The Worst Episodes of The Onedin Line
Every episode of The Onedin Line ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of The Onedin Line!
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.
Lowest Rated Episodes Summary
The worst episode of "The Onedin Line" is "The Honeymoon", rated 6.3/10 from 12 user votes. It was directed by N/A and written by N/A. "The Honeymoon" aired on 9/21/1980 and is rated 0.5 point(s) lower than the second lowest rated, "Cry of the Blackbird".
6.3/10 12 votes#1 - The Honeymoon
Season 8 Episode 4 - Aired 9/21/1980
James marries Margarita and they sail to Sumatra to establish trade in the East Indies, staying with Dutch ship-owning brothers Max and Theodore Van der Rheede. The brothers are not happy to learn that James has undercut them on a tobacco contract and the dominant Max suggests to his younger brother that they sell up and return to Europe. On the voyage home Margarita intercedes on behalf of a sailor she believes to be harshly-treated, influencing Baines to show him leniency. Back in Liverpool they find that Max has moved there ahead of them but his brother has drowned himself.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 6.8/10 31 votes
#2 - Cry of the Blackbird
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 1/7/1972
No description available
Director: Gerald Blake
Writer: Bruce Stewart
- 7.1/10 27 votes
#3 - Bloody Week
Season 2 Episode 12 - Aired 12/10/1972
No description available
Director: Gerald Blake
Writer: David Weir
- 7.1/10 12 votes
#4 - The Price of Pride
Season 8 Episode 6 - Aired 10/5/1980
Captain Baines leaves the Onedin Line and, with Tom aboard, collects his first cargo as owner of the 'Sea Spray'. James suffers as some clients will only trust their freight to his old ship-mate and the vengeful Van Der Rheede - who is out to break him - calls in the debt sold on by Samuel, who returns from New York with a wealthy American bride. To compound matters Charlotte arrives back in Liverpool as a music-hall singer. Ultimately, though, it is Captain Baines who pays the price of pride as his ship blows up, killing Tom.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.3/10 13 votes
#5 - No Smoke Without Fire
Season 6 Episode 1 - Aired 7/16/1978
Fearing unrest in South Africa Daniel asks James to bring home a large amount of gold from the country - unofficially. James naturally wants his cut. Tim, a young crew member, is subjected to a crossing the line ritual during which a man falls overboard and drowns. A cargo of wool on the ship catches fire, after which it is discovered that the gold has been stolen. Tim is responsible and speaks up to Onedin about inequality. In Liverpool Robert's son Samuel returns home whilst Elizabeth's son William declares his intention to be the richest man in the port in five years' time.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.3/10 14 votes
#6 - The Paddy Westers
Season 7 Episode 3 - Aired 8/5/1979
William's death causes a rift between Charlotte and Samuel, not helped when they learn that William left his son twenty thousand pounds. Seth Burgess is duped by the infamous tavern-keeper Paddy West into paying him for a crew to sail to New York with James. However they are not seamen but largely European immigrants, including a Count and his pregnant wife. James is reluctant to put them ashore on Ellis island but changes his mind after the count saves him from an attack by a fugitive murderer. Captain Baines recovers the money from West by arm -wrestling him.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.4/10 14 votes
#7 - A Hard Life
Season 5 Episode 7 - Aired 8/7/1977
William makes his peace with his parents but assures them that his interest in developing steam engines supersedes his desire to inherit the shipyard. James's failure to listen to William results in the engine blowing on the ship he is using to take Polish emigrants to New York and he puts in to Liverpool for repairs. Maritsa, one of the emigrants ,is a talented lace-maker, and Robert wants to employ her in his sweat-shop but a sympathetic Samuel advises her she would be better off going on to New York. Unfortunately another accident with the steam engine leads to the ship lurching violently, trapping Maritsa's fingers in a door and requiring two to be amputated.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.5/10 37 votes
#8 - Plain Sailing
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 10/22/1971
No description available
Director: Paul Ciappessoni
Writer: Cyril Abraham
- 7.5/10 32 votes
#9 - Mutiny
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 12/24/1971
No description available
Director: David Cunliffe
Writer: Ian Kennedy Martin
- 7.5/10 24 votes
#10 - Fetch and Carry
Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 10/8/1972
No description available
Director: Ben Rea
Writer: Alun Richards
- 7.5/10 19 votes
#11 - The Stranger
Season 3 Episode 2 - Aired 10/28/1973
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.5/10 19 votes
#12 - Ice and Fire
Season 3 Episode 8 - Aired 12/16/1973
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.5/10 20 votes
#13 - A Proposal of Marriage
Season 3 Episode 9 - Aired 12/23/1973
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.5/10 19 votes
#14 - A Cold Wind Blowing
Season 4 Episode 2 - Aired 5/2/1976
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.5/10 16 votes
#15 - The Gamble
Season 4 Episode 9 - Aired 6/20/1976
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.6/10 29 votes
#16 - Passage to Pernambuco
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 11/26/1971
No description available
Director: Darrol Blake
Writer: Cyril Abraham
- 7.6/10 14 votes
#17 - When Troubles Come
Season 5 Episode 1 - Aired 6/26/1977
Five years have elapsed. Onedin is a prisoner in a settlement in South America from where he is rescued by Captain Baines, and they return to Liverpool. Macaulay, a wealthy Australian, keen to invest in the shipping trade with South Africa, does business with the Onedin's but when the bank crashes, the Onedin's lose out as their collateral is taken. Robert loses his shop and James's ships are forfeited but he manages to get them out of port before Macaulay claims them.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.7/10 35 votes
#18 - Other Points of the Compass
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 10/29/1971
No description available
Director: Moira Armstrong
Writer: Alun Richards
- 7.7/10 20 votes
#19 - The Ship Devils
Season 3 Episode 1 - Aired 10/21/1973
No description available
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.7/10 12 votes
#20 - The Hostage
Season 5 Episode 8 - Aired 8/14/1977
James and Captain Baines sail to Palermo to pick up emigrants for America. Whilst James is ashore with his Sicilian agent Benito, several Mafia bandits led by local don Ranocci take over the ship and in the subsequent gun-battle the mate is killed and Captain Baines and the crew taken hostage. They will be released if James gives Ranocci the money taken from the locals for their voyage but James has other ideas and leads the oppressed Sicilians against the Mafia. At home Letty goes into business and William is as disapproving of his parents' relationship as they are of his intense friendship with Charlotte.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.7/10 12 votes
#21 - Running Free
Season 7 Episode 6 - Aired 8/26/1979
Seth Burgess obtains a contract to take China clay to Jamaica but whilst James is transporting it Burgess elopes with Charlotte and her Onedin line shares. Whilst Samuel shows no interest in pursuing them James offers a reward for their apprehension. Having found a baby left on her doorstep, which she hands onto the orphanage, Letty plans to open her own home for waifs and strays with the money obtained from Samuel for the sale of her factory. With Daniel now permanently in London, Elizabeth meets Charles Marston, wealthy heir to a colliery and steelworks, with whom she strikes up a business deal.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.7/10 12 votes
#22 - Outward Bound
Season 7 Episode 9 - Aired 9/16/1979
James pursues Charlotte and Burgess to Cyprus where he exposes the young captain's interest in his daughter as being purely mercenary, persuading a despairing Charlotte to return home with him. Samuel is smitten by charming actress Helen Doyle and she too is fond of him whilst accepting that her father Fergus is using Samuel's acquaintance to get Sarah to finance his new play. Samuel is saddened when the Doyles' touring company moves on and makes it clear to the returning Charlotte that their marriage is over. Marston is keen to marry Elizabeth and is angry when his father approaches her asking his help in finding a wife for his son.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.7/10 11 votes
#23 - Guilty - In All Innocence
Season 8 Episode 8 - Aired 10/19/1980
Charlotte is reunited with her father after visiting him in jail. Margarita and Samuel pursue the man suspected of planting the necklace on James' ship, only to find he is dead. However a letter arrives from Betsy, addressed to Letty, who was good to her, outlining how Van Der Rheede used her to get the necklace. Furthermore Captain Baines, now anxious to help Onedin, establishes that Van Der Rheede planted it in a chart he knew that the captain was returning to James' ship. The family confronts the Dutchman and force him to confess, whilst Elizabeth hears that Daniel is returning home to be reconciled with her.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 7.8/10 26 votes
#24 - Yellow Jack
Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 10/15/1972
No description available
Director: David Sullivan Proudfoot
Writer: Alun Richards
- 7.8/10 24 votes
#25 - Survivor
Season 2 Episode 6 - Aired 10/22/1972
No description available
Director: Roger Jenkins
Writer: Peter Graham Scott