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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!

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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

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    The Onedin Line Season 8 Episode 4 - The Honeymoon
    6.4/10(14 votes)

    #1 - The Honeymoon

    S8:E4

    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:Gilchrist Calder
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. The Onedin Line Season 1 Episode 12 - Cry of the Blackbird
    6.6/10(36 votes)

    #2 - Cry of the Blackbird

    S1:E12

    No description available

    Director:Gerald Blake
    Writer:Bruce Stewart

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  3. The Onedin Line Season 2 Episode 12 - Bloody Week
    7.2/10(29 votes)

    #3 - Bloody Week

    S2:E12

    No description available

    Director:Gerald Blake
    Writer:David Weir

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  4. The Onedin Line Season 6 Episode 1 - No Smoke Without Fire
    7.2/10(14 votes)

    #4 - No Smoke Without Fire

    S6:E1

    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:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. The Onedin Line Season 7 Episode 3 - The Paddy Westers
    7.2/10(15 votes)

    #5 - The Paddy Westers

    S7:E3

    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:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. The Onedin Line Season 8 Episode 6 - The Price of Pride
    7.2/10(14 votes)

    #6 - The Price of Pride

    S8:E6

    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:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  7. The Onedin Line Season 1 Episode 11 - Mutiny
    7.3/10(38 votes)

    #7 - Mutiny

    S1:E11

    No description available

    Director:David Cunliffe
    Writer:Ian Kennedy Martin

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  8. The Onedin Line Season 5 Episode 1 - When Troubles Come
    7.4/10(16 votes)

    #8 - When Troubles Come

    S5:E1

    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:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. The Onedin Line Season 2 Episode 4 - Fetch and Carry
    7.5/10(28 votes)

    #9 - Fetch and Carry

    S2:E4

    No description available

    Director:Ben Rea
    Writer:Alun Richards

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  10. The Onedin Line Season 1 Episode 2 - Plain Sailing
    7.6/10(44 votes)

    #10 - Plain Sailing

    S1:E2

    No description available

    Director:Paul Ciappessoni
    Writer:Cyril Abraham

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  11. The Onedin Line Season 3 Episode 2 - The Stranger
    7.6/10(22 votes)

    #11 - The Stranger

    S3:E2

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. The Onedin Line Season 3 Episode 9 - A Proposal of Marriage
    7.6/10(22 votes)

    #12 - A Proposal of Marriage

    S3:E9

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. The Onedin Line Season 8 Episode 5 - Jonah’s Luck
    7.6/10(17 votes)

    #13 - Jonah’s Luck

    S8:E5

    Defying the superstition that it is bad luck to set sail on a Friday, James travels to Africa and outwits a local witch doctor to establish a trading post on the Niger. However he falls out with Captain Baines, who now has his own ship, 'The Sea Spray', in the process. Back in Liverpool Margarita is mugged whilst exploring the city alone and Samuel uses his uncle's debt to pay Van Der Rheede for a warehouse in New York.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. The Onedin Line Season 1 Episode 3 - Other Points of the Compass
    7.7/10(42 votes)

    #14 - Other Points of the Compass

    S1:E3

    No description available

    Director:Moira Armstrong
    Writer:Alun Richards

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  15. The Onedin Line Season 1 Episode 7 - Passage to Pernambuco
    7.7/10(37 votes)

    #15 - Passage to Pernambuco

    S1:E7

    No description available

    Director:Darrol Blake
    Writer:Cyril Abraham

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  16. The Onedin Line Season 3 Episode 8 - Ice and Fire
    7.7/10(21 votes)

    #16 - Ice and Fire

    S3:E8

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. The Onedin Line Season 4 Episode 9 - The Gamble
    7.7/10(17 votes)

    #17 - The Gamble

    S4:E9

    No description available

    Director:Michael Hayes
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. The Onedin Line Season 5 Episode 8 - The Hostage
    7.7/10(13 votes)

    #18 - The Hostage

    S5:E8

    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:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. The Onedin Line Season 7 Episode 5 - To Honour and Obey
    7.7/10(13 votes)

    #19 - To Honour and Obey

    S7:E5

    James takes Mr. Da Silva and his cargo of lemons to the Azores but crew members Harris and McDade bully cabin boy Tom into helping them rob his possessions and kill the bosun when he tries to stop them. Eventually Tom does the decent thing, leading to their arrest. Samuel gives Charlotte three thousand pounds but, charmed by Seth Burgess, she gives it to him supposedly as a business investment. However he intends to buy back his ship 'The Black pearl' with it and leave her behind.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. The Onedin Line Season 1 Episode 6 - Salvage
    7.8/10(37 votes)

    #20 - Salvage

    S1:E6

    No description available

    Director:Viktors Ritelis
    Writer:Michael J. Bird

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  21. The Onedin Line Season 1 Episode 9 - When My Ship Comes Home
    7.8/10(32 votes)

    #21 - When My Ship Comes Home

    S1:E9

    No description available

    Director:Ken Hannam
    Writer:David Weir

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  22. The Onedin Line Season 2 Episode 6 - Survivor
    7.8/10(28 votes)

    #22 - Survivor

    S2:E6

    No description available

    Director:Roger Jenkins
    Writer:Peter Graham Scott

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  23. The Onedin Line Season 3 Episode 1 - The Ship Devils
    7.8/10(23 votes)

    #23 - The Ship Devils

    S3:E1

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. The Onedin Line Season 3 Episode 4 - Amazon Cargo
    7.8/10(21 votes)

    #24 - Amazon Cargo

    S3:E4

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. The Onedin Line Season 5 Episode 7 - A Hard Life
    7.8/10(15 votes)

    #25 - A Hard Life

    S5:E7

    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:Christopher Barry
    Writer:Unknown

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Worst Episodes Summary

"The Honeymoon" is the worst rated episode of "The Onedin Line". It scored 6.4/10 based on 14 votes. Directed by Gilchrist Calder and written by Unknown, it aired on 9/21/1980. This episode scored 0.2 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Cry of the Blackbird".