In Case You Missed It...

In case you didn't get to see Robbie and Craig's masterful episode, "Affairs of State" -- you know, the one with the pool party -- ABC is running a special encore presentation this Sunday, same bat time, same bat channel. 

In this episode, Nora comes face to face with Holly for the first time, Kitty tap dances around her love triangle, and massive hilarity and conflict ensue at a Walker-fabulous pool party.  If you saw it, you know it's great.  If not, here's your chance to catch up.

Also, Oscar and Gladys apologize for the missing "Burning Questions" segment promised last week.  It's been a little busy.

Loose Change:
Robbie called Dave the PA "obstreperous," leading to a physical confrontation...  Our co-executive producer, Molly Newman, thinking that Cliff and Pete's episode, "Light the Lights" was debuting this Sunday, baked two cherry pies for our virgin TV writers.  It wasn't until after we had decimated her tasty home-baked pies that we realized their episode was still a week away... In honor of USC/UCLA rivalry week, USC grad Oscar has a stuffed Bruin hanging from his door by a noose... And finally, most of the people on set participated in the "Secret Satan Gift Exchange," a version of Secret Santa where the only gift you can give is a Rock & Roll t-shirt, to be worn on the day before we go on hiatus.

Rock on,
Dan & Oscar

Comments

[Ronni]

yay Oscar! "You're a Bruin for 4 years, but you're a Trojan for life!"

it's really too bad we lost the game.. devastating, BUT keep the Trojan spirit alive! we're going to the Rose Bowl!

[will]

Bravo, Scott!! This "Will Not"'s entire purpose on this blog is to rain on everybody's parade. WILL NOT: DO NOT blame Kitty Walker for her change of heart. She is EMBLEMATIC of mainstream conservative "belief system" regarding Iraq. My advice: Take a look in the mirror. What is being reflected? Your thoughts have sounded in the past like regurgitated, reconstituted, re-vamped Republican talking points. Is this really the best "dialogue" you can throw into the mix whether on this blog or in life? Take a cold, hard look in the mirror. You have more to offer, I believe, than warmed-over "points" - and we certainly expect more from Kitty.

[NOT Will]

So was Desperate Housewives, a repeat. So there!

[NOT Will]

You guys are SO wrong about me and my motivations. I love this show or I wouldn't be "wasting" my time trying to let the writer's understand how important it is NOT to alienate a very important part of the audience. It doesn't have to become a conservative soapbox, but it WILL turn off viewers if it becomes a liberal one. I understand that hearing people you have come to care about espouse a liberal POV feels really good. Why then don't you understand that the opposite of that (hearing a conservative that you have come to love espouse the liberal POV) feels really bad. People don't watch TV that makes them feel bad.

Scott and Will: You think it is heroic to kiss the @ss of some writer with how great they are? You think that helps them? It certainly doesn't if you are giving them a false sense of hope that they aren't turning viewers off.

Keeping only 63% of the viewership of a show that repeats poorly itself (DH) is not what the ABC network is looking for.

Please Please Please writers, continue to write messages of "love." Of "peace." Of "hope." Surprise! but conservatives also have those values. They really do.

Just don't turn conservatives off by making the only truly conservative character have to espouse liberal belifs in order for her to be considered compassionate.

And shame on you Will and Scott for assuming that my motivations were one of hate. They are one of love, and hope... that B&S will be true to all viewers and thereby become a hit for a long time to come. I can rattle off the liberal based shows that have come and gone quickly: Commander in Chief, Studio 60 is suffering from this, West Wing. Politics are divisive. It takes a steady and balanced hand to keep it from being so.

And if you think the executives of ABC look at this board at all when deciding whether to renew or cancel a show... well... they don't. Sorry.

-- Love you all. From a true conservative and true compassion-ate. Not a wolf in sheep's clothing.

[NOT Will]

Will: Of course you expect more from Kitty, that's kind of my point. It makes you feel good.

Isn't there enough of that point of view though on the show that will make you feel good... but still enough left for me so that I can also feel good? Or are you the only one that matters? Can't I have a point of entrance into this show? Or are you more concerned about your agenda than B&S? And if that is the case, maybe it really isn't the show you like... you like what it politically stands for.

And if you "liking" of the show is based smack dab in its politics, then you surely can understand where I am coming from. After all, you do own "compassion."

Lighten up now... and read this email with levity. It is all fun and games. It is a TV show and while I am sure the writers are enjoy are insanely stupid banter... and perhaps are excited by the attempts at intellectual pursuit... they too recognize B&S is a television show with fictional characters that they carve with a little bit more complexity each week in order to get a paycheck. Kind of fun, isn't it. Television.

[Scott]

NOT will,

Here's a thought. Perhaps the writers are of the position, like many Americans, that issues of military necessity transcend strict party affiliation. The Iraq war has raised a number of moral & ethical issues which, in turn, has led an increasing number of Republicans to come out against it. Something of this magnitude--where people's lives are at stake-- shouldn't be reduced to a partisan debate.

As for B&S's ratings, unlike you, I don't pretend to "know" what ABC execs are looking for. But the fact that B&S has been doing especially well in the 18-49 demo (again, it drew the highest numbers of all ABC's new series in November Sweeps) and has been building an audience certainly would seem to count for something.

[will]

NOT WILL: I have never kissed the *ss of any writer at B&S. You're projecting bad thoughts onto me. And Scott sounds too thoughtful & articulate for that accusation (perhaps you think I'm kissing Scott's *ss now). The reason I get uptight with your rebuttals is: What position could Kitty possibly take at this point other than her last stance? Having her articulate a "stay the course", fight for an undemocratic Iraq, or whatever the current line is, may draw YOU in as a viewer, but not necessarily others. Kitty's not your kind of conservative, that's all - she's pro-gay-rights, pro-gay marriage (I suspect), pro-life (you may find common ground here), & probably not part of the anti-science crowd ("intelligent design" over evolution, anti-stem cell, the "keep Terri Schiavo alive at any cost!" people). "Conservative" is a very loose adjective & describes a differing variety of folks, including aspects of democrats. What conservative "thing" or value did you want the writers to include? If she's lost faith in the Iraqi mission at this point, that's a perfectly reasonable,logical, almost honorable (from her point of view) position. She's no psychic, but she can read the tea-leaves. Describe for the writers, please, a "point of entrance" to get you back into the show...I'm not goofing on you, I promise...How could Kitty salvage her reputation with you?

[will]

And last thing - I actually liked your first long blog, "Not Will" (can you please give a real name? blogging to a slogan is ridiculous!) But you're human!! Who'd have thunk it? "West Wing" is not a victim of liberal bias! It had a long run, the ratings dived, people got tired of it and moved on. I stopped watching the damn thing, and I'm as liberal as they come (socially anyway). Stop linking these shows to a conservative-only conspiracy to tune out. Otherwise, we can say it in reverse: "Little House on the Prairie" ended & failed because...it lacked diversity! Yeah, that's right. No blacks or latinos or gays or pacific-islanders were fairly represented! You get the idea....

[NOT Will]

Will,

You make me laugh.

BTW, I know what it means to be forced to "live in a closet." I am a closeted Republican who works in the television industry.

And I love my lesbian sister, and my gay uncle... and many of my gay co-horts (one of whom is only closeted because he is a Republican, the gay thing isn't a problem)... but I don't have to prove anything to you, do I really?

[NOT Will]

Scott,

Absolutely, the growth definitely counts for something. It is very exciting. However, wouldn't it be sad to see the ratings start to drop just so Kitty could get her shot in against the Conservative establishment?

Just a thought.

[Carrie]

I just heard that Jason Lewis from "Sex and the City" is joining the cast as a guest star. Nice job on the casting once again. The casting directors sure know how to please us women.

[will]

LOVE you, "Not Will" (name please!) I will make a short confession and end it for tonight: Not to harp on the gay thing, but sometimes I feel almost attacked when I turn on the news...a hick town in Tennessee decides to "ban" homosexuals from living there...or state after state "bans" gays from having a simple civil union...or conservative group protests LOGO, a gay cable station put out by MTV...or state after state puts referendum on ballot to "ban" gays from adopting kids, or becoming schoolteachers. I mean, it's so HEAVY. And I'm just an easy-going fairly happy guy. Please forgive me for automatically assuming the worst when a conservative shows up at my doorstep. I jump to conclusions. It's like acid-reflex.

[NOT Will]

I almost changed my name to "Acid-Reflux." :-)

Each of your examples above are shameful. It saddens me too that some people are so afraid of their own shadow that they can't even find their own heart.

My conservative values are grounded in my religious beliefs, my understanding of economics and my belief in how people develop their own sense of self and self-respect. But my God is a loving God... something that the people behind what you stated above either do not have or fail to understand about their God. For them, I feel bad.

In the end, your heart will bring you much happiness. Theirs never will provide them with that.

Be strong. Know that there are many more like me than like them... and the world continues to open its eyes to love. With a gentle heart, you can help lead them there.

Unfortunately, there are some factions in the world that hate us for our compassion and understanding. They also hate us for our success. I don't know what to do about them except hope that they too will see the beauty of compassion and understanding.

Thanks for trying to understand me Will. I really do appreciate it. It hurts when someone calls you "evil" simply because you are conservative.

[NOT Will]

Will,
You asked "What position could Kitty possibly take at this point other than her last stance?" Maybe she could have done what many of us "conservatives" do when thinking about the situation in Iraq. Go into to her room... cry... cry that this is happening. Feel horrible about it. Then tell her brother how terribly frightened she is for him [or be stronger for his sake and tell him that he IS COMING BACK], but how terribly proud she is of him, his service and his sacrifice. How much she loves him. And that she will pray for his safe return. And that she won't sleep soundlyl until he is back where he should be. Then go out and tell her mom that she didn't choose this war. And that she isn't glad we are at war, or that Justin has to go and fight this crazy war. No conservative is glad. But that if we (the loosely formed coalition) show weakness, the terrorists will exploit that. It will embolden them. It will take all of their fear of long term consequences for "bad behavior" away. Kitty could remind her mom that terrorists attacked us on sunny fall day in NYC, and even before then. And that while Iraq did not attack us, American soldiers are over there trying to place a democracy (not a capitalist system) smack dab in the middle of this. And it IS keeping the terrorists busy so that they aren't planning actions here on our soil as they did before... twice. Or at our Embassies. Or at our military ships during a time of peace, simply fueling up. And that if we accomplish our goal of allowing Iraq to defend its own democracy, then maybe, just maybe, the terrorists will realize that attacking us isn't in their best interests. [Right or wrong, Saddam gave us the opening to go into Iraq when he violated the U.N. agreement.] Then hopefully her mom will hug her back. They will cry out of fear for Justin. Perhaps the mom will tell Kitty that she disagrees with the thought that we need be in Iraq, but understands where Kitty is coming from. That she loves Kitty with all her heart. But tells Kitty that she will continue to speak out against this horrible unjustified war. And Kitty can tell her mom that she will continue to hope that Bush was right and that in the long run, this will have been worth it.

What can Kitty do now to redeem herself in my eyes? I don't know because I am not sure I will be watching. Therefore, I will most likely miss any attempt at it. But Kitty should get her belief system back. At her age, and with her passion, she wouldn't have lost it. She isn't like most moderates. She is willing to go on a television show to represent and espouse with passion, the conservative philosophy. Why Kitty supported the war in the first place shouldn't have changed. Maybe her belief in the war itself could have. For instance, if Kitty had said... "I backed the war... I believed in the war... but the execution of this war has been horrible... it is now unwinnable... and because of that. I think we should leave unless we can figure out how to execute it...," I would have been okay with that. Some conservatives feel that way. But I have a problem when she completely gives up on her belief system. It told me that the writers had her do that because that is their POV and that is compassion to them. That's hurts. And I am really saddened by the fact that I can't believe in the long run value of this war, and still be "portrayed" as a compassionate person.

Hope that helps.

--Sorry I can't give out my name. I am closeted. :-)

[NOT Will]

Will,

The 4-1-1 on LOGO according to CNN Money:

Logo channel, expecting hostility, finds support instead:
When MTV Networks debuted its gay-themed Logo channel, company executives expected a backlash, but more than a year later, it hasn't happened. Instead, MTVN has secured distribution deals for Logo with every major cable operator; advertisers have overcome their initial fears; and the gay and lesbian community has flocked to the channel -- and has begun demanding more content.

[will]

Wow!! All the sudden a love-fest. What a difference 24 little hours makes. Thanks for the kind words. Everything you say in (recent) blogs makes perfect sense. If our current president had your gift for articulating a difficult message, he'd have much broader support & could sleep easier at night I'll bet. (and no, I'm not kissing your *ss either>) I truly believe this current "divisiveness" (red state-blue state) is a political construct that actually doesn't much exists. More people in this country are like you & I who although differ in philosophy on some points, can easily get along. I have my daily fix of Starbuck's (I'm a coffee junkie), am a huge Dodgers fan, I don't want a complicated life, not so different, really, from middle America, & I get a little rattled by the political slicing & dicing of us into "opposing" camps. Nothing worse than Americans actually becoming like the loudmouthed opposing "commentators" we see on cable news like "Hannity & Colmes" or "Bill O'Reilly" - forever shouting each other down (more WWW smackdown than civil discourse). But...you I get...and there aren't a whole lot more of you visibly, publicly making a case. Saw the Hamilton-Baker news conference this morning. I do believe leaving abruptly is a bad idea. The problem I had with comment of yours was your characterization of "terrorist" like it's a quantity we can "defeat". There are not a handful of evil-doers over there, it's not like we can kill X number of bad guys & get the job done. The anti-American terrorist attitude is a MINDSET over there, fostered in youth, taught in school & mosques. I do not believe for a second we can DEFEAT a pervasive attitude, which is mixed in with religious belief. A complete mess!! Same "democratic" mindset that goes to the polls and votes in terror groups like Hamas, Hezbollah & AL Qaeda. If Iraqis vote in Al Qaeda after all is said and done...what irony...

[Charlotte Melleno]

Bros and Sisters is good and I know it'll get better, but c'mon, it's got nothing on Six Feet Under when it comes to depth and the way people really are. These people are all too beautiful and although the flaws are showing up, theiy're still kinda ideal, if you get my drift. Not their behavior...that's not ideal...but their characterizations. Something's missing and I think it's because I watched Six Feet all the way through, that I know this. G-d, I miss Brenda and when I watch Sara (Rachel Griffiths) I think she must miss Brenda, too. Her character is too pat. Actually, the one I think is most real is Patricia Wettig's. I loved it when she said she refused to be invisible anymore. You can see that she's suffered. That's all for now.

[Cindy Smith]

I was extremely pleased to learn that ABC picked up "Brothers & Sisters" for a full season and hope it's around for awhile. I've grown tired of all the murder and mayhem network television offers up these days so it's nice to see a family drama for a change (however dysfunctional that family may be).

You've assembled an incredible cast for this series. Sally Field is wonderful and I've always enjoyed Calista Flockhart. But, I have to admit that the two characters who've grown on me the most are Justin and Kevin. Congratulations to Dave Annable and Matthew Rhys for creating characters we can care about! They've grabbed my attention and my heart.

I don't have a close relationship with anyone who is gay but I still find it refreshing that Kevin is not steriotypical. He's a very sympathetic character. I find myself hoping he's successful in his search for love--but please, don't make him too promiscuous.

And then there's Justin... this character will do more to get the 18-45 female demographic than anyone--a gorgeous, tortured soul. One part of me wants to mother him--another wants to make passionate love to him. Sorry--got off track there. Not to tell you how to do your jobs--just a suggestion--send him back to Iraq but bring him home a wounded war hero (his punishment and redemption). Plus, it would place some (more) serious guilt on Kitty's right-wing, Republican butt (Nora could have a "field day").

Sarah and Tommy--not so interesting right now. Hopefully, you can come up with some new dysfunctionality for Rachel Griffiths and Balthazar Getty to convey. It would certainly be a shame to waste their talents.

Obviously, I'm very enthusiastic about your show! In fact, I'd really love to catch some re-runs because I've missed 2 or 3 episodes. Perhaps ABC can be convinced to schedule a "mini marathon" so people who haven't been watching will have an opportunity to get hooked on "Brothers & Sisters".

It deserves a nice long run.

Thanks for a great show!

[Cindy Garcia, Toronto, Canada]

The episode last Sunday, Dec 10th was so moving and appropriate that I just couldn't help but be swept right into it, I ended up balling my eyes out.

What a terrific performance by Sally Field. She again had proven how worthy she is of all her Oscar awards. It is acting in its purest form. She truly gets into her character as the matriach of this family, regardless of how dysfunctional it is. Ditto with the rest of the cast members - each one of them completes the show.

Excellent story line. Carry on the great job all you people are doing for us tv viewers.

[Charlotte Grieselhuber]

I missed the episode December 10 of Brothers & Sisters -- my recorder failed or something. Is there anyway I can get a copy of that episode. I am crazy about all of the characters and the show.

[Jay Jay]

I've loved your show until last week...I'm seriously considering not watching any more; the bit with the mistress all of a sudden being a powerful business person (when she could perviously hardly get an acting job to support herself; hinting that she sold her body to the partriarch to support her lifestyle) was just a bit too unbelievable; and the fact that Sally Field's character would even consider a friendship in the future with this character is again, just too too much to comprehend. I'd like to see more about what kind of a person (the patriarch) would put his own desires and selfishness above the well-being of his family to do what he did to so many people (lie, cheat and sneak around; wreck his company and leave everyone else to pick up the pieces). For me, focusing so much of the show on the mistress person is a huge mistake; she isn't the least bit interesting except as a pathetic character that would subserve her life to someone else and knowingly be hurtful to others. I love the Sally Fields character; to even consider letting the mistress character overshadow Sally Fields is a big, big mistake!!

[me in idaho]

I agree with Jay Jay; the whole mistress thing as a powerful exec was hard to imagine--the person who plays this character is a real weak link. Surely you are not going to play this out as a real happening; I'm hopeful that the proposal fails in some realistic way so I can keep watching the show; to think that the family would ever do anything; even if it meant more money for the company; to support her ideas is impossible to imagine; and would turn me off from watching what before seemed like a realistic show. Should there be a reward, even in tv land, for someone who does something so harmful to so many innocent others? The whole "he loved two women" thing must have been written by a man!! Any woman would have known he only loved himself!!! Get some women on your writing team to straighten this all out or you will lose a lot of viewers.

[Syl Schem]

I will not continue to watch this trash. If abc continues to air this trash I will not watch abc network. I do not agree with tv teaching young people that men kissing men explicitly is a normal way of life.