In The Crucial Vote as the fight over the board table gets deeper it soon becomes clear to everyone that the Merchant bank who owns the majority of the shares in Hammond’s have other ideas about selling the company to Borratts which would lead to wholesale redundancies and depot closures which leaves Ted completely on the outside of course and the rest of the board (bar Jenny who lets emotion get the better of her) no option but to vote Ted out of his position as MD. As events move on swiftly Martin Farrell is appointed chairman and Brian is made managing director whilst Ted is offered the role of Technical Director.
What a fabulous finale to the season – Ted is completely turned over and out in the cold by the end of the episode. Lots of great moments too, Brian’s tiny smirk when he realises he is to be MD, Bill’s trouble over voting before finally going against his friend, Jen backing Ted all the way. Besides all this there is a nicely emotional subplot with Ann too who is doing her best to win Brian back, even taking the children out of boarding school to try and restore the family unit. Brian with a casual remark about how he no longer desires her is having none of it. There is also a brief mention of Brian’s trouble with the car accident with the girl having now completely recovered and how he hopes that the police will drop the dangerous driving charges.
production details
UK / BBC One / 1×60 minute episode / Broadcast 8 December 1974
Writer: N.J. Crisp / Production Design: Charles Bond / Director: William Slater
The Brothers Season Four Episode Fourteen
guest cast
MURRAY HAYNE as Martin Farrell
MARGARET ASHCROFT as Gwen Riley
ANNABELLE LANYON as Carol Hammond
JOSHUA LE TOUZEL as Nigel Hammond
