The Onedin Line(1971)

series - first aired/released 1971-10-15 - audience 7.0

Drama

Directed by Ben Rea, Christopher Barry, Cyril Coke, Darrol Blake, David Cunliffe, David Sullivan Proudfoot, Douglas Camfield, Gareth Davies, Gerald Blake, Gilchrist Calder, Ken Hannam, Martyn Friend, Michael Hayes, Moira Armstrong, Paul Ciappessoni, Peter Cregeen, Peter Graham Scott, Roger Jenkins, Viktors Ritelis, William Slater

The Onedin Line is a BBC television drama series which ran from 1971 to 1980. The series was created by Cyril Abraham. The series is set in Liverpool from 1860 to 1886 and deals with the rise of a shipping line, the Onedin Line, named after its owner James Onedin. Around this central theme are the lives of his family, most notably his brother and partner, shop owner Robert, and his sister Elizabeth, giving insight into the lifestyle and customs at the time, not only at sea, but also ashore. The series also illustrates some of the changes in business and shipping, such as from wooden to steel ships and from sailing ships to steam ships. It shows the role that ships played in affairs like international politics, uprisings and the slave trade.