Moonfleet

Episode one
After the Elijah Wood-led take on ‘Treasure Island’ back in 2012 comes another period swashbuckler from Sky1, with smuggling and a hunt for booty once again at its heart. Ray Winstone is as gruffly memorable as ever in the role of honourable thief Elzevier, smuggling liquor off the Dorset coast and under the nose of brutal law-enforcer Mohune (Ben Chaplin, jousting wholeheartedly with Winstone).

Into all this steps eager young John Trenchard (Aneurin Barnard, late of ‘The White Queen’), yearning for a life of adventure and falling fast for  Elzevier’s nubile daughter… Themes, story, dialogue and characters are all deeply familiar, but there’s something comforting about a romp delivered with such rigorous predictability and competence. Although no one’s going to be winning any Baftas for this, you’ll almost certainly want to know where it’s heading – and you won’t have long to wait. ‘Moonfleet’ concludes tomorrow night at 9pm.