The Jewel in the Crown (1984)

A fifteen-hour adaptation of four novels by Paul Scott, collectively known as the "Raj Quartet," which describe the final years of Great Britain's colonial rule in India. The action begins in 1942, a time of tension as the Japanese army threatens invasion, and Mahatma Gandhi calls on the Indians not to assist the British in the war. The complex narrative focuses on various Indian and British characters who are profoundly influenced by the turmoil of events, personal, religious, and political, that culminate in India's independence in 1947. Presented on American television as part of "Masterpiece Theatre."