The Campbells
DVD cover
Written byAllan Prior
Directed byGeorge Bloomfield, Timothy Bond
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Canada
No. of series4
No. of episodes100
Production
ProducerJohn Delmage
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesScottish Television
CTV
Original release
NetworkITV (UK)
CTV (Canada)
ReleaseApril 4, 1986 (1986-04-04)

The Campbells is a period drama television drama series produced by Scottish Television, an affiliate of British television network ITV, and Canadian television network CTV which ran from 1986 to 1990. The series starred Malcolm Stoddard as James Campbell, a Scottish doctor living in 1830s Upper Canada with his three children, seventeen-year-old Neil (John Wildman), fourteen-year old Emma (Amber-Lea Weston) and eleven-year-old John (Eric Richards).[1] Cedric Smith played their neighbor, Captain Sims.

In Canada, it aired on CTV on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.[1] and in the United States on CBN on Saturdays at 7:00 p.m.[2] The series also aired in the United Kingdom on ITV starting on 27 April 1986.[3][4]

Premise

The series begins in 1832 in Scotland,[5] during the Highland Clearances, when many families were evicted from their homes. This led to a surge in immigration to Canada.[1] Dr. James Campbell, a widower with three children, treated the broken leg of the son of a wealthy landowner but, after a servant woman applied unsterile home remedies to the leg, the boy died of infection. Dr. Campbell was blamed for the death, and he lost his livelihood.[6]

The Campbells heard of Canada's need for settlers and decide to start a new life in a new land.[7] Dr. Campbell sets up a medical practice, and the entire family take up farming.[1]

The series has been described as the "Canadian Little House on the Prairie"[8] but producer John Delmage stated that, while The Campbells might be similar to Little House, "we don’t have as much sugar."[6]

Production

The series was greenlit in 1985 with production stating in June of that year.[9] Most of the episodes were shot on location at a 50-acre farm owned by the Ontario Heritage Foundation,[4] and all clothing, furnishings, and the doctor's medical treatments, were historically accurate.[1]

The premiere episode was partly filmed in Scotland,[1] as were two episodes broadcast in 1989, when Dr. Campbell and his daughter, Emma, briefly return to their native country.[10]

Cast

  • Malcolm Stoddard as Dr. James Campbell
  • John Wildman as Neil Campbell
  • Amber-Lea Weston as Emma Campbell
  • Eric Richards as John Campbell
  • Cedric Smith as Captain Thomas Sims
  • Brigit Wilson as Harriet Sims
  • Wendy Lyon as Rebecca Sims
  • Barbara Kyle as Charlotte Logan

Episodes

Season 1

No.
overall 		No. in
season 		Title Directed by Written by Original air date
11"A Magic Medicine"TBDTBD1986 (1986)
22"A Great Decision"TBDTBD1986 (1986)
33"First Day"TBDTBD1986 (1986)
44"The Haunting"TBDTBD1986 (1986)
55"75 Miles from Nowhere"TBDTBD1986 (1986)
66"The Visitors"TBDTBD1986 (1986)
77"A Real Lady"TBDTBD1986 (1986)
88"Treasures of Jean Lafitte"TBDTBD1986 (1986)
99"Gift Horse"TBDTBD1986 (1986)
1010"Vendetta"TBDTBD1986 (1986)
1111"To Love and Protect"TBDTBD ()
1212"Heaven Sent"Timothy BondSuzette Couture ()
1313"Rites of Passage"George BloomfieldGlenn Norman ()
1414"Pig at Large"TBDTBD ()
1515"Autumn and Smoke: Part 1"TBDTBD ()
1616"Autumn and Smoke: Part 2"TBDTBD ()
1717"Burning Cures"TBDTBD ()
1818"Harvest Gold"Joseph L. ScanlanSuzette Couture ()
1919"Free and Clear"George BloomfieldPeter Such ()
2020"Declarations of Independence"TBDTBD ()
2121"Child of Fortune"George BloomfieldKen Gass ()
2222"End of the River"TBDTBD ()

Season 2

No.
overall 		No. in
season 		Title Directed by Written by Original air date
231"An Eye for an Eye"Don HaldaneMichael MercerMay 29, 1988 (1988-05-29)
242"A Blessing in Disguise"UnknownUnknownJune 5, 1988 (1988-06-05)
253"Of Fathers and Sons"UnknownUnknownJune 12, 1988 (1988-06-12)
264"The Runaway"UnknownUnknownJune 19, 1988 (1988-06-19)
275"Judgement from the Heart"UnknownUnknownJune 26, 1988 (1988-06-26)
286"Unwelcomed Suitor"TBDTBD ()
297"Women's Work"UnknownUnknownJuly 10, 1988 (1988-07-10)
308"Bingham's Gold"UnknownUnknownJuly 17, 1988 (1988-07-17)
319"Star Light, Star Bright"Peter RoweGlenn NormanJuly 24, 1988 (1988-07-24)
3210"Last Time Around"Don McCutcheonPaul Aitken & Peter MitchellJuly 31, 1988 (1988-07-31)
3311"The Rifle Company"UnknownUnknownAugust 7, 1988 (1988-08-07)
3412"Sins of the Fathers"TBDTBD ()
3513"The Last Performance"Peter RoweM. Charles Cohen ()
3614"Sweetest Song"TBDTBD ()
3715"Blinded by Love"TBDTBD ()
3816"Desperate Remedy"TBDTBD ()
3917"Dr. Colt of Calcutta"TBDTBD ()
4018"A Matter of Distinction"Peter RoweGlenn Norman ()
4119"Kith and Kin"Steve DiMarcoRob Forsyth ()
4220"Living Legends"TBDTBD ()
4321"Room at the Inn"TBDTBD ()
4422"The Legacy"TBDTBD ()
4523"Cabin Fever"TBDTBD ()
4624"Miss Quincy"F. Harvey FrostMichael Mercer ()
4725"Rough Justice"TBDTBD ()
4826"The Siege"TBDTBD ()
4927"Mr. Stevenson"Ken GirottiPeter Mitchell ()
5028"Homeward Bound"TBDTBD ()
5129"Lady Helen's Love"TBDTBD ()
5230"The Sentence of the Court"TBDTBD ()

Season 3

No.
overall 		No. in
season 		Title Directed by Written by Original air date
531"Partners"Sturla GunnarssonSuzette Couture ()
542"Stand and Deliver"Allan KroekerMichael Mercer ()
553"Gateway to the World"Ken GirottiScott Barrie ()
564"And in the Spring"TBDTBD ()
575"Dreams Stay with You"TBDTBD ()
586"Peter Was a Saint"Timothy BondMichael Mercer ()
597"Face of a Stranger"F. Harvey FrostBill Gough ()
608"When the Bough Breaks"TBDTBD ()
619"The Eyes of Angels"TBDTBD ()
6210"The Reluctant Candidate"Don ShebibTony Aspler ()
6311"Something's Rotten"TBDTBD ()
6412"Fortunes of War"Don ShebibPaul Ledoux ()
6513"Partners"TBDTBD ()
6614"Welcome Strangers"TBDTBD ()
6715"The Dragonslayers"Larry KentSuzette Couture ()
6816"Back to School"Steve DiMarcoPaul Aitken & Peter Mitchell ()
6917"A Proposal of Marriage"Paul ShapiroPaul Ledoux ()
7018"The Raid"TBDTBD ()
7119"Partners"TBDTBD ()
7220"Mirrors of the Soul"TBDTBD ()
7321"Partners"TBDTBD ()
7422"A Time for Goodbyes"Don McCutcheonScott Barrie ()
7523"The Firebrand"TBDTBD ()
7624"Comfort and Joy"Paul ShapiroPeter Mitchell & Paul Aitken ()
7725"Old Ways and New"TBDTBD ()
7826"Truth Will Out"Jim McCannJulia Jones ()

Season 4

No.
overall 		No. in
season 		Title Directed by Written by Original air date
791"Becky"Steve DiMarcoSuzette Couture ()
802"See No Evil"Allan KroekerMichael Mercer ()
813"The Shiners"Sturla GunnarssonPaul Ledoux ()
824"Many Happy Returns"Carlo LicontiStory by : Scott Barrie & Catherine Disher & Daphne Ballon
Teleplay by : Scott Barrie		 ()
835"The Sky Is the Limit"TBDTBD ()
846"A Medal for Valour"Don McCutcheonScott Barrie ()
857"The Elusive Mr. Smith"TBDTBD ()
868"The Hunting Party"TBDTBD ()
879"Souls of Like Mind"René BonnièreJana Veverka & Tony Robertson ()
8810"A Man of Means"Carlo LicontiStory by : Jeffrey Cohen & Steve Lucas
Teleplay by : Steve Lucas		 ()
8911"The Miller's Son"Don ShebibStory by : Christine Cornish and Peter Mitchell & Paul Aitken
Teleplay by : Peter Mitchell & Paul Aitken		 ()
9012"Down to the Sea"Don McCutcheonRob Forsyth ()
9113"Duty Bound"TBDTBD ()
9214"Anniversary Waltz"F. Harvey FrostScott Barrie ()
9315"Disguises"Otta HanusMichael Mercer ()
9416"The Fine Art of Horsetrading"TBDTBD ()
9517"Boys' Brigade"Steve DiMarcoPeter Mitchell & Paul Aitken ()
9618"Ancient Wounds"Don ShebibMichael Mercer ()
9719"From Chimborazo to Canton"Ken GirottiMichael Mercer ()
9820"Flying the Coop"Steve DiMarcoPaul Ledoux ()
9921"Bringing Up Thomas"Malcolm StoddardSuzette Couture ()
10022"Tales of the Canadas"Steve DiMarcoSusan Snooks & Scott Barrie ()

Media availability

In 1996 GoodTimes Entertainment released a two volume VHS set of selected episodes entitled Adventures On the Prairie With The Campbells.[11] On June 23, 2015, Timeless Media Group released The Campbells - The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1.[12]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Janice Kennedy, You don’t have to be Scottish to enjoy The Campbells' family adventure series, The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec, Canada), September 6, 1986, page 140
  2. ↑ Saturday Evening Television, News-Press (Fort Myers, Florida), May 25, 1986, Page 159
  3. ↑ Weekender Viewing Guide (Scottish), The Glasgow Herald, April 26, 1986, page 20
  4. 1 2 Pioneer adventure has a bit of everything, The Ottawa Citizen (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada), September 11, 1986, page 48
  5. ↑ Rick Forchuk, Wildman praises scripts for The Campbells, The Leader-Post (Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada), October 10, 1986, page 116
  6. 1 2 TV With Rick Forchuk, The Winnipeg Sun (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), February 6, 1986, page 26
  7. ↑ Vincent Terrace, Broadcast in the U.S.: Foreign TV Series Brought to America, pages 27 - 28, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2021
  8. ↑ Bob Remington, Much Ado as Campbell weds, Edmonton Journal (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada), October 20, 1988, page 42
  9. ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WrZAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=r6UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1981%2C5255781 The Glasgow Herald - 23 May 1985 P11
  10. ↑ Entertainment Clips, Namaimo Daily News (Namaimo, British Columbia, Canada), February 12, 1988, page 32
  11. ↑ Classified Advertisements (VHS Cassettes), The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barrre, PA), June 5, 2009, page 6C
  12. ↑ All 4 Seasons of the 1986 Series Coming to DVD in 'The Complete Series' Archived 2015-03-08 at the Wayback Machine
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