The Jewel in the Crown (1984)

This 14-part serial was adapted from Paul Scott's novels, the Raj Quartet, which chronicled the end of British rule in India between 1942 and 1947. An epic story with an enormous cast of characters, the series took three years of preparation and months of filming; the project was personally supervised by Granada's chairman, Sir Denis Forman. Superbly filmed (by Ray Goode), cast and performed, it won numerous awards, sold around the world and made stars of several of its actors.