The Brothers (1972 - 1976)

Willie Oleson

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And so my first watch of the seventies prime time soap comes to an end. I had no idea what to expect but it's a keeper, I'm definitely going to rewatch it at some point.

Jennifer's daughter Barbara returns for the last half of series 7, it's amazing how much she has matured in those few years. She's a real woman now (omg, what an old-fashioned thing to say).


Story-wise I think 7 series of THE BROTHERS equals the first 4 seasons of KNOTS LANDING, except that there are no stand-alone episodes.
But there are stand-alone scenes.
Paul Merroney interviews a possible new secretary, a stenographer who could out-bitch Alexis Carrington. And then she decides that she doesn't want the job because she doesn't like Paul. And that's the end of it, no follow-up or other interviews. But as long as the scenes are good, who cares?

The last board meeting, there'll be no more new episodes on the agenda.

Oh it looks like there was a secretary after all, but she wasn't as visible as Claire, Ms Vickery and of course the unforgettable Marion from series 1 and 2.

Human trafficking was already a thing in 1976, and Bill Riley goes undercover - but he has to end his mission when his never-seen-before son Ronnie is involved in a serious accident.

There's a small guest role for actor Peter Blake, and he looks very euro-handsome with his long curls.
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The series end with a Christmas party, and it gives all the characters a moment of retrospection, current decisions and plans for the future.
Featuring party poppers such as Smokie's "I'll Meet You At Midnight", Leo Sayer's "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" and last but not least Johnny Wakelin's "In Zaïre".
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It's a sad goodbye to 1976, but there's another soap family waiting for me. And as it turns out I'll be going back in time (but without the TopPop moments I'm afraid).
 

Barbara Fan

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Slightly off topic but i have dug out my box set of Tenko (thank you @Alexis for getting tme to buy and rewatch this a good few years ago)

Jean Anderson is simply wonderful in it - not quite as smartly dressed as Mary Hammond though, great actress.
 

Alexis

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Slightly off topic but i have dug out my box set of Tenko (thank you @Alexis for getting tme to buy and rewatch this a good few years ago)

Jean Anderson is simply wonderful in it - not quite as smartly dressed as Mary Hammond though, great actress.
Tenko was so good! I had a great time watching it years ago. I keep saying I will go back to it for a re-watch but there's always something new to watch. I feel like I might revisit it and Upstairs Downstairs this winter.
 

J. R.'s Piece

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When Brian Hammond talks about Don Stacy he mentions "underneath all that Somerset Maugham exterior", and indeed, he is one of the most colourful characters in The Brothers.
His scenes with his ex-wife, air freight chief Jane Maxwell, are larded with literary references - to and fro - and while that could be appreciated for the performance itself I think that the obligatory punch makes their scenes a little predictable.

Their divorce, long before these characters were introduced, has strengthened their relationship but at the same time it prevents them from moving on.
When Don fails his medical exam he's no longer allowed to fly her planes, which happens to be his one and only passion. But at the end it turns out that he did it on purpose, to no longer have reason to be there, despite Jane's offer to do something else.
The role of Don was Mike Pratt’s final tv role. He died from lung cancer, in July 1976, a month after his 45th birthday. He had played skiffle, performed with bands, written songs and performed with Tommy Steele and Lionel Bart. And been in Repulsion with Catherine Deneuve, The Party’s Over, This Is My Street (with future tv co-star Annette Andre, who did a stint on The Brothers), Pathfinders, Redcap, Man in a Suitcase, The Champions, Jason King, UFO, Spyder’s Web, The Baron, Callan (where Patrick Mower’s character hit his character’s young daughter and she died), four episodes of Danger Man, two episodes of The Man in Room 17, two episodes of The Saint, two episodes of Gideon’s Way, been Simey in Black Beauty, provided story ideas for Pardon the Expression and written for Randall and Hopkirk Deceased. And played Randall in Randall and Hopkirk Deceased. Hilary Tindall was a guest villain.

Kate O’Mara was one of the cast of The Brothers who did a theatre show in 1976 to donate the proceedings to Mike’s family.

 
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J. R.'s Piece

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I didn't know there was a reunion on the agenda!
I recorded the whole show at the time and burned it to DVD. Still have it somewhere.

Hope you saw the link underneath the video, which links to a webpage about the making of the After They Were Famous show. It discusses the making of the show. Including discussing Patrick O’Connell making news by unexpectedly vanishing off overseas while he was still doing the show.

Patrick O’Connell and Mike Pratt appeared together in The Saint episode, The Persistent Patriots, filmed in late 1966.

Derek Benfield was one of the stars of ATV’s Timeslip, which first aired on September 28th 1970. His character’s daughter passes through a time barrier and encounters a 1940 version of her father in the first serial.

I have something to reveal to you.
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That phone cover does look nice but maybe I’ll go for the pullover hoodie, the pillows or the chiffon top.
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Willie Oleson

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Hope you saw the link underneath the video
Will check it out later. Thanks!
I have something to reveal to you.
Where did you find it this time?

Btw, these updates remind me that I still have to buy the Hammond's Christmas LP. I never buy Christmas albums but this is something special.
I have no idea who's singing what, I guess Kate O'Mara will be on it.

And since she was already in Finland for the movie....
 

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Colin Baker mentions a possible reason for the cancellation of The Brothers here:
 

Stuart

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Slightly off topic but i have dug out my box set of Tenko (thank you @Alexis for getting tme to buy and rewatch this a good few years ago)

Jean Anderson is simply wonderful in it - not quite as smartly dressed as Mary Hammond though, great actress.
Hello There I loved the series back in the 70’s.

I have a very serious question for you and am really hoping somebody can help.

Not sure of what series or episode but the Hammonds purchase a Brand new lorry,

You see a chap jump out the lorry and if I remember right he just puts his thumb up to them and walks off screen…..That chap is my Father who died a few years ago now…My Mother and Father divorced a few years before he was on the show…just as a stand in really

It would be great to be able to get the DVD of it…..Many Thanks Stuart.
 

James from London

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Patsy Kensit’s just rocked up in Season 2:

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