The Campbells was a Scottish

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

-Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 television drama series, which aired on Scottish Television

Scottish Television

Scottish Television is Scotland's largest ITV franchisee, and has held the ITV franchise for Central Scotland since 31 August 1957. It is the second oldest ITV franchisee still active...

 and CTV

CTV television network

CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...

 from 1986 to 1990. A historical family drama, the series starred Malcolm Stoddard

Malcolm Stoddard

Malcolm Stoddard is a British actor who has appeared on television.His credits include: The Voyage of Charles Darwin, Colditz, The Brothers, The New Avengers, Blake's 7, Squadron, By the Sword Divided, Juliet Bravo, Boon, The Bill, Families, Emmerdale, The Campbells, Heartbeat and The...

 as James Campbell, a Scottish doctor living in 1830s Upper Canada

Upper Canada

The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...

 with his three children, Neil (John Wildman

John Wildman (actor)

-Acting career:He is best known for his roles in the 1985 film My American Cousin and its sequel American Boyfriends, and the TV series The Campbells. He won a Genie Award for Best Actor for his performance in My American Cousin.-External links:...

), Emma (Amber-Lea Weston) and John (Eric Richards).

Premise

Dr. James Campbell tries to serve his patients in the face of local opposition from the Laird, and after several discouraging political events, as well as some unfortunate events regarding his practice, he desires a chance to start over. His sons, Neil and John, dissatisfied with their current, mundane lives, decide to emigrate from Scotland to Canada on hearing of the opportunity to own land in Canada and persuade him to make the move. Emma, James' daughter, is equally dissatisfied and likes the idea as well.

The series is set in Upper Canada (now Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

) of the 1830's. This is known because of the clothing, weaponry, and the constant references to the war against "the Yankees" (War of 1812

War of 1812

The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...

).

The series follows the everyday adventures of this family and their neighbors as they all try to survive and prosper on their farms against the odds of nature and the occasional charlatan.

Regular Cast

• Malcolm Stoddard as Dr. James Campbell, a doctor who, after suffering damage to his professional reputation (due to negligence of a patient's nursemaid), decides to make a new life in the Canadian [New World] for himself and his family.
• John Wildman as Neil Campbell, the eldest son. He has a slightly pessimistic outlook on things and later in the series marries and moves away becoming a policeman (earning the nickname "Lawman" from criminals). After moving away, he no longer makes regular appearances on the show, though he is frequently mentioned.
• Amber-Lea Weston as Emma Campbell, the beautiful, high-spirited daughter. Emma takes on the role of the mother after her death (occurring before the series' timeline) and often seeks adventure outside the house. Much of her character development centers around her maturing into a professional writer and the struggles which that entails.
• Eric Richards as John Campbell, who is a mechanically minded and often inventive boy, the youngest son of James. Much of the storyline of the series focuses on his ideas on improving life in the wilderness and in general.
• Cedric Smith as Thomas Sims, the wealthy aristocrat of the area. He often attempts to invest his money into a [get rich quick scheme], with little to no actual return (often a complete loss). He feigns a cold exterior and has a deep sense of honor and duty.

Supporting Cast

• Brigit Wilson as Harriet Sims, Thomas Sims' wife, Rebecca Sims step-mother. She married Thomas after his first wife died. Though they don't get along at first, as the series progresses, she and Rebecca grow close to each other.
• Wendy Lyon as Rebecca Sims, Emma's best friend, who often rejects the lavish lifestyle of her family.
• Neil's Wife
• Barbara Kyle as Charlotte Logan, the innkeeper.
• Thomas Anderson-Baker as Thomas Logan, the young son of the innkeeper, often an annoyance to Thomas Sims.
• Sean McCann as the blacksmith. Though rarely seen in the series, when he does make an appearance, the episode typically centers around his character.
• Robin Craig as Maddie Todd (first season only).
• Rosemary Dunsmore as Mary McTavish