The Campbells
The Campbells is a Scottish-Canadian television drama series, produced by Scottish Television and CTV 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.
| The Campbells | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Written by | Allan Prior |
| Directed by | George Bloomfield, Timothy Bond |
| Country of origin | Canada Scotland |
| No. of series | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 100 |
| Production | |
| Producer | John Delmage |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Distributor | Fremantle International Peter Rodgers Organization |
| Release | |
| Original network | CTV ITV |
| Original release | April 4, 1986 |
In Canada it aired on CTV Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.[1] In the United States it was shown on CBN Saturdays at 7:00 p.m.[2] The series also aired in Great Britain.[3]
Premise
The series begins in 1832 Scotland,[4] 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.[5]
The Campbells heard of Canada’s need for settlers and decide to start a new life in a new land.[6] 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"[7] but producer John Delmage stated that, while The Campbells might be similar to Little House, "we don’t have as much sugar."[5]
Production
Most of the episodes were shot on location at a 50-acre farm owned by the Ontario Heritage Foundation,[3] and all clothing, furnishings, and the doctor’s medical treatments, were historically accurate.[1]
The premier 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.[8]
Cast
- Malcolm Stoddard as Dr. James Campbell.
- John Wildman as Neil Campbell, the eldest son.
- Amber-Lea Weston as Emma Campbell, the daughter.
- Eric Richards as John Campbell, the youngest son.
- Cedric Smith as Captain Thomas Sims, the wealthy neighbor.
- Brigit Wilson as Harriet Sims, Captain Sims' wife.
- Wendy Lyon as Rebecca Sims, Captain Sims’ daughter.
- Barbara Kyle as Charlotte Logan, the innkeeper.
Episodes
Season 1
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "A Magic Medicine" | TBA | TBA | 1986 |
| 2 | 2 | "A Great Decision" | TBA | TBA | 1986 |
| 3 | 3 | "First Day" | TBA | TBA | 1986 |
| 4 | 4 | "The Haunting" | TBA | TBA | 1986 |
| 5 | 5 | "75 Miles from Nowhere" | TBA | TBA | 1986 |
| 6 | 6 | "The Visitors" | TBA | TBA | 1986 |
| 7 | 7 | "A Real Lady" | TBA | TBA | 1986 |
| 8 | 8 | "Treasures of Jean Lafitte" | TBA | TBA | 1986 |
| 9 | 9 | "Gift Horse" | TBA | TBA | 1986 |
| 10 | 10 | "Vendetta" | TBA | TBA | 1986 |
| 11 | 11 | "To Love and Protect" | TBA | TBA | |
| 12 | 12 | "Heaven Sent" | Timothy Bond | Suzette Couture | |
| 13 | 13 | "Rites of Passage" | George Bloomfield | Glenn Norman | |
| 14 | 14 | "Pig at Large" | TBA | TBA | |
| 15 | 15 | "Autumn and Smoke: Part 1" | TBA | TBA | |
| 16 | 16 | "Autumn and Smoke: Part 2" | TBA | TBA | |
| 17 | 17 | "Burning Cures" | TBA | TBA | |
| 18 | 18 | "Harvest Gold" | Joseph L. Scanlan | Suzette Couture | |
| 19 | 19 | "Free and Clear" | George Bloomfield | Peter Such | |
| 20 | 20 | "Declarations of Independence" | TBA | TBA | |
| 21 | 21 | "Child of Fortune" | George Bloomfield | Ken Gass | |
| 22 | 22 | "End of the River" | TBA | TBA |
Season 2
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 1 | "An Eye for an Eye" | Don Haldane | Michael Mercer | May 29, 1988 |
| 24 | 2 | "A Blessing in Disguise" | TBA | TBA | June 5, 1988 |
| 25 | 3 | "Of Fathers and Sons" | TBA | TBA | June 12, 1988 |
| 26 | 4 | "The Runaway" | TBA | TBA | June 19, 1988 |
| 27 | 5 | "Judgement from the Heart" | TBA | TBA | June 26, 1988 |
| 28 | 6 | "Unwelcomed Suitor" | TBA | TBA | |
| 29 | 7 | "Women's Work" | TBA | TBA | July 10, 1988 |
| 30 | 8 | "Bingham's Gold" | TBA | TBA | July 17, 1988 |
| 31 | 9 | "Star Light, Star Bright" | Peter Rowe | Glenn Norman | July 24, 1988 |
| 32 | 10 | "Last Time Around" | Don McCutcheon | Paul Aitken & Peter Mitchell | July 31, 1988 |
| 33 | 11 | "The Rifle Company" | TBA | TBA | August 7, 1988 |
| 34 | 12 | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
| 35 | 13 | "The Last Performance" | Peter Rowe | M. Charles Cohen | |
| 36 | 14 | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
| 37 | 15 | "Blinded by Love" | TBA | TBA | |
| 38 | 16 | "Desperate Remedy" | TBA | TBA | |
| 39 | 17 | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
| 40 | 18 | "A Matter of Distinction" | Peter Rowe | Glenn Norman | |
| 41 | 19 | "Kith and Kin" | Steve DiMarco | Rob Forsyth | |
| 42 | 20 | "Living Legends" | TBA | TBA | |
| 43 | 21 | "Room at the Inn" | TBA | TBA | |
| 44 | 22 | "The Legacy" | TBA | TBA | |
| 45 | 23 | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
| 46 | 24 | "Cabin Fever" | F. Harvey Frost | Michael Mercer | |
| 47 | 25 | "The Siege" | TBA | TBA | |
| 48 | 26 | "Rough Justice" | TBA | TBA | |
| 49 | 27 | "Mr. Stevenson" | Ken Girotti | Peter Mitchell | |
| 50 | 28 | "Homeward Bound" | TBA | TBA | |
| 51 | 29 | "The Sentence of the Court" | TBA | TBA | |
| 52 | 30 | "Lady Helen's Love" | TBA | TBA |
Season 3
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | 1 | "Partners" | Sturla Gunnarsson | Suzette Couture | |
| 54 | 2 | "Stand and Deliver" | Allan Kroeker | Michael Mercer | |
| 55 | 3 | "Gateway to the World" | Ken Girotti | Scott Barrie | |
| 56 | 4 | "And in the Spring" | TBA | TBA | |
| 57 | 5 | "Dreams Stay with You" | TBA | TBA | |
| 58 | 6 | "Peter Was a Saint" | Timothy Bond | Michael Mercer | |
| 59 | 7 | "Face of a Stranger" | F. Harvey Frost | Bill Gough | |
| 60 | 8 | "When the Bough Breaks" | TBA | TBA | |
| 61 | 9 | "The Eyes of Angels" | TBA | TBA | |
| 62 | 10 | "The Reluctant Candidate" | Don Shebib | Tony Aspler | |
| 63 | 11 | "Something's Rotten" | TBA | TBA | |
| 64 | 12 | "Fortunes of War" | Don Shebib | Paul Ledoux | |
| 65 | 13 | "Partners" | TBA | TBA | |
| 66 | 14 | "Welcome Strangers" | TBA | TBA | |
| 67 | 15 | "The Dragonslayers" | Larry Kent | Suzette Couture | |
| 68 | 16 | "Back to School" | Steve DiMarco | Paul Aitken & Peter Mitchell | |
| 69 | 17 | "A Proposal of Marriage" | Paul Shapiro | Paul Ledoux | |
| 70 | 18 | "The Raid" | TBA | TBA | |
| 71 | 19 | "Partners" | TBA | TBA | |
| 72 | 20 | "Mirrors of the Soul" | TBA | TBA | |
| 73 | 21 | "Partners" | TBA | TBA | |
| 74 | 22 | "A Time for Goodbyes" | Don McCutcheon | Scott Barrie | |
| 75 | 23 | "The Firebrand" | TBA | TBA | |
| 76 | 24 | "Comfort and Joy" | Paul Shapiro | Peter Mitchell & Paul Aitken | |
| 77 | 25 | "Old Ways and New" | TBA | TBA | |
| 78 | 26 | "Truth Will Out" | Jim McCann | Julia Jones |
Season 4
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 79 | 1 | "Becky" | Steve DiMarco | Suzette Couture | |
| 80 | 2 | "See No Evil" | Allan Kroeker | Michael Mercer | |
| 81 | 3 | "The Shiners" | Sturla Gunnarsson | Paul Ledoux | |
| 82 | 4 | "Many Happy Returns" | Carlo Liconti | Teleplay by: Scott Barrie Story by: Scott Barrie & Catherine Disher & Daphne Ballon | |
| 83 | 5 | "The Sky Is the Limit" | TBA | TBA | |
| 84 | 6 | "A Medal for Valour" | Don McCutcheon | Scott Barrie | |
| 85 | 7 | "The Elusive Mr. Smith" | TBA | TBA | |
| 86 | 8 | "The Hunting Party" | TBA | TBA | |
| 87 | 9 | "Souls of Like Mind" | René Bonnière | Jana Veverka & Tony Robertson | |
| 88 | 10 | "A Man of Means" | Carlo Liconti | Teleplay by: Steve Lucas Story by: Jeffrey Cohen & Steve Lucas | |
| 89 | 11 | "The Miller's Son" | Don Shebib | Teleplay by: Peter Mitchell & Paul Aitken Story by: Christine Cornish and Peter Mitchell & Paul Aitken | |
| 90 | 12 | "Down to the Sea" | Don McCutcheon | Rob Forsyth | |
| 91 | 13 | "Duty Bound" | TBA | TBA | |
| 92 | 14 | "Anniversary Waltz" | F. Harvey Frost | Scott Barrie | |
| 93 | 15 | "Disguises" | Otta Hanus | Michael Mercer | |
| 94 | 16 | "The Fine Art of Horsetrading" | TBA | TBA | |
| 95 | 17 | "Boys' Brigade" | Steve DiMarco | Peter Mitchell & Paul Aitken | |
| 96 | 18 | "Ancient Wounds" | Don Shebib | Michael Mercer | |
| 97 | 19 | "From Chimborazo to Canton" | Ken Girotti | Michael Mercer | |
| 98 | 20 | "Flying the Coop" | Steve DiMarco | Paul Ledoux | |
| 99 | 21 | "Bringing Up Thomas" | Malcolm Stoddard | Suzette Couture | |
| 100 | 22 | "Tales of the Canadas" | Steve DiMarco | Susan 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.[9] On June 23, 2015, Timeless Media Group released The Campbells - The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1.[10]
References
- 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
- Saturday Evening Television, News-Press (Fort Myers, Florida), May 25, 1986, Page 159
- Pioneer adventure has a bit of everything, The Ottawa Citizen (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada), September 11, 1986, page 48
- Rick Forchuk, Wildman praises scripts for The Campbells, The Leader-Post (Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada), October 10, 1986, page 116
- TV With Rick Forchuk, The Winnipeg Sun (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), February 6, 1986, page 26
- Vincent Terrace, Broadcast in the U.S.: Foreign TV Series Brought to America, pages 27 - 28, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2021
- Bob Remington, Much Ado as Campbell weds, Edmonton Journal (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada), October 20, 1988, page 42
- Entertainment Clips, Namaimo Daily News (Namaimo, British Columbia, Canada), February 12, 1988, page 32
- Classified Advertisements (VHS Cassettes), The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barrre, PA), June 5, 2009, page 6C
- All 4 Seasons of the 1986 Series Coming to DVD in 'The Complete Series' Archived 2015-03-08 at the Wayback Machine
External links
- BFI
- The Campbells at IMDb