Doctor Finlay Complete Collection

Three doctors and their unflappable housekeeper take the daily pulse of a bustling Scottish village in the 1920s. David Rintoul, Annette Crosbie and Jason Flemyng star in the beloved series, as seen on Masterpiece. Includes all 27 episodes, final special Snowblind, and bonus disc Scottish Clans. 23 hours on 14 DVDs, in a wooden chest.

The Return-The war is over and newly demobbed Dr. Finlay returns thankfully to the practice at Arden House. He is greeted warmly by Janet and an ageing and overworked Dr. Cameron. But there are problems to be faced. Why did Brenda, his fiancee, not meet him at the station and why is she avoiding him? And there is immediate antipathy between Finlay and the new locum, Dr. David Neil. And to cap all, at his welcome home party he has a violent disagreement with Dr. Gilmore, the local Medical Officer of Health, over the impending National Health Service.

Working Together - Dr. Neil incurs the wrath of Dr. Gilmore when he unwittingly treats one of the latter's patients. Dr. Cameron, now officially retired, is finding it hard to divorce himself from the practice and move into his cottage. Prompt action by Finlay and Neil saves the life of a nine-year-old girl.

Winning the Peace - An army deserter, hidden on a nearby farm, causes problems for Finlay and Cameron. Brenda's American fiancé, due to be demobbed, tries to persuade her to sail for the U.S.A immediately. There is good news at last for Alison and Ronnie Grieves. And Dr. Neil joins the church choir in time for thee service of dedication to those Tannochbrae men who died in the war.

A Bitter Pill - Smallpox has been brought to Scotland, and like other communities Tannochbrae has to organise a mass vaccination programme, putting a great strain on local medical staff. A long-running case of anaemia poses problems for both the sufferer's husband and for Dr. Neil. Brenda's fiancé is flying home to be demobbed, leaving her with a major decision to make.

Forbidden Fruit - Finlay puts his career in jeopardy when he falls in love with a patient - a married woman. Dr. Cameron has problems with the star pupil at his English lessons for German prisoners of war. Angus issues a surprise invitation to Janet and Dr. Neil makes his debut as an orator, with great success.

The Good Doctor - The arrival of a famous singer causes a stir in Tannochbrae. Dr. Neil meets her professionally while Dr. Cameron, a long-standing admirer, meets her socially. Dr. Finlay ponders the offer of a partnership in a practice in Toronto. Angus finally gets an answer from Janet to his proposal of marriage.

A Delicate Balance - A man dies, ostensibly of cancer, but Dr. Finlay suspects other causes may have contributed to his death. His enquiries lead him into danger. Dr. Neil is embarrassed when he has to revise his diagnosis of a young patient.

Childsplay - Back on light duties after his accident, Dr. Finlay is intrigued when thirteen year old Hannah brings her two younger sisters to the surgery. Dr. Neil goes to Glasgow in a desperate attempt to get supplies of a new and scarce drug which may save the life of a young boy. Plans to modernise Arden House appear to have foundered on financial grounds.

Stolen Lives - Rachel has spent thirty-eight years in an institution. With the death of her father and the intervention of Dr. Finlay and Janet, who as a teenager was a close friend of Rachel's, she is released and goes home to her ailing mother. But is Rachel capable of dealing with the outside world after all this time?

Burning Bridges - The redecoration of Arden House begins and chaos reigns. Janet is horrified when she finds that her kitchen is being used as a surgery. Dr. Gilmore finally accepts the fact that his wife, Madge, is an alcoholic and in desperation asks Dr. Cameron for help. The search for a new housekeeper at Arden House continues, and a surprise candidate puts her name forward. Dr. Neil decides to accept an offer of a research post in Glasgow.

Secrecy - A routine visit to an outlying farm plunges Dr. Finlay into a fifteen-year-old local mystery and brings him into contact with the reclusive James Geddie. Rhona starts training to take over from Janet as housekeeper at Arden House and Dr. Neil departs to take up his appointment in Glasgow.

In Arcadia - Rhona's mother and aunt arrive in Tannochbrae for the wedding, and it isn't long before the former upsets her daughter. A dog bite brings the fear of rabies to a local farmer, and a young boy recovering from measles goes missing. And then at last the wedding day dawns for Angus and Janet.

Old Flames - A film star with emotional problems arrives at the newly re-opened Hydro, but are her tantrums caused by temperamental or medical problems? The new arrival at Arden House, Dr. McKenna, is spending an inordinate amount of time with Frank, a returned crippled war hero. But is his interest centred on the patient, or is it the patient's wife that is on the doctor's mind? Inevitably, tragedy is just around the corner. Another new arrival in Tannochbrae is the widow of Dr. Finlay's closest friend during his student days.

Only Time will Tell - Millie couldn't be happier. She has a perfect and loving relationship with her widowed mother and is engaged to be married to the boy she loves. Then two devastating revelations shatter her world and she is left to contemplate an uncertain future. The new partner arrives at Arden House to replace Dr. McKenna. Janet is not impressed.

Private Lives - A visit to Arden House from his mother causes some embarassment for Dr. Finlay. That, and his continuing trauma over the death of Dr. McKenna make him irritable. In turn this leads to an acrimonious disagreement with Dr. Napier over her treatment of Annie Kirk.

The Earth's Sweet Being - Dr. Napier starts her campaign to raise awareness of women's health issues.
A Natural Mistake - A violent physical attack on a homosexual man, a newcomer to Tannochbrae, causes a conflict of loyalties for Dr. Finlay. Should friendship come before his professional respoansibilities? Janet is unwittingly caught up in the middle of an acrimonious dispute between her husband Angus and her employer Dr. Cameron.

The Greatness and the Power - Dr. Finlay is called to the manse to attend a teenage girl who has mysteriously collapsed. He can find nothing wrong with her and his suspicions are aroused when he learns that she was alone with the minister at the time. A second similar incident involving the same girl makes him realise that he was jumping to the wrong conclusions. Dr. Napier has to cope with the aftermath of an attempted abortion. Angus has the 'flu and proves to be a difficult patient, until a simple act by Dr. Cameron eases Janet's burden.

No Time for Heroes - The son of the local headmaster is diagnosed with diphtheria. Prompt action by Dr. Napier saves his life, but the race is on to give inoculations to all local children who have not had them. Extra staff are drafted in to help, among them an old familiar face. Dr. Cameron's insistence on preserving a dying woman's right to confidentiality triggers a sequence of events that leads to disaster.

All Jock Tamson's Bairns - The Brigadier, a wartime hero, dies in hospital of a heart attack. Many of the villagers mistakenly believe that his death was caused by typhus, brought into the area by itinerant Irish tattie howkers. They seek revenge by burning down the barn in which the Irish workers are billetted, not knowing that Dr. Cameron is within tending a newly born baby boy. Dr. Cameron, armed with a pitchfork and with the help of the newly arrived Dr. Finlay, holds the attackers at bay until the police arrive. In gratitude the Irish hold a party for Cameron at which he partakes too freely of poteen. The consequences for him are, to say the least, embarrassing.

Home Truths - The local undertaker, Ruari Laing, collapses at the funeral of Dr. Gilmore. Dr. Finlay is present and sends Ruari straight to the hospital for tests. These prove negative, so is Ruari genuinely ill or is he a hypochondriac? Brenda Maitland's parents have returned to Tannochbrae after thirty years in India. Unknown to her they are living in near poverty, and her father, already stricken by gout, is hiding the symptoms of another more serious complaint.

Days of Grace - A baby girl is found abandoned on the doorstep of Arden House. Dr. Napier thinks she knows the identity of the mother and persuades a reluctant Dr. Finlay to delay informing the authorities. But when she investigates she uncovers a situation far more complicated and sinister than she ever imagined. Meantime Janet is left literally holding the baby.

A Simple Operation - After a spell of overwork Dr. Finlay decides to take a few days off and go on a walking tour in the Highlands. But his expedition is not as peaceful as he expected. Before too long he is embroiled in a brief romance and a challenge to his powers of persuasion and professional skills. Back at Arden House Dr. Napier is intrigued by the erratic behaviour of a new patient - a newcomer to Tannochbrae.

Mercury - Angus's shop is broken into. All that is stolen is a bottle of mercuric chloride, and the burglar even left two half-crowns on the counter to pay for the broken window. Drs. Finlay and Cameron have their suspicions about the reason behind the theft, and their prompt action averts a double tragedy. Dr. Finlay organises a surprise party for Dr. Cameron to mark the fortieth anniversary of the opening by the latter of the practice at Arden House.

The Life of Men - A deathbed confession by one of his patients prompts Dr. Dinlay to investigate a ten-year-old murder. His findings leave him in a quandary - do his legal obligations take precedence over medical ethics? Janet has to use all her tact and diplomacy while helping a friend with a delicate domestic problem.

Still Waters - An outbreak of lead poisoning at a local convent brings Drs. Finlay and Cameron into sharp conflict with the Mother Superior. Only after they threaten to have the Medical Officer of Health close the convent are they allowed to give the necessary treatment. Dr. Napier goes to the village school to give a lecture and finds romance with one of the teachers. But is he all that he seems? And can Dr. Finlay be jealous?

Snowblind - It is the thirtieth of December. Angus has gone to meet Rhona at the airport on her return from America, so Janet joins the three doctors for dinner at Arden House. Outside a blizzard is raging. Dr. Cameron, in his cups, makes a remark that scandalises Janet. Before he can apologise and put matters right he suffers a mild heart attack. The telephone line is out of order, and in any case the roads are blocked with snow and there is no possibility of getting the patient to hospital. To further complicate matters there is a power cut. Dr. Finlay has to rely on his own resources.

Written by A.J. Cronin, Carey Harrison, Ann-Marie di Mambro, Peter Hammond, James Mavor, Andy Smith, Simon Donald, Lesley Bruce
Directed by Patrick Lau, Aisling Walsh, Rodney Bennett, Sarah Hellings, Sarah Pia Anderson, Derek Lister, Bob Blagden
Produced by Bernard Krichefski
Executive Produced by Robert Love
Original Music by Richard Harvey
Cinematography by Jim Peters
Film Editing by Lynn Morrison, Chris Buckland, Fergus MacKinnon
Costume Design by Leigh Bellis

"Genuine drama... sharp entertainment... acting's superb" - VARIETY

"Doctor Finlay is first-rate, splendid, absolutely fabulous." - DAILY NEWS OF LOS ANGELES