The Campbells

1986 - 1989

A Magic Medicine

27th April 1986

Episode 1

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

Episode 2

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

Episode 3

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

Episode 4

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

21st September 1986

Episode 5

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*

Episode 6

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*

Episode 7

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

7th September 1986

Episode 8

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

Episode 9

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*

12th October 1986

Episode 10

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*

17th August 1986

Episode 11

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

3rd August 1986

Episode 12

Emma helps James deliver a baby.

Rites of Passage

Episode 13

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

10th August 1986

Episode 14

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

Autumn and Smoke, Part 1

Episode 15

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

Episode 16

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

Burning Cures*

Episode 17

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

Harvest Gold

Episode 18

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

Free and Clear

24th August 1986

Episode 19

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

Episode 20

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

Child of Fortune

14th September 1986

Episode 21

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

19th October 1986

Episode 22

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

Top Cast

Cedric Smith•Malcolm Stoddard•John Wildman

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.

Watch Providers 🇬🇧

Currently no watch providers

Production Companies

+5 more

Full Cast

Cedric Smith Image

Cedric Smith

Thomas Sims

Malcolm Stoddard

Dr. James Campbell

John Wildman Image

John Wildman

Neil Campbell

Amber Lea Weston

Emma Campbell

Eric Edwards Image

Eric Edwards

John Campbell

Full Crew

No media available

showData