The Moorside
Created by Neil McKay
On BBC One
A tense, grief-stricken true-crime miniseries that examines a community's search for a missing child and the moral complexities that emerge when hope collides with suspicion.
In February 2008, nine-year-old Shannon Matthews is reported missing. A frantic search quickly becomes a murder inquiry. Led by Julie Bushby, the community rallies around Shannon's grief-stricken mother Karen, determined to find her daughter and show that, although she's from a poor background, Shannon's life is as important as any other. As hope fades and doubts about Karen arise, Shannon is found — with a man her mother knows. Who is this man, and what is his connection to Karen?
Clusters
Genres
Questions people ask
Is The Moorside easy watching? No. Less comforting than 94% of series.
Is The Moorside sad? Yes, very. More sad than 91% of series.
Does The Moorside leave you hopeful? Barely. Less hopeful than 81% of series.
Is The Moorside scary? Somewhat. More frightening than 59% of series.
Is The Moorside violent? Not especially. Less violent than 59% of series.
These describe how the series comes across across its whole run, compared with other well-known series. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked episode by episode, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Cinnamon Score
How much this series gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
Familiar shape, done well.
How unlike any other series this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble
Like The Moorside
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as The Moorside
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like The Moorside, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like The Moorside, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like The Moorside, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
