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). Cedric Smith played their neighbor, Captain Sims. In Canada it aired on CTV Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. In the United States it was shown on CBN Saturdays at 7:00 p.m. The series also aired in Great Britain. Premise. The  series begins in 1832 Scotland, during the Highland Clearances, when many families were evicted from their homes. This led to a surge in immigration to Canada. 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. The Campbells heard of Canada’s need for settlers and decide to start a new life in a new land. Dr. Campbell sets up a medical  practice, and the entire family take up farming. The series has been described as the "Canadian "Little House on the Prairie"" but producer John Delmage stated that, while "The Campbells" might be similar to "Little House", "we don’t have as much sugar." Production. Most of the episodes were shot on location at a 50-acre farm owned by the Ontario Heritage Foundation, and all clothing, furnishings, and the doctor’s medical treatments, were historically accurate. The premier episode was partly filmed in Scotland, as were two episodes broadcast in 1989, when Dr. Campbell and his daughter, Emma, briefly return  to their native country. Media Availability. In 1996 GoodTimes Entertainment released a two volume VHS set of selected episodes entitled "Adventures On the Prairie With The Campbells". On June 23, 2015, Timeless Media Group released "The Campbells - The Complete Series" on DVD in Region 1.