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 (1986-04-04)

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 on ITV from 27 April 1986.[3][4]

Premise

The series begins in 1832 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, 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

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

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

External links

• BFI
• The Campbells at IMDb