The Onedin Line
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The Onedin Line was a popular BBC television drama series that ran from 1971 to 1980. The series was created by Cyril Abraham. The opening credits of the series featured music from the ballet Spartacus by Aram Khachaturian. The programme was recorded in Dartmouth, Devon.
The plot concerned James Onedin, a penniless sea captain with aspirations, who in the first episode married Anne, dowdy daughter of the late owner of the "Charlotte Rhodes", his only motivation being to get his hands on the ship. James, a shrewd and often ruthless operator, soon built up a fleet, assisted by the loyal Mr (later Captain) Baines. A sub-plot turned on James's flighty sister, Elizabeth, who became pregnant by Daniel Fogarty but instead married wealthy Albert Frazer, developer of steamship technology, a connection James soon turned to his own advantage.
In a later series, Anne, whom James had come to love, died in childbirth, and he was torn between alternative replacement brides for a while, before settling for his daughter's governess, Letty Gaunt. Letty also died, and by the final series, James was on his third wife, the exotic Margarita, and was a grandfather.
The series made the careers of Peter Gilmore, who played James, and Anne Stallybrass, who played Anne, as well as being an important break for Jill Gascoine, Warren Clarke, Kate Nelligan and Jane Seymour. The last series ended with the news of the death of Daniel Fogarty (whom Elizabeth had finally married after the death of her first husband).de:Die Onedin-Linie sv:Onedinlinjen