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8 Episodes 1996 - 1996
Episode 1
50 mins
Dr. Finlay treats a local celebrity of sorts, the Brigadier, a much decorated soldier and highly respected member of the community. He's come down with a high fever and Finlay decides to hospitalize him where he is eventually diagnosed a having typhus. A group of itinerant Irish farm workers also arrives in the area and the locals are not keen with their presence. Mob rule takes over when the Brigadier takes turn for the worse and many in the community blame the workers for bringing disease with them. Dr. Cameron also has to deal with the Irish group and works to overcome their superstitious beliefs when a newborn child falls ill.
Episode 2
50 mins
Marjorie and Douglas Maitland have returned to Tannochbrae after spending much of their life in colonial India. Re-adjusting to life at home is not proving easy however. Douglas is in poor health and despite his best efforts can't find work which he puts down to being too old. Depressed, he's drinking too much and he flatly refuses to ask their daughter Brenda for any help. Dr. Napier tries to give him advice, but he is stubborn and won't listen. Meanwhile, Janet and Angus are still recovering from their road accident. Angus seems to be coping better than Janet who is terrified at the prospect of setting foot in the car. She's also upset when Rhoda, who is away at a wedding, fails to write her a letter but does drop a note to Dr. Cameron. Dr. Finlay has to deal with a strange case that he can't quite diagnose.
Episode 3
51 mins
Janet is shocked when she arrives at Arden House only to find a newborn baby abandoned on the doorstep. For Doctor Finlay, their options are limited to one and he wants to phone the police and the child welfare authorities. Dr. Napier however thinks she knows who the mother might be recalling questions a young woman had once asked her. It turns out to be more complicated than she had imagined and as time drags on, Dr. Finlay becomes more and more concerned about the legality of what they are doing. He's also worried about what the patients might think if they hear a baby on the premises. Meanwhile, Angus decides to act on a customer's comment and buys Janet a present. He's not quite sure what to make of her reaction however.
Episode 4
51 mins
Doctor Finlay decides to take a few days off and sets off on his own hiking in the hills. He soon runs into Jeannie Grant and her father Andrew who live in a house in the middle of nowhere. The elder Grant is blind from cataracts and Finlay tries to convince him to have the relatively simple operation that will restore his sight. He also takes an interest in Jeannie. Back at the surgery, Dr. Napier has to deal with the somewhat erratic May Erskine, a transplanted Londoner who takes to shouting and insulting behavior whenever the opportunity presents itself. Napier is convinced that the woman is under stress but a chat with her physician reveals something else. Until her husband sets her straight. Brenda Maitland has decided to move back to Tannochbrae.
Episode 5
50 mins
Dr. Finlay has a birthday coming up and both Brenda and Dr. Napier are surprised when he arranges a party to mark the occasion. John has another purpose in mind. Angus and Janet have a falling out when she mentions she would like to move into Rhona's old room. He sees it as the end of their married life while her intentions are just to get a good night's sleep, or so she says. Irene Gallagher gets her brother Eddie to break into Angus' shop to steal medication for her husband Danny, who she believes gave her syphilis. Danny says he doesn't have it but his wife, who has always been faithful to him, insists she has symptoms. Janet checks around and soon knows who is likely responsible for the break-in and tells John who isn't quite sure how to handle the situation.
Episode 6
50 mins
Doctor Finlay calls on a seriously ill patient, Bob MacNair, who is clearly on his death bed. The man has called for the Minister but when he fails to arrive, he confesses to Finlay that he is responsible for the death of Willie Reed. As Finlay subsequently learns, the dead man's nephew, Ewen Reed, was convicted of the murder and is still in jail after 10 years. Finlay is torn about what to do but he is clearly leaning to informing the authorities of the death bed confession. Dr. Cameron tells him in no uncertain terms that he will be ruined in Tannochbrae if he proceeds and reminds him that Ewan was legally convicted and never once denied killing his uncle. Finlay visits the man in prison buts gets nowhere until Ewan's mother accompanies him and tells them what really happened.
Episode 7
51 mins
Fearing the existence of an infectious disease, Drs. Finlay and Cameron begin testing the members of an Order of religious sisters when one of them falls ill. The Order's Mother Superior however is less than cooperative but after her initial refusal, relents. The process is long and tedious but it is a suggestion from Sister Karoli, a Nigerian who is visiting the local convent from her normal duties in a mud hut clinic. She is fascinated by the National Health Service, particularly the fact that it's free, and the overall availability of facilities and medicines. Dr. Napier doesn't have much time for her, at least not initially. She's been on call a great deal lately and is in fact in the process of being swept off her feet by Graham Robinson, a teacher at the local school who is hoping to stay on permanently. Their relationship seems to be developing normally, but John's reaction is open to interpretation. When she is called out to treat one of Graham's pupils, she learns something she would rather not have known. Similarly, Sister Karoli visits her to seek her professional advice and eventually makes a potential life-altering suggestion.
Episode 8
51 mins
Arden House is snowbound on the night before Hogmanay and emotions rise to the surface as the residents spend a long night together.