Small screen family dramas are usually programs of smaller
margins and return, pitched toward captive, boomer-plus audiences who don’t
much escape the confines of their couches for entertainment options. As such,
they can be (and typically are) constructed around one or two marginal stars or
recycled veterans; it’s a game of just a little ventured, something gained. Brothers & Sisters, however, has a
cast that makes you sit up and take notice, something confirmed by the recent Emmy victory
of two-time Oscar winner Sally Field (Best Actress for 1979’s Norman Rae and 1984’s Places in the Heart), something
obviously surprising and warmly received, no matter how censored her acceptance
speech was.
 is a sounding-board political pundit who’s<br />
always been daddy’s little girl and a bit standoffish with her mother, while<br />
Sarah (<st1:City><st1:place>Griffiths</st1:place></st1:City>) tries to juggle motherhood<br />
with managing the struggling family business. On the boys’ side, the loyal son<br />
and logical heir to the <st1:City><st1:place>Walker</st1:place></st1:City> firm<br />
is Tommy (Balthazar Getty). Kevin (Matthew Rhys) is a gay lawyer struggling to<br />
find love, while Justin (Dave Annable), a veteran of the war in <st1:country-region><st1:place>Afghanistan</st1:place></st1:country-region>,<br />
grapples with drug addiction and an impending return to active duty. <i style=)
Alias’ Rifkin does a turn as Nora’s
brother Saul, second in command of the
family business, while erstwhile West
Winger and Democratic National Convention enthusiast Lowe plays Kitty’s
boyfriend, Senator Robert McAllister.
Produced by Ken Olin (the thirtysomething actor turned TV multi-hyphenate), Greg Berlanti (Everwood, Dawson’s Creek) and Jon Robin Baitz (a writer on The West Wing and Alias), the show’s strength lies in its blend of business, personal
and political intrigue, and well-crafted interplay. While the characters
themselves are not necessarily strikingly original, all of the members of the
stellar cast breathe fresh life into their subjects, and Brothers & Sisters’ mealtime scenes are a delight — albeit
sometimes a wince-inducing one, full as they are of shrewd detail. There’s also
a lot of room for both growth and conflict, as evidenced by shifting alliances
and leaked secrets, big and small. The show’s smart direction, meanwhile, is
evident in the manner in which previous crutches of some of the featured actors
— Getty’s squinty posing, say, or Flockhart’s wide-eyed, parakeet mania — are
either tamped down or used for effect, commented upon by their screen siblings.
Spread out over six discs and housed in a sturdy cardboard
slipcase, Brothers & Sisters is
presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio, with a Dolby digital 5.1 surround sound audio
track. Alongside all the outstanding episodes from the show’s first season is a
special, bonus un-aired episode, intended to be the first full-fledged episode
after the pilot. Other revealing supplemental features include a half-hour, general
making-of featurette which leaves no
family stone unturned and a special, six-minute behind-the-scenes segment on
the cast members comprising first half of the series’ title, tagging along with
Getty, Annable and Rhys. A brief segment entitled “Family Business,” meanwhile,
introduces fans to Olin’s family, the real family story behind the show’s
success. Rounding things out are two-and-a-half-minute blooper reel, a small
clutch of deleted scenes and audio commentaries on four episodes from the
aforementioned producers and other behind-the-scenes creative folks, making for
a superlative package. B+ (Series) A- (Disc)