Family Ties: ABC Picks Up 'Brothers & Sisters'

Zap2It.com | October 16, 2006

Sally Field, 'Brothers & Sisters'

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'Sons & Daughters' didn't work, but 'Brothers & Sisters' did

After a summer of recasting and reshooting, ABC's freshman family melodrama "Brothers & Sisters" has finally found a happy ending.

ABC announced late Monday (Oct. 16) afternoon that the network was giving a full-season order to "Brothers & Sisters," from Ken Olin, Jon Robin Baitz and Greg Berlanti.

"'Brothers & Sisters' is a great addition to our Sunday night lineup and has given us a strong complement to 'Desperate Housewives,'" says ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson.

Thanks in large part to that "Desperate Housewives" lead-in, "Brothers & Sisters" has averaged roughly 14 million viewers and ranks as the second-highest rated new series of the season among adults 18-49.

"Brothers & Sisters" features an all-star ensemble led by Calista Flockhart, Sally Field, Patricia Wettig, Ron Rifkin, Balthazar Getty and Rachel Griffiths and tells the story of the Walker family and their intertwining romantic and professional lives.

Before the show made it to the air there were causes for concern. The initial pilot had to be largely scrapped after Sally Field replaced Betty Buckley and the producers decided to rebalance several creative aspects of the pilot. There were additional worries early in shooting when Marti Noxon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") exited the show and Berlanti ("Everwood") was called into service.

For now, at least, none of that appears to matter and viewers can look forward to 22 episodes of family hijinx.