Save Dave II

Dave the PA stayed late to work on cover letters, in case "that bully from Broadway fires me over this stupid PCA crap."

8:43pm

10:53pm

1:11am

SAVE DAVE!!! Vote for Brothers & Sisters for Best New Drama Series at the People's Choice Awards!

Comments

[Malka]

I just wanted to make a comment about last night's show...the episode in which the family celebrates both Chanukah and Christmas. I really appreciated the representation of Chanukah on a prime time show as it is rarely shown if mentioned at all, and never have I heard it explained and discussed between characters as it was last night, going into (briefly) some of the history during the Hellenistic period. I also enjoyed listening to Ron Rifkin recite the brachot (blessings) over the candles. What I though was fascinating however, was that when he recited them he did not use the sacred names of God used in prayer but used the names of God (Hashem and Elokeinu) that are used during instruction so as not to take God's names in vain. I rarely see that on television or in the movies when Jewish life is being prtrayed. I am very curious to know if Hashem and Elokeinu were used because the writers wrote it that way or because Ron Rifkin preferred to use them.

Thank you again for portraying Chanukah in a fascinating and respectful manner!

[ilovemylife]

Dear Peter and Dear Cliff,

You did a great job with “Light the Lights”. The writing for Nora’s-competing-love-of-William, Holly Harper, was well-done and Patricia Wettig comes through with drama’s flying colors, in my opinion.

And I enjoy seeing a side of Saul that hadn’t been opened up before in the show in his “Miracle of the Oil” scene with the family all around (except for Julia Walker, I didn’t spot her in ANY scene, where was Julia?) Seeing Saul handle the difficult bridge of Jewish history and faith with an unknowledgeable child and her need-to-know -- is the first time that I feel a connection to Uncle and Brother Saul.

I love the scene of Sally’s delivery of Nora’s string-of-lines to Paige, including “we’re secular humanists, honey”. Sally’s acting is just too good one adjective. The way Paige, Sarah and Nora play this wonderful writing here was . . . what’s the word? . . ... It is better than eating a “Joy of Cooking” recipe.

I love the scenes with Justin and Kevin. Okay, okay. . . I know others may be tired of my repeating how much I adore Matthew Rhys’ acting and fleshing out of Kevin Walker, the honeysuckle of a man, but that’s the way it is in my mind. I love when Kevin came in all excited with “Where is everyone? I’ve GOT it . . ….” And particularly, the “I love you” Justin-to-Kevin scene in the backyard – I love THAT.

Peter, Cliff, BROTHERS AND SISTERS’ Mr. Baitz and all,
Don’t forget to remember
you can’t please everyone, all of the time.

Will, welcome to my family.

[Malka]

Answer for RA in NY about Song:

That song is called Oifn Pripetshik in Yiddish, in English it is called "At the hearth"

[Ellie]

I just wanted to comment on
last nites show. I think it
was great that Hanukkah was
such a part of it and I am
not Jewish. So many tv shows only consider Christmas themes for their
holidays shows and to me
that is not right. I love
Brothers & Sisters and have
wrote in before because it
is such a warm,compassionate show.
I hope it will be around
for a long time.
That was such a touching
scene between Sally Field
and Patricia Wettig. You
writers keep up the good
work.

[Carrie]

Great job on your first episode, you did fantastic. With some of Nora Walker's comments last night, it felt like she was reading my mind. It's scary how much we are alike. Also, kudos to the new storyline for Patricia Wettig. It will be intersting to see what happens with her as a shareholder in the Walker family business.

[Stevenscollege]

After reading the AfterElton blog I see openly gay actor John Benjamin Hickey played the army officer who wanted Justin to go back to war, I presume the officer wasnt gay. What about that Trevor? and Will im glad to see someone offering some love for Holly, what youve written is what I was thinking.

[Curt Collins]

So wait is the actor who plays scotty gay or straight, because i saw a picture of him and T.R. Knight in some mag? it said they were dating! I think its cool that kevin is straight playing a gay guy....whats wrong with it as a gay guy....i think it would really be acting for me to act straight-so it would be the same thing...it would be quite the stretch!

[mark]

I kind of felt like this was the worst episode of the season guys, sorry.

Loved the stuff with Patricia Wettig. She nailed it. The MVP, by far.

And good job getting the money issues resolved.

But the stuff with Paige - too precious, too maudlin, badly written. And that young actress - she needs an acting coach. Way too much time spent on her.

What happened to Kitty? She wasn't even in the room when Saul spoke. What happened to her was pretty big, but it was treated like it was an after thought.

The dialogue had many weak spots and the stuff with Justin was entirely too predictable (though Dave Annabelle made it work).

[brian]

great show last night it was truly good congratulations pete and cliff

[marc]

Casting idea (one you guys have probably already thought of): How about Victor Garber reuniting with his Alias cast and crew. he could play either the father of Julia or Joe and start a romance with Nora. Or anything else you wonderful writers come up with. Just to see him on this show would be great!

[Maxine]

I truly love this show, but I found last night's episode to be one of the weakest I've seen.

The main storyline which didn't sit well will me was the whole story surrounding Sarah's daughter, Paige. Way too cotton candy. I almost got a toothache listerning to some of those lines. I agree with you Will, posted December 11, 2006 at 12:49 AM...that certain cheesy dialogue, especially from minors doesn't belong on Brothers & Sisters. This is supppose to be a serious drama. And there was so much focus on Paige which brought the whole episode down.

The military trial was ok. In a way, I wished the results were more brutal from the army, with them instructing Justin to report back immediately and not in six months. Let's get some real fire in this show. Way to many positive outcomes.

The best part of last night's ep was when Sally Fields and Patrica Wettig shared the screen. Patrica Wettig put in a fine and convincing performance of the tough as nails, not going to give an inch, Holly.

Oh, and i'll continue to say it...I miss Scotty. Again, Rhys and MacFarlane make an awsome pairing. I've got my fingers and toes crossed Scotty shall return in the future. Luke MacFarlne brings something special to this show.

The ratings were off some last night, but considering Brothers & Sisters didn't have the enormous lead in from Desperate Housewives, and origional eps have been missing in action these last couple of weeks, and it's a blip on the promotional scale from ABC, I think it did pretty well. Let's hope the numbers start to really grow come January. Which I think they will.

[MARYCRUZ]

The other woman always has the upper hand she's getting on my nerves please do something i mean sleeping with someones husband for 20 years shuold have some kind of reaction in the universe right!

[MICHELLE]

As the mother of a child with diabetes, I thought the dialog and treatment of diabetes was perfect and not too precious or maudlin. My son grapples with why he got diabetes. And Sarah's answer to Paige's statement that she had faith that she would be cured? Her answer that Paige won't be cured, but that it will get easier? That was right on! The shots that just occur as people talk and do other things? Perfect. I love that story line. And I love how Paige grappled with who God listens to, the Jews or Christians? And Saul's telling Paige about how the oil lasted? I cried the whole show. . . .

Michelle

[Will NOT]

Will,

Thought you might find this "interesting"... and perhaps a little bit insightful as to my earlier postings. CBS News Poll released today: Question "Looking back, do you think the United States did the right thing in taking military action against Iraq, or should the US have stayed out?" Democrats: 17% say we did the right thing. Republicans: 74% say we did the right thing. Living in Los Angeles leads one to have a myopic view of the varied beliefs across America. Brothers & Sisters ratings were down last night... yes, with a weaker lead-in. But the retention stayed below desired levels. I hope the tune-out wasn't a disenfranchised audience segment but instead people who forgot the show was on. Not for my sake, but for yours. I know how much you like the show.

[Adrianna]

The show should bring back the actor who played Warren. Him and Calista had great chemistry and his character was a great fit for a Conservative lady.

[Stevenscollege]

I notice here and at other message boards relentless hate for Holly, she didnt do this herself, what about the father? Surely he`s worse than Holly, he was married with children but somehow Holly`s worse!! I cant wait for Jan. mostly because with Rob Lowe coming back Kitty should get a storyline I might be interested in and please writers flseh out Justin and give him more time he is potentially the most interesting character and he`s nice to look at.

[will]

Will Not: You know - after the healing (oh God, I'm turning into a weepy bucket of slop) blogging we did last week I'm not going to rush & get on the attack/defensive. I let my emotions & passions get way too much airplay. BUT, in most polls now, between 65-71% of nation-wide respondents say enough. Huge change of course needed, withdraw to sidelines, get out completely & deal with the chips later where they fall, whatever. Can't believe if given the chance to go back & re-do, we'd re-invade. Also, the show's ratings, I'm in it for the long haul. I love Kevin & Justin & Norah as much or more than any others on the tube. Maybe it's not as polished as "Grey's", yeah, but I find the potential here largely untapped. Glad you haven't absconded from the site. I thought about you twice over the weekend. I just want to see Kevin get a chance at happiness. I put on a hard exterior, but...you know...one scene of Kevin playing at love & happiness & commitment...well, you know. I see the world as a beautiful thing again.

[Trevor]

Stevenscollege, the show never said what sexuality John Hickey's character was.

I stand by what I said: "Irony, very funny. I agree with you that an actor doesn't need to be a drug addict to play a drug addict. Or be sterile to play a character that is sterile. And IDEALLY I would say the same thing with gay, straight, bisexual, asexual and transsexual characters. Unfortunately, that's not what happens. Instead there is stunt casting where straight actors play gay characters solely on the basis of gaining recognition, critical acclaim and creating buzz. There is no looking for the best actor irregardless of sexuality. It’s a hunt to see which straight actor will take a turn playing gay. And you can bet your life that it’s not the other way around."

[Will NOT]

Thought about you too... And we don't disagree, 62% of Americans think it was a mistake to send troops into Iraq, but that number shrinks to 26% with Republicans. So we are both right. :-) Again, hate the war myself. Want it over too. On that we also agree.

I am glad you found someone to root for in Kevin. He's a passionate guy who is learning to embrace his feelings. Fun to watch. I root for Meredith and McDreamy on Grey's Anatomy! :-)

[TV Fan]

Trevor,

Of course they actively seek gay actors to portray straight men. Not because they are gay, but because they are the best one for the role. Should I go through the list? Or can we just let actors be actors instead of sexualities?

[will]

I saw some lame original movie on A&E last night (to my gay brothers & sisters). John Stamos plays a gay wedding planner (something called "Wedding Wars") - who plans his straight brothers wedding (played by eye-candy McSteamy from "Grey's"). I was FULLY prepared to dislike John Stamos, a big-name TV star taking on a gay role, and....I couldn't! John Stamos is fabulous (only small "f"!). Even sweet & charming. The movie itself is stupid....and goes from dumb to dumber as it reaches a conclusion. But I have no rancor or bad vibes for John. He evoked a committed gay man with a passion (for me anyway). I'm not recommending watching this thing, the entire script's a nightmare & reminds me of low-grade sausage: by-products that should be thrown out are brought together and served up for ungodly consumption. But I remembered the Trevor comments from this weekend. And Stamos didn't appear to be pulling any kind of stunt. He wasn't "playing gay" in that conscious way to generate buzz, but actually reminded me of a living, breathing INDIVIDUAL gay guy. And he's not shy to touch & kiss.

Maxine & Stevenscollege guy & others: I'm glad we all love the show, but can temper remarks when writing is weak, etc. Maxine, in particular, I found your thoughts insightful & not just because they matched up with my own. Nothing worse than bloggers who function only as a pom-pom brigade, cheering from the posts. We love the show so much & want success & fulfillment of potential that B&S writers should take note. And Michelle, I find your remarks (too) brief & always on-the-money, but, please, the complaints of tearjerking & too "precious" dialogue with child Paige are founded. Maybe it makes me some kind of weird elitist if I confess to having a WHOLE LOT more true sympathy for kids with diabetes when the dialogue is unforced & unsentimental & not aimed at yanking tears out of me, but....there it is. Ilovemylife, the Justin-Kevin scene in backyard was my favorite too, but I was wary to mention it first time around as every OTHER comment I make is so gay-related. Didn't want to give people the (wrong) impression I'm a complete raving queen.

[Skye]

I'm a die-hard fan of this show. I practically count the minutes until the next episode. That said, I was disappointed in Sunday night's episode. I have no doubt that Cliff and Pete are talented writers, but to me, the writing fell flat. Most of it was cheesy and what wasn't was far from memorable. The whole episode felt uneven to me, but that may have been because we saw much more of Holly than we're used to, which threw the episode off balance, in my opinion.

Also, I'd like to see a little remorse come out of Holly. Her self-righteous delusions of grandeur are out of control. True, she couldn't help who she loved, but she did knowingly sleep with a married man for 20 years and I have yet to see her show any signs of guilt or remorse which, to me, makes her extremely unlikeable.

All that aside, I love the show to pieces, far more than anything else on TV now. I love it almost obsessively, and will naturally continue watching in this die-hard fashion. Amazing show, amazing actors. The epitome of amazing.

Thanks for listening.

PS- Please bring back Treat Williams!

[Glenn]

Kudos for the nomination..I will be voting DAILY.

This is my favorite show and the performance are SO Emmy worthy. Anytime Patricia Wettig and Sally Field are in the same scene as they were in the Christmas episode, that needs an emmy nod. Rips my heart out and that's good TV!

The only bummer is the reruns...I freaked out when my MediaCenter didn't locate another show for TWO WEEKS, then I find there is a rerun on 12/24 of 'Date Night' which will give me a fix until new episodes air.

Keep 'em coming!

Glenn
Wylie, TX

[Trevor]

Will, you watched that movie because John Stamos was playing gay. That's creating buzz.

Phillip S. Hoffman gained critical acclaim when he played Truman Capote.

Tom Hanks gained recognition as a serious actor for playing an AIDS patient in the movie Philadelphia.

That’s what I mean when a straight actor plays gay to gain recognition, critical acclaim or buzz.

TV Fan, I can't when it's stunt casting. There have been rumors that Rob Lowe might play one of Kevin's love interests. Obviously that would jump start his career by creating buzz. I won't be watching if that happens. Same thing with Jason Lewis. Playing gay won't earn my respect or viewer ship if it's a STUNT.

[Kong Chang]

Golden Globe nominations coming this Thursday. I hope (and pray) this show will get nominated for Best Drama (TV) as well as some noms for either Sally Fields, Calista Flockhart or Rachel Griffiths.

Good luck to all of you come this Thursday! :)