"The Onedin Line" (1971) TV series 1971-1980

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Creator:

Cyril Abraham
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Release Date:

15 October 1971 (UK)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Romance

Plot:

James Onedin marries Anne Webster in order to get his hands on a ship. However the marriage turns out to be one of true love...

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Peter Gilmore	...	James Onedin / ... (91 episodes, 1971-1980)
Jessica Benton	...	Elizabeth Frazer / ... (76 episodes, 1971-1980)
Howard Lang	...	Captain Baines / ... (74 episodes, 1971-1980)
Mary Webster	...	Sarah Onedin (42 episodes, 1971-1979)
Brian Rawlinson	...	Robert Onedin (40 episodes, 1971-1977)

(more)

Series Directed by
Gerald Blake		(7 episodes, 1972-1977)
David Reynolds		(6 episodes, 1979)
Peter Graham Scott		(4 episodes, 1971-1974)
David Sullivan Proudfoot		(4 episodes, 1973)
Lennie Mayne		(3 episodes, 1976-1977)
Michael Hayes		(3 episodes, 1976)
Jonathan Alwyn		(3 episodes, 1977)
Paul Ciappessoni		(2 episodes, 1971-1977)
Viktors Ritelis		(2 episodes, 1971)
Martyn Friend		(2 episodes, 1973)
Roger Jenkins		(2 episodes, 1974)
Douglas Camfield		(2 episodes, 1976)
Raymond Menmuir		(2 episodes, 1976)
Michael E. Briant		(unknown episodes)
Stephen Butcher		(unknown episodes)
Cyril Coke		(unknown episodes)
Peter Cregeen		(unknown episodes)
David Cunliffe		(unknown episodes)
Peter Grimwade		(unknown episodes)
Andrew Morgan		(unknown episodes)
Ben Rea		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Cyril Abraham		(41 episodes, 1971-1979)
Martin Worth		(9 episodes, 1973-1977)
Alun Richards		(7 episodes, 1971-1976)
Ian Curteis		(4 episodes, 1976-1977)
David Weir		(2 episodes, 1972-1974)
Allan Prior		(2 episodes, 1973-1977)
Ian Kennedy Martin		(unknown episodes)
Simon Masters		(unknown episodes)
Nick McCarty		(unknown episodes)
Elaine Morgan		(unknown episodes)
Roy Russell		(unknown episodes)
Peter Graham Scott		(unknown episodes)
Bruce Stewart		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Peter Graham Scott	....	producer (21 episodes, 1971-1974)
Geraint Morris	....	producer (12 episodes, 1977-1980)
Peter Cregeen	....	producer (10 episodes, 1976)
John Fabian	....	associate producer (5 episodes, 1971)

Series Original Music by
Aram Khachaturyan		(15 episodes, 1971-1972)
Anthony Isaac		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Bill Symon		(27 episodes, 1973-1977)
Alastair Mackay		(6 episodes, 1971)
Larry Toft		(4 episodes, 1976)
Sheila S. Tomlinson		(unknown episodes)

Series Production Design by
Jeremy Bear		(7 episodes, 1971-1974)
Gloria Clayton		(6 episodes, 1973-1976)
Richard Morris		(4 episodes, 1976)
Don Giles		(4 episodes, 1977)
Oliver Bayldon		(3 episodes, 1971)
Bryan Ellis		(3 episodes, 1977)
Paul Munting		(3 episodes, 1977)
Ian Watson		(2 episodes, 1973-1974)
Austen Spriggs		(2 episodes, 1976)
Jon Pusey		(unknown episodes)
Ken Starkey		(unknown episodes)

Series Costume Design by
Dorothea Wallace		(11 episodes, 1971-1974)
Reg Samuel		(10 episodes, 1976)
Rita Reekie		(10 episodes, 1977)
June Wilson		(7 episodes, 1971)
John Bloomfield		(2 episodes, 1973)

Series Makeup Department
Pat Hughes	....	makeup artist (19 episodes, 1971-1974)
Cheryl Wright	....	makeup artist (11 episodes, 1977-1979)
Jean Williams	....	makeup artist (10 episodes, 1976)
Eileen Mair	....	makeup artist (2 episodes, 1974)
Dorka Nieradzik	....	makeup artist (unknown episodes)

Series Production Management
Michael Bartley	....	unit production manager (1 episode, 1980)

Series Sound Department
Graham Bedwell	....	film sound recordist (10 episodes, 1976)
Lance Andrews	....	sound: studio (9 episodes, 1973-1974)
Richard Manton	....	film sound (9 episodes, 1973)
Bill Meekums	....	film sound (9 episodes, 1977)
Les Collins	....	film sound (7 episodes, 1971)
Trevor Webster	....	sound: studio (7 episodes, 1971)
Mike Jones	....	sound: studio (6 episodes, 1976)
Keith Gunn	....	sound: studio (6 episodes, 1977)
Alan Fogg	....	sound: studio (4 episodes, 1973)
Stan Nightingale	....	film sound (4 episodes, 1974)
Laurie Taylor	....	sound: studio (4 episodes, 1976)
Tony Philpot	....	sound: studio (4 episodes, 1977)
John Delany	....	studio sound (unknown episodes)
Clive Gifford	....	studio sound (unknown episodes)
Alan Machin	....	studio sound (unknown episodes)

Series Visual Effects by
Gordon Coxon	....	visual effects (1 episode, 1974)
Len Hutton	....	visual effects (1 episode, 1974)

Series Stunts
Roy Scammell	....	stunt fight arranger (1 episode, 1971)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Max Samett	....	film camera (13 episodes, 1973-1974)
Keith Hopper	....	film camera (10 episodes, 1976)
John Walker	....	film camera (8 episodes, 1977)
Ken Westbury	....	film camera (7 episodes, 1971)
John Green	....	studio lighting (6 episodes, 1976)
Erik Monk	....	studio lighting (6 episodes, 1977)
Peter Hall	....	film camera (5 episodes, 1971)
Gerry Millerson	....	studio lighting (5 episodes, 1973-1974)
Keith Edelsten	....	studio lighting (4 episodes, 1971)
Ken MacGregor	....	studio lighting (4 episodes, 1973)
Mike Jefferies	....	studio lighting (4 episodes, 1976)
James Purdie	....	studio lighting (4 episodes, 1977)
Bill Bailey	....	studio lighting (3 episodes, 1971)
Ron Koplick	....	studio lighting (3 episodes, 1973)
John Walker	....	film camera / film cameraman (2 episodes, 1977-1979)

Series Editorial Department
James Gould	....	vision mixer (1 episode, 1979)
Sheila S. Tomlinson	....	film editor (1 episode, 1979)

Series Music Department
Anthony Isaac	....	musical adviser / music advisor (40 episodes, 1971-1977)
Grant Hossack	....	music advisor (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Robin Craig	....	historical advisor / historial advisor (34 episodes, 1971-1979)
Barry Thomas	....	script editor (26 episodes, 1971-1976)
Mervyn Haisman	....	script editor (14 episodes, 1976-1977)
John Fabian	....	assistant to producer (10 episodes, 1971-1973)
Glyn Edwards	....	production unit manager (10 episodes, 1976)
Kathleen Bidmead	....	production unit manager / production assistant (7 episodes, 1976-1977)
Michael Bartley	....	production unit manager (6 episodes, 1977-1979)
Christina McMillan	....	production assistant (3 episodes, 1976-1977)
Jackie Willows	....	production assistant (3 episodes, 1976)
Michael Owen Morris	....	production assistant (3 episodes, 1977-1979)
Kate Nemet	....	production assistant (3 episodes, 1977)
Andrew Morgan	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 1976)
Renny Rye	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 1976)
Terry Devaney	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 1977)
Liz Mace	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Derek Nelson	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Distributors

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (1971) (UK) (TV) (original airing)
• Pan Vision Oy (2007) (Finland) (DVD)

Runtime:

50 min (91 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Finland:K-11 (DVD) (2007) | Australia:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Bayard's Cove, Dartmouth, Devon, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Postcards: (#8.32)" (2006)

Warning on the DVDs

Grand music, real drama, tall ships and Jessica Benton, how can you go wrong?

One way is to cram all the episodes together so that each DVD forms some kind of four hour movie version of 'The Onedin Line'. This means that the writing talent that went into giving us some dramatic flow in an hour show is completely crapped on. At odd points during your viewing, provided you've got four hours spare to do that, you'll suddenly get a bit of the Adagio from 'Spartacus' dropped on you like a piece of musical jetsam. And with only your memory to guide you as to where each episode ends, you end up with a very up and down experience and not what TV drama is all about.

I for one would've been keen to see the names of the actors in each episode, too, as I'm sure they would be keen for me to know who they were. Alas, even that is lost to us in some harebrained attempt to turn this magnificent production into something even David Lean could find a trifle lengthy and vicissitudes.

We can only hope the BBC doesn't try this again with the second series.