Brothers & Sisters: Discussion Thread

[Sylph]

Yeah. Rob Lowe and Sally Field are show killers in this instance for me.

[MarkH]

Sally Field? Really?

She's basically the main reason I watch. There is not a single thing I do not admire about her portrayal of Nora.

[Sylph]

Yes, she is completely miscast. Simply awful.

Everytime I see her I can't stop thinking how she's best suited for misunderstood/neurotic female roles. Think her ER role as Abby's mother.

It's a huuuuuge problem for me. The matriarch role should have gone to someone else.

[JackPeyton]

i will admit to not caring when Nora is on.

SF was fantastic in the pilot. And that was it IMHO.

However, as annoying as Rebecca can be, anytime EVC is on the screen i care. She is very endearing.

[DRW50]

I agree with Sylph, in that Sally Field can bug the crap out of me when she's in drama. When she was on ER it was all LOOK AT ME I'M ACTING and I was just shaking my head.

I think she's done well on here, because the character is hyperdramatic by nature but mostly because this cast is too strong to let her lapse into bad habits. When you're working with Callista, Matthew Rhys, Rachel, Ron Rifkin, you have to be on your A game.

I do wonder how Betty Buckly would have been if they had kept her on, but then, the show might not have had the same ratings impact.

[MarkH]

For me, Sally's neuroticism is the character. I'm intrigued how she might be "miscast". Would we want someone more "matriarchal"? I like that Sally's Nora is as screwed up as her kids...and that she's growing right along with them.

Even wise uncle Saul has a lot of growing up to do. I cannot imagine Betty Buckley in the role. I am mostly familiar with her from Eight is Enough, where I remember her as "arch". I can't imagine her having the genuine warmth and emotion that I love in Fields' Nora.

[PAsoapfan]

http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/10/28/scoop-brothers-sisters-gets-a-new-boss/

Scoop: 'Brothers & Sisters' gets a new boss

by Michael Ausiello

Categories: Brothers & Sisters, News

Very interesting behind-the-scenes development over at Brothers & Sisters…

An ABC spokesperson is confirming that Monica Breen and Alison Schapker are out as showrunners and longtime B&S scribe David Marshall Grant is in.

The ABC rep adds that Breen and Schapker continue to serve as executive producers/writers on the show but are now “concentrating more on development.”

Note to self: Do some digging. Something about this smells a little fishy.

[DRW50]

I've heard people say that Breen and Schapker were both weak. Their tenure on the show definitely didn't impress me, mainly last season, which had a lot of problems. This season seems a little better, were they already on their way out?

If they came up with the Ryan story they deserve to go.

I really liked David Marshall Grant as a scriptwriter, I felt like he "got" the show. I hope he can handle this.

[Sylph]

This whole show just fell apart, desintegrated. The miscast Sally, the endless showrunner changes (Marty Noxon, Greg Berlanti, Mark B. Perry, Alison & Monica [ex-Charmed]...), too much politics, too much Rob Lowe... Grant & Baitz briefly dated according to Wikipedia:

[DRW50]

What else is Mark Perry from? I can't remember how long he was around?

The thing with this show is it was written off as doomed from the start, from pre-season. This just grew louder after Noxon was hurriedly replaced. I truly believe that the performances are the main reason the show survived those early months. The actors gave everything to the over the top material. I still sort of miss those early days, as it was at least juicy, and they didn't start dropping "names" in.

[Sylph]

Party of Five. One Tree Hill. He was the showrunner for 12 episodes before departing in the aftermath of the Writers' Strike.

Yes. It all kind of falls very flat, god knows what I'm expecting, but everytime it's all just... Mild... Neither hot nor cold. Just...

I know that the original pilot was posted on some website, but it's nowhere to be found now. It was quite different from what we saw on screen, as usual. Too bad no one leaks B&S scripts. I'd love to read them.

[sheilaforever]

I've been liking the current season so far.

Season 3 was very hit and miss with an interesting beginning which lasted 1 or 2 episodes before becoming very stand-alonish and boring and only picking up with the two parter and Tommy's departure.

As for the showrunner change: David Marshall Grant is by the most talented writer on staff. His script are always top-notch and each character/actor is nailed down. Breen & Schapker have always been writing sappy scripts so maybe they were at fault for the flatness of season3?

[MarkH]

ABC has transformed it into a companion piece for Desperate Housewives. Thus it lost all socio-political edge. Plus, since Baitz was the source of that "edge", there is no one who has filled that void.

Berlanti's name is still on the vanity card at the end...but has he totally left the building?

[DRW50]

I do miss the edge of the early episodes, and those wonderful fights between Nora and Kitty, but to be fair, I don't know how much mileage you could get out of, "You wanted us to invade Iraq!" "I know, and I was right!!" "No you weren't, look what you did to Justin!!!" Kitty was supposedly liberal on everything else, aside from guns. Kitty was a fantasy Republican, as I don't think any Republican with views she had on social issues would ever become a hugely popular pundit or host.

I miss Kitty's edge but I think they may have been better off slowly moving out of politics. I think the mistake was bringing Rob Lowe in as a senator and trasitioning further to the fantasy realm. If they were going to bring him in I wish they'd just had him in another profession. They could have had him as an anchorman, or a TV executive.

[Sylph]

Oh, politics killed this show. That is the whole problem - they focused on it too much instead on the interaction between the members of this family.