The Onedin Line (TV Series 1971) | The Wind Blows Free (S01-E01)

The Onedin Line is a BBC television drama series that ran from 1971 to 1980. The series was created by Cyril Abraham.

The series is set in Liverpool from 1860 to 1886 and covers the rise of a fictional shipping company, the Onedin Line, named after its owner captain James Onedin. Around this, it depicts the lives of his family, most notably his brother and partner Robert, a ship chandler, and his sister Elizabeth, giving insight into the lifestyle and customs at the time, not only at sea, but also ashore (mostly lower- and upper-middle-class). The series also illustrates some of the changes in business and shipping, such as from wooden to steel ships and from sailing ships to steamships. It shows the role that ships played in such matters as international politics, uprisings and the slave trade.

Series creator Cyril Abraham had originally envisaged The Onedin Line as being about a modern shipping company with its boardroom battles and seagoing adventures, but then he discovered that almost all such companies were run by boards of anonymous executives. However, he noticed that most of these companies had their origins in the 19th century, mostly started by one shrewd and far-sighted individual who, through his own business acumen, built up a shipping line from nothing. Abraham stated that James Onedin was not based on one individual but was rather an amalgamation of several characters. Suggested real-life inspirations include Victorian era shipping line owner James Baines & Co. of Liverpool (a leading character in the series was named 'Captain Baines'), Sir Samuel Cunard and various members of the Allan Line family.

Among the historic ships and boats featured in the series was the steam pinnace Hero, then owned and lent by John Player & Sons.

The music behind the opening credits of the series is an excerpt from the Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia from the ballet Spartacus by Aram Khachaturian. Other background music includes excerpts from Ralph Vaughan Williams's Symphony No. 2 'London', Symphony No. 5 and Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis, Manuel de Falla's The Three-Cornered Hat, Gustav Holst's Fugal Overture, Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2 and Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 1 and Jean Sibelius's Tapiola, symphonic poem for orchestra.

Traditional music, including folk songs and sea shanties in particular, are heard in abundance throughout the series, including such songs as "The Maid of Amsterdam", "Ruben Ranzo", "South Australia", "Maggie May", "The Sailor's Hornpipe", "Botany Bay", "Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes", "A Hundred Years Ago", "Blow the Man Down", and "On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at".

Episode 1: In Liverpool in 1860 sailor James Onedin, working for the hard-nosed shipping owner Callon, is desperate to gain a ship of his own and finally acquires the 'Charlotte Rhodes' from drunken old Captain Webster in exchange for marrying the captain's daughter, unglamorous but spirited Anne. He makes his mark when he beats Callon in a race to secure a contract with the Portuguese wine exporter Braganza. His brother Robert and wife Sarah run a chandler's shop, assisted by discontented and frivolous younger sister Elizabeth.

Episode 2: https://rumble.com/v53jgzd-the-onedin-line-tv-series-1971-plain-sailing-s01-e02.html