Originally televised on December 3, 1989. Based on the novel by Rosamunde Pilcher.. Includes the making of "The shell seekers"; About the production; Cast & credits; Biographies. Angela Lansbury, Sam Wanamaker, Christopher Bowen, Anna Carteret, Michael Gough, Patricia Hodge, Denis Quilley, Sophie Ward, Irene Worth. With three grown children and a lifetime of memories, Penelope Keeling realizes that something is missing: the simple joy she knew as a child playing on the beach. So she embarks on a journey to discover the secret of happiness for her friends, her family and herself.