The Onedin Line was a popular BBC television drama series that ran from 1971 to 1980. The series is set in Liverpool in the mid-late 19th century 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 (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 steam ships. It shows the role that ships played in affairs like international politics, uprisings and the slave trade.

The series was created by Cyril Abraham, a native of Liverpool, where the story is set. An article in Woman magazine published in July 1973, interviewing Cyril Abraham, tells how he came up with the very unusual family name Onedin.

He wanted something unique. He had decided to call the male character James but still had not found a name when the BBC agreed to film the story. Then some inspiration - he said "One day I stumbled across the word Ondine, a mythological sea creature. By transposing the "e", I had James Onedin, a sea devil."