-mouse games. Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock is arrogant and brilliant; watching him work is pure pleasure, especially in the early seasons.

But Later seasons lose the tightness that made the show special. Some fans find the contemporary setting distracting when the genre already belongs to period detail.

Bodyline1984

Seven-part miniseries about the 1932 cricket crisis, it has the same DNA: historical event, mystery of motives, complex moral territory, and characters trapped by class and duty. The writing is sharp and the stakes feel real.

But Cricket as plot engine may alienate viewers who don't care about the sport. It's also quite slow-burning, with more talk than action.

Vanity Fair2018

BBC adaptation of Thackeray with genuine wit and social observation. Like The Moonstone, it's about ambition and survival in a world with strict rules. Olivia Cooke is magnetic, and the show moves with real energy.

But The female protagonist's ruthlessness might alienate viewers expecting a heroine. Thackeray's satire doesn't always land if you're not in the mood for it.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Moonstone

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Les Misérables2018

Both center on a man trying to reclaim his standing and a woman's love against enormous social odds. Both ask whether society's judgments are just.

BBC miniseries that proves Victorian literature—especially French literature—can be adapted with genuine artistic ambition. Stunning cinematography, a massive scope, and real emotional stakes. The connection: both are about redemption through love, and both ask how much a person can change.

But Six episodes is a substantial commitment. The class politics are heavy-handed, and if you prefer smaller, character-driven mysteries, this will feel operatic and overwhelming.

Foyle's War2002

Detective mystery set in wartime England with the same careful attention to character and society. Michael Kitchen as Foyle is understated and intelligent. The show trusts viewers to follow a complex plot and care about people.

But Slow pacing won't appeal to anyone wanting constant action. Some episodes are stronger than others; quality varies across the series.

Fingersmith2005

Sally Potter's adaptation of Sarah Waters's Victorian con-artist novel. Intricate, sexy, morally murky, and gloriously plotted. Like The Moonstone, it's about what you think you know versus what's actually true.

But Complex narrative structure requires close attention. The sexual content and violence might be more explicit than what you're expecting from period drama.

The Witness for the Prosecution2016

BBC's Agatha Christie adaptation from the same year as The Moonstone. Courtroom mystery with superb twists, strong performances, and genuine surprises. If you loved the detective puzzle, this will scratch that itch.

But Courtroom drama can feel procedural and dry. Some resolutions rely on reveals that might feel contrived if you're watching skeptically.

The Miniaturist2017

Dutch Golden Age mystery with atmosphere, secrets, and a woman trying to understand the house she's married into. Gothic, sensual, and genuinely unsettling. The mystery unfolds beautifully if you let it.

But Deliberately paced and sometimes cryptic. If you need clear exposition and straightforward plotting, this will frustrate you.

Agatha Christie's Marple2004

BBC's Agatha Christie adaptations starring Julia McKenzie. Intelligent, beautifully shot, and faithful to the source material. The mysteries are solid, and McKenzie's Miss Marple is a joy: watchful and kind and sharp.

But By definition, these are adaptations of well-known puzzles. If you've read the books, there are no surprises. Cozy mystery format doesn't suit everyone.

Oscar Wilde's the Nightingale and the Rose2015

Adaptation of Kristin Hannah's WWII novel. Not primarily a mystery, but it has the same emotional weight and moral complexity as The Moonstone. Two sisters, impossible choices, love tested by circumstance.

But The mystery element is subordinate to historical drama. If you're specifically after puzzle-box plotting, this trades that for emotional devastation instead.

Oscar Wilde's the Nightingale and the Rose poster

The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog1927

Both are period mysteries where the central question is whether a sympathetic man is guilty. Both trap their protagonist in the machinery of social judgment.

Hitchcock's silent thriller about a mysterious lodger suspected of being a serial killer. Lean, visual storytelling with genuine suspense. It shares The Moonstone's fascination with reputation, suspicion, and the distance between appearance and truth in Victorian society.

But Silent film is its own language. If you're not used to reading intertitles and interpreting performance from gesture, it will feel slow. Pacing is antique.

The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog poster

Night Is Short, Walk On Girl2017

Both are love stories disguised as quests. Both use mystery and suspense to explore what it means to truly know another person. Both understand that romance is about chasing something you can't quite grasp.

Masaaki Yuasa's animated romantic adventure set in Kyoto. Gorgeously weird and alive in ways live-action struggles to be. It's about a young man trying to win the heart of an elusive woman through a single perfect night. The mystery is internal: who is she, really?

But Japanese animation, contemporary setting, surrealist visual style—nothing about this matches The Moonstone on the surface. The plot is slight and dreamlike. This is not for everyone.