The Campbells

30min

Drama

The Campbells was a Scottish-Canadian television drama series, which aired on Scottish Television and CTV from 1986 to 1990. A historical family drama, the series starred Malcolm Stoddard as James Campbell, a Scottish doctor living in 1830s Upper Canada with his three children, Neil, Emma and John.

Production Companies

Fremantle International

Settler Film Productions Inc.

Téléfilm Canada

CTV

Scottish Television Enterprises

Episodes

Cast

A Magic Medicine

1. A Magic Medicine

30min

27th Apr 1986

The first half of the pilot episode which takes place during the land clearings in Scotland in 1833. In it, Dr. James Campbell treats his patrons son after he falls off a horse and breaks a leg. Also, the family harbors Uncle Andrew who opposes and land clearings and is wanted by the authorities.

A Great Decision

2. A Great Decision

30min

4th May 1986

The second half of the pilot episode. The laird's son dies after James' treatment is sabotaged. The family decide to buy land in Canada.

First Day

3. First Day

30min

11th May 1986

The first episode in Canada. The family awkwardly arrive to their new homestead to find the living conditions much less than they expected and a hostile neighbor, Captain Sims. They stop at the Logan's Inn, meet the keeper Gabriel and are given a Newfoundland puppy as a gift. The next day they see their cabin and meet Sims who instead of welcoming them expresses that he'd look forward to them leaving so he can purchase their land. Sims encourages Hardy to help scare the family away.

The Haunting

4. The Haunting

30min

25th May 1986

Getting adjusted to their new home, a superstitious neighbor, Mary, comes to help Emma with the housework. Emma finds her company tedious and schemes to scare her off. James and Neil find out and decide to teach her a lesson.

75 Miles from Nowhere

5. 75 Miles from Nowhere

30min

21st Sep 1986

Neil befriends a woodsman and brings him home with him only to find that he's a dangerous fugitive. While being treated for a wound by James, he finds out that they have an outlaw in their home.

The Visitors*

6. The Visitors*

30min

18th May 1986

John and Emma encounter an Iroquois woman who helps save Emma after she is bitten by a snake. While playing along a stream bed John unwittingly destroys a native religious tribute. Emma is bitten and John runs for help. When he and James return to the streambed they find an Iroquois man who takes them to their camp where they are taking care of Emma. After seeing the alter distroyed the man no longer wants to help Emma but his wife prevails to help her and Emma recovers.

A Real Lady*

7. A Real Lady*

30min

8th Jun 1986

A noblewoman takes refuge with the Campbells after she changes her mind about accepting the proposal of a suitor. Lady Caroline had been writing to a prospective suitor while in England. After arriving in Canada to meet and marry him she changed her mind and takes refuge in the cabin with a supposedly sprained ankle. James eventually intercedes and arranges for Lady Caroline to go to her sisters home alone. Emma come to mistakenly think James is wants to marry their guest and makes Lady Caroline uncomfortable. When Caroline leaves Emma realizes she behaved badly.

Treasures of Jean Lafitte

8. Treasures of Jean Lafitte

30min

7th Sep 1986

James is given a model ship as payment for his services. The patient was a crew member with French pirate Jean Lafitte. When he gets it home John notices that there is a map and instructions inside. The family decide to take a day to see if the map is real and search for the supposed treasure.

Gift Horse

9. Gift Horse

30min

1st Jun 1986

Will Forester gives James a found horse in payment for delivering his son. Emma becomes very attached to the horse only to have the original owner reappear and claim it stolen. Emma must deal with loss and appreciation for what she does have.

Vendetta*

10. Vendetta*

30min

12th Oct 1986

Captain Sims is challenged to a duel in response to events in his military career. James must mediate to prevent bloodshed. After recieving the challenge, Sims sends Harriet and Rebecca to stay with James where they will be safe. He sends Rebecca along with a box for safekeeping but makes her promise not to open it. Harriet is unaware what is going on and asks James to investigate. James finds out about the duel and he and Harriet reason with Rebecca to reveal what's in the box. James finds Sims' war journal which explains the events leading to the duel. He must then arrive in time to prevent the duel and save Sims.

To Love and Protect*

11. To Love and Protect*

30min

17th Aug 1986

A body is found on the Campbell property and James play detective to find out who is responsible. The two suspects are the brother and the fiance of the victim who are now both planning to marry each other. After the body is found, James begins asking around for information on the man's last whereabouts. He gets one story from the man's brother and a different one from the man's fiance, one of them is lying. On his way to the constable, James is attacked. The fiance confesses but when she explains how she murdered her beau, James knows she's lying and suspects the brother. He confronts the brother and what he finds out reveals that both are innocent.

Heaven Sent

12. Heaven Sent

30min

3rd Aug 1986

Emma helps James deliver a baby.

Rites of Passage

13. Rites of Passage

30min

15th Jun 1986

Neil participates in a boxing match against the wishes of James and must face fellow contestant, the brawny Ox. Neil and Ox conclude that a friendship is more important than a boxing match.

Pig at large

14. Pig at large

30min

10th Aug 1986

The Campbell pig roams until Sims claims it as his own on a legal technicality.

Autumn and Smoke, Part 1

15. Autumn and Smoke, Part 1

30min

6th Jul 1986

This is a one hour episode split into two half hour parts. In it James gets caught up in an Iroquois blood fued. Murderers give James stolen Iroquois goods and leads the tribe to believe he's a party to the recent crimes. Eventually John is kidnapped and the tribe demands James life in exchange for his sons.

Autumn and Smoke, Part 2

16. Autumn and Smoke, Part 2

30min

13th Jul 1986

James prepares himself to be handed over to the Iroquois in exchange for his son.

Burning Cures*

17. Burning Cures*

30min

22nd Jun 1986

The Campbells deal with approach the coming winter with too many pumpkins and not enough cash.

Harvest Gold

18. Harvest Gold

30min

20th Jul 1986

The Campbells must clear a track of their land before a deadline or risk losing it. John and Emma get skunked.

Free and Clear

19. Free and Clear

30min

24th Aug 1986

The Campbells must clear a track of their land before a deadline or risk losing it. Sims taunts them. John and Emma get sprained by a skunk and must stay in the barn. Rebecca, who by now likes Neil, joins with Harriet to talk Sims into writing the authorities on the Campbell's behalf but at the hearing James refuses the favor.

Declarations of Independence

20. Declarations of Independence

30min

Emma finds a lone gypsy child and takes her home with her only to realize that she may be carrying cholera.

Child of Fortune

21. Child of Fortune

30min

14th Sep 1986

Emma finds a lone gypsy child and takes her home with her only to realize that she may be carrying cholera...actually it's just a puppet. James and Neil find a dead man and suspect cholera. The man's child runs off and is found by Emma who takes her home. All the community comes to think Emma is infected when she comes down with chickpox and that the Campbells should be quarantined. When the hysteria is quelled the girl is sent home to family.

End of the River

22. End of the River

30min

19th Oct 1986

A woman flees backwoods justice in Ohio and settles temporarily at Logan's inn.

First air date

4th Apr 1986

Last air date

14th May 1989

Status

Ended

Type

Scripted

Original language

en

Networks