Burning Question (mini edition): "What Happened to My TiVo?!"

Anyone else reading the comments generated by last Sunday's episode?  It's like the blog version of "Crossfire!"  But rather than weigh in and push my own Mexorean agenda, I'll just say this: I'm honored to work for a show that evokes an emotional response in its audience... that promotes intelligent debate... that actually has the guts to say something... and that makes people care to the point that they've come here to say something back.  Isn't that what good television is supposed to do?  Whether you love or hate the show, at least you're here with an opinion, good or bad... but boy do we love the good ones.

Gladys and I are trying our best to write up an edition of Burning Questions for tomorrow, but in the meantime let’s address the #1 question on everyone's mind...

What happened to my Tivo?  Why didn't it tape last week's episode?!?

The short answer is that, up until Sunday, Tivo mistakenly classified "Mistakes Were Made, Pt. 2" as a repeat.  Unless you had the option to record repeats selected under your Brothers & Sisters season pass, Tivo didn't record it.

The long answer as to why this happened...  well, it starts about three weeks ago.  When the two-part "Mistakes Were Made" was first written, it actually existed as two separate scripts, the first entitled "Glass Jumps" and the second "Mistakes Were Made."  Upon entering the revision process, however, we realized that the two episodes were very much part of the same whole and decided to reflect that in the title.  Since "Mistakes Were Made" was the most thematically appropriate name, we went with it.

Creatively, it was a great idea.  Practically, a little less so.  Since the original titles had been in circulation for about three weeks by this time, changing them caused a bit of confusion.  Media publications thought we were scrapping "Glass Jumps," bumping up the original "Mistakes Were Made" to take its place, and then running a repeat of "Mistakes Were Made" the following Sunday.  By the time we realized the error, it left very little time to make the necessary changes, thus resulting in the "Great Brothers & Sisters Tivo Snafu of 2006." (That's one of the oddities of TV – for as fast as the industry operates on a day-to-day basis, certain other processes can take *forever.*)

Sorry to everyone who missed the episode.  We're doing our best to find out additional viewing options (re-air date, website upload, etc).  The second we find out anything we'll be sure to let you know.  We'll also try our best to, you know, not change any more titles in the future.

See you tomorrow,
Oscar

The Section Formerly Known As Tidbits
Dave the PA is famous! A quote from his blog (in case you missed it, here) appeared on page 9 in the latest issue of TV Guide (with McSteamy and Addison on the cover). He was the talk of the office... and then he had to buy groceries... 

Sparky is still a bit sore from her ice-induced slip'n'slide in the kitchen...  Cliff and I bet on the USC/Cal game, which he lost, resulting in him being unable to smoke for twenty-four horrifically irritable hours...  Since he's been on set, everyone thinks Peter looks like a director... And we're all really looking forward to the Thanksgiving Holiday. We need the break.   Episode Update:  112 shooting, 113 prepping, 114 writing.

Comments

[KerriF]

I came to this site trying to figure out why B & S is not on tonight, and I cannot for the life of me understand the fuss. Everyone realizes this is a T.V. show correct? People are actually going nuts because a conservative character disagreed with the war?, and two gay guys kissed? If you don't like the show don't watch, but there are millions of people like me who love it. I find it refreshing that there is finally a television program that discusses issues pertinent to the world as we know it, and shows both viewpoints, including the unpopular ones. I have to say, you conservatives are awfully angry people, funny how the people who stand for moral values, and family, and God, and all things good and right, condone the killing of people, hatred and bias of people whom are different, lying, stealing, attacking others character, wishing deadly viruses on people, tsk, tsk.etc.etc. Find another show to watch, and go away.

[David]

I love this show, I don't think I have ever been so addicted to a show like this one.. In fact I am upset that tonight it is not on. Instead a stupid show like Boston Legal is on.. grrrr is Brothers and Sisters on myspace..

Have I mentioned how much I love this show, and Sally Field is just amazing..

[Scott Dwyer, New York, NY]

Love your show. Television has me 4 hours a week and this is one of them. I’m actually on your site because I was trying to find out why there wasn’t a new episode on tonight! While I’m here - two comments. First, I think Ms. Flockhart's character is getting a little soft. I was hoping she would be able to, at most, placate right-wingers and at least, help stir up some dynamic debates. Please keep her believable as a "conflicted conservative", but ground her on one side - the series needs it. Second, finally, we have a respectable gay male character on prime time tv. Hallelujah! Mr. Rhys' character is smart, sexy, and just vulnerable enough. Please don’t turn him into a Will Truman! I hope your series is allowed to develop, unlike my last season’s favorite of a similar title, Sons & Daughters!

[Sharon]

I love this show and think it has a lot more than political views to offer. It reminds me of family values and thinking for yourself. If this show at least makes people start talking then I say why stop it! I love that there is a show that makes me think and is intelligent. If you don't agree with some of the issues and topics, then you are going to have a hard time getting through real life, because times are changing and not everyone will agree on everything. There will always be opposition to homosexuality but guess what, just because you don't like it, doesn't mean it is going away. I LOVE this show and hope it stays as fresh, funny, and wonderful as it is now! Kudos to the writers. I am an aspiring producer and I would be blessed if one day i could be involved with a show such as this one!

[Another fan of the show]

Another kudos from a new fan of your show! "Mistakes Were Made" 1 & 2 were great and Kitty's scenes truly reflect my views... from the fear after 9/11 to the uncertainity of whether the war in Iraq is justified or should continue. You've pulled me in after these two episodes and I look forward the next new one. It's not as black and white as "if you don't support us, you're against us." Thank you for laying the foundation for what I hope is Kitty coming more middle ground... not liberal, not republican but where I think many Americans' hearts lie.

[Heather]

Hi there,

Thanks for the EXCELLENT writing! This show is my favorite (well, next to Greys Anatomy..sorry:).

I think what I love the most is that I go to my moms every Sunday evening and we are able to watch B&S together. We can both relate to this show on very different levels. That's wonderful. Most shows aren't like that anymore. We used to be huge fans of Judging Amy...for the exact reason we are huge fans of B&S. While most shows seem to be really catering to the 'younger' demographic...I appreciate you catering to 'families'.

Now...my only worry is...why are we in reruns already? You are not being 'canceled' are you? My guess is that you are going into 'December reruns' because of Christmas. However, the last time this happened with one of my favorite shows....it never came back. I certainly hope that is not the case this time. I really love this show:)

Keep up the good work! Thanks for the smiles and tears on Sundays!!!

[Take Two]

Will: I am glad you are so happy about Brothers & Sisters being ABC's #1 new show... However its lead-in is the #4 show on TV, Desperate Housewives. It loses over one-third of Desperate Housewives' audience. Is that good? Good enough for arrogance? I can tell you the top rated shows that have been cancelled because too much of the lead-in audience rejects the show. All we (conservatives) are saying is if you are going to do a show where a major promotional hook (and most compelling) is the impact of politics on family relationships, then be true to the majority of those ideologies' beliefs, or RISK LOSING VIEWERS. If the writers don't care about losing viewers, then they shouldn't care about what we (conservatives) are saying... and neither should you. But your show may be off the air sooner than you'd like. That's all. And I wouldn't mind. :-)

[ilovemylife]

I really appreciate the opportunity to read the thoughtful writing of the human beings, who blog - here. With no intention to leave out anyone, I especially loved the heart and soul of JackW, KerriF and "Brothers and Sisters is a Great Show – Please don’t cancel it!!!" And thank you, Will, for the "Neilsen’s Ratings Report". Finally something I love that I’m not unique on loving. Sometimes I fear I jinx things that I like.

And now for Karrie, who thinks the name “Tidbits sucks”, I offer some ideas, here.
What do you think?

"Tidbits" Alternate Names:

I see again
the name "Tidbits"

Not the choice
where we sits

So maybe from these picks

You will find
a winning fix.

Chew on these:

String-Alongs
Just Desserts
Nuggets
Juicy Fruits
Little Treasures
Cherry Pickin's
Berry Pickin's
Free Stuff
One-Liners
What’s Cookin’
Loose Change
Best Fruits
Treasure Box
Bullets
Quackers
Small Change
Fun Stuff
Walker Square
What’s Up
Pocket Change
B&S Coffee Grounds
The Piggy Bank
Tchotchkes
Bag of Goodies
Jelly Beans
Back Pocket
Jewels
Rough Cut
This Week’s Takes
Howdy Duties
Loose Strings
Left Overs
What’s In the Bag
In the Rough
Small Bites
The Five and Dime
In A Minute
File It
Back Door
Ojai Fruit
Remote Stuff
Sugar Drops
Little Gems
William’s Follies
Walkers’ Follies
EyesandEars
Easy Stuff
Fun Bits
Cup Of Gold
Loose Ends
Threads
Bare Bones
The Skinny
Clean Dirt
The Small Stuff
Little Bits
Pennies from Heaven
The Weekly Gig
Small Dish
WalkerWeb
Bro & Sis Gift Shop
Our Window Into B&S
Here, There, Almost Nowhere
Fat Slim Stuff
The Over Easy
Flies A-Buzzin’
Straggles

Thanks for the fun.

BROTHERS AND SISTERS rocks!

Say it isn’t so,
"Light the Lights"
is two weeks away.

[Brandi]

I missed the show too last night and would really love to watch it. Can it please be uploaded on the website!!!!

[Adrianna]

The show should of kept Warren on. The actor playing him and Calista had great chemistry and he was a great catch for a Conservative gal.

The whole talk show is something not working on the show and the actor playing the liberal co-host does not have great chemistry with Calista. TPTB rushed the two but that was portraying a Conservative in another bad light so it doesn't suprise me.

Bring Warren back!

[will]

A shout-out to Jack W.! Enjoyed your step-by-step deconstruction of Adrianna's florid style of hit-and-run posting. She's pleasured us for the better part of 2 weeks with her "musings". RIGHT ON DUDE! She's obsessed with predicting that Brothers and Sisters will "tank like Studio 60 has". She always portrays herself as a BETRAYED, SIMPLY AMAZED, FORMER VIEWER. I'm suspecting some of these posts are the same blogger, creating hyped outrage. OH! Here's an Adrianna gem: "This is some liberal, limousine, climbing a tree hippie, druggie, abortion and sex craved idea of entertainment" (Adrianna, Nov. 20 post). Savor that style! Everything in her encyclopoedia of evil liberalism is thrown into one steaming, bubbling calderon! I think she meant "limousine-liberal", a catch-phrase she's heard in her circles, you'd think she'd get it right. "Climbing a tree hippie"? I think she means "tree-hugging hippie". Greenpeace? Never mentioned on B&S. Probably was just a jab at the writers...Thanks for shining a light on her tortured posting. She needed to be outed . "Liberals keep on spinning!" she posts, like a mad Bill O"Reilly coming down from a bad psychedelic mushroom trip.

[Mark]

The show has been picked up for a FULL SEASON.

The next new episode airs Dec. 10.

Get use to the repeats because all shows have done at least 1 repeat at this point and will do more.

Brothers & Sisters has better ratings then Ugly Betty. It wins it's demographic. Don't worry about the show just yet.

[infurnari]

It's a little disturbing all the hoopla about this show. My girlfriend and I started watching it with high hopes but were sorely disappointed. We both enjoyed Six Feet Under which also used the death of the father as a starting point but Brothers and Sisters shares nothing of the merits of that show. It seems the writers don't know how to really develop an emotional progression out of the circumstances that each of the characters finds themselves in. The show already had a stacked deck of characters to cover absolutely every hot button issue: politics, war, drug abuse, infidelity, homosexuality, financial crises, marital troubles, etc etc. You would think that with all of that going on, the writers would be able to develop a season but so much has happened since it seems like they don't believe in the power of the human emotions raised by all of the events set in motion in episode 1 to sustain an audiences interest over a season. Instead we get new tragedies and contrived situations every week! Ultimately everything becomes trivialized by not being dealt with in a mature and sophisticated way. For example, the little daughter being diagnosed with type I diabetes.. Since there is no cure, this is a disease that character will have her entire life of insulin injections, blood tests, complications etc. but it seemed to be strictly a device to give the troubled, drug addicted, unemployed veteran uncle a tender moment at dinner. Not since then have we had a single moment of the mother or father coping with or addressing the ramifications of their daughter's unfortunate diagnosis. What's next for that family? When the writer's are staring down 20 seconds of quiet time are they going to give the little brother AIDS? C'mon guys, at some point this strategy of always throwing in new circumstances is going to backfire and all of your characters troubles will become fodder for a wonderful black comedy. I've already had a belly laugh at the most recent overdose. It's getting ridiculous.

[will]

Take Two: I get so frustrated with you nay-sayers. These are the facts: B&S is the BEST VIEWED NEW series on ABC roster...that's all. Gloom and doom and prognosticate and spin your magic 8-ball all you want. I only stated a fact. Your response tells me more about where your head's at, than viability of another B&S season (don't mean to get all Freudian on you!). If you're on the ABC board of directors, you're not going to cancel your highest-rated new show, in a season with lots of ABC first-season shows, no matter how much lead-in audience is lost. Just plain economic bottom line... And we all know this show has charm in spades and can build up viewership. Not all shows are top audience faves out of the starting gates. ALSO: If you loved this show as most of us do, you could easily see this as the glass being half-full.

[interestedinohio]

I LOVE THIS SHOW!!!
I am a great fan of Desperate Housewives, but I am liking this show even better. Sally Fields plays this role so great. I would hate to see this show end. Keep up the good work.

[m4mluvlife]

Responding to infurnari | Posted November 27, 2006 at 12:30 PM

You make some very EXCELLENT Points... Hopefully the writers will be careful not to overwhelm us with too many "new circumstances" BECAUSE, I for one have stopped watching LOST after being an avid, loyal viewer for 2 seasons--including taping and saving and re-watching many episodes more than twice... I am still taping LOST... but after the 1st episode this season, I stopped watching because it had gone so far out there that it was not entertaining, but dizzying, and seemed like the writers must all have ADD or be on Crack or something... because it was like a drug hallucination.

So, I agree, IF BROTHERS & SISTERS follow the path of LOST, they will lose me and BROTHERS & SISTERS will be LOST.

HOWEVER, I want to make a VERY BIG Distinction Between BROTHERS & SISTERS and your reference to Six Feet Under--which I had to stop watching because I could not afford HBO.
That is the basis of the major distinction between these two similar yet, VERY, VERY different shows--Six Feet was on a Premium Pay Cable channel and BROTHERS & SISTERS is on a MAJOR network, free BROADCAST channel... its available audience is much larger and is accessible to everyone regardless of ability or desire to pay for a Premium cable channel.

Another difference is that Six Feet Under seemed more like a comedy/drama that shocked and entertained with the hugely bizarre and at the time very new theme of centering around a Funeral home/DEATH (now we have all the CSI's that do this).

BROTHERS & SISTERS is SERIOUS DRAMA that also has comic relief and entertains using intrigue, shock value, and controversial subjects--however, BROTHERS & SISTERS does this like not many shows do--and often when they do--they are canceled, Like THE BOOK OF DANIEL, ONCE & AGAIN, and other intellectual dramas. This show is built with a dynamic all-star cast mixed with a nice blend of superb Veteran and relatively new actors/actresses. The relationships between all of the characters is real, endearing and requires the viewer to actually bond with the Family to fully appreciate the show.

Keep up the GREAT job Writers, Actors, Crew and ABC... This show's biggest theme--BALANCE / MODERATION-- should be your guide in keeping this show moving forward... Teaching LIFE Lessons in an entertaining way must be very much like life itself... a multitude of colors and views and not just black & white or left or right... but that the TRUTH I get from BROTHERS & SISTERS and Life is that there is seldom one way, or one truth or one solution--but many--and all of us are trying to figure it out as best we can... Life is not about Absolutes... Thus, TV should continue to reflect this... it is good to experience multiple views of the same subject/issue.

Thank you.
Blessings of love, joy, peace & health,
Jerry
Irvine, CA

[LPM]

I found the 2/19 airing of BROTHERS AND SISTERS to be a flagrant in-your-face gay agenda. There are many of us out here that are very tolerant of the homosexual lifestyle but we do not want to see it flaunted as it was in this episode with the men kissing as they did so I will do (and many like myself) as someone else has already suggested - I will no longer tune in for BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

[Joeac]

Good work!

[Joeko]

Very good site. Thank you.

[JohnDo]

Nice site! Keep up the good work!

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