Un coeur innocent

The story of Moll Flanders, thief and whore, is brought to the screen in four episodes written by period drama specialist Andrew Davies and performed by the peerless Alex Kingston.

When we first meet Moll, she lives in the house of the Mayor of Colchester, coquettishly flirting with his two sons. By the time we leave her she's been through five husbands, found the story of her origins, and turned to stealing and prostitution. But will she ultimately triumph?

This drama is fairly explicit - there's nudity and sex scenes galore. But Kingston is terrific as Moll and there are many other pleasures - Daniel Craig, Diana Rigg. Put the children in bed early and enjoy a fun nd well-done adaptation for the grown-ups.