ABC's New Shows for the 2006-07 Season

Brothers & Sisters
Drama

Premise: Family secrets and lies are exposed when siblings come together to celebrate a birthday; soapy repercussions follow.

First Impressions: So indelible a character was Ally McBeal, it takes a second to adjust to the idea that Calista Flockhart is playing a woman who looks to have most of her wits about her in this show. Once you do, you remember that she's a pretty decent actress -- and she's surrounded by a fine cast that also includes Rachel Griffiths, Ron Rifkin and Patricia Wettig. Yet despite the talent assembled and, from the little we saw, what looks like good writing, there's a feeling that this rather straightforward family story may get lost in a landscape of high-concept dramas.

Stars: Calista Flockhart ("Ally McBeal"), Ron Rifkin ("Alias"), Balthazar Getty ("Alias"), Rachel Griffiths ("Six Feet Under"), Dave Annable ("Reunion"), Patricia Wettig ("Prison Break"), John Pyper-Ferguson ("Smallville"), Sarah Jane Morris ("Felicity"), Jimmy "Jax" Pinchak ("Over There")

Studio: Touchstone Television

Producers: Jon Robin Baitz ("The Substance of Fire"), Ken Olin ("Alias"), Marti Noxon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer")

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