New Zealand shot TV series 'The Luminaries' based on Kiwi book is OUT TODAY

The highly anticipated TV series, based on the award-winning book by Kiwi author Eleanor Catton is finally here.

The Luminaries is set to hit TV screens across the country this evening and we can’t wait to get into it.

Starring Himesh Patel (EastEnders, Yesterday), Eva Green (Casino Royale, Penny Dreadful) and Eve Hewson (Robin Hood, This Must Be the Place), is centred around the 1860s gold rush that took place around Hokitika on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island.

It sees two star-crossed lovers Anna and Emery get caught up in the devious scheme of fortune-teller Lydia. Things go from bad to worse for as Anna gets sucked deeper into an elaborate plot of blackmail, involving opium, gold, shipwreck, fraud, and false identity, which ultimately finds her framed for murder.

Co-produced between the BBC and TVNZ, The Luminaries also stars local actors including Joel Tobeck (One Lane Bridge, Sons of Anarchy), Mark  Mitchinson (The Gulf, Straight Forward), Richard Te Are (In Dark Places, The Dead Lands), Erik Thomson (800 Words, Pack to the Rafters), Yoson An (Fresh Eggs, Mulan).

Not only was the show filmed entirely in New Zealand, but the screenplay for the six-part series was also written by Eleanor Catton.

The Luminaries airs on TVNZ 1 at 8.30pm tonight, Sunday May 17.