Bill Brand: Story, Cast and Series Facts

Story and premise

Set in the mid-1970s and reflecting the complexities of that turbulent decade, Bill Brand stars Jack Shepherd (Wycliffe) as a newly elected left-of-centre Labour MP who struggles to reconcile socialist principles with the realpolitik of Westminster. This groundbreaking and unashamedly intelligent drama series is penned by Oscar-nominated dramatist Trevor Griffiths (Fatherland, Reds) and earned a BAFTA nomination for Jack Shepherd. A by-election in the solidly working-class constituency of Leighley sees Bill Brand, a former lecturer, elected to Parliament by a slim majority. Driven by a determination to improve the lives of his textile-worker constituents, he finds his ideas of representation are provocatively different from those of the whips; and in a world of oblique negotiations and hidden bargains – the uncomfortable realities of a minority government – Brand's fundamental belief in the Party is assailed by doubts, while his troubled personal life further endangers his tenuous political career.

Series details

• Title: Bill Brand
• Format: Scripted
• Language: English
• Genres: Drama
• Premiere date: 1976-06-07
• Final broadcast date listed: 1976-08-16
• Status in TVmaze: Ended
• Network listed by TVmaze: ITV1
• Network country: United Kingdom
• Typical episode runtime: 60 minutes
• TVMaze ID: 38763
• IMDb ID: tt0162791
• TVDB ID: 256490

Cast and credited roles

• Jack Shepherd — Bill Brand

Seasons in the TVmaze catalogue

• Season 1: premiered 1976-06-07; final listed air date 1976-08-16; episode order: 11.

Source and licence

Adapted from Bill Brand on TVmaze. The synopsis is reproduced as plain text; catalogue facts, cast and season records are selected and reformatted. This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, following the TVmaze API licence. Network and web-channel credits identify the service listed in this source; they do not establish current streaming availability.