Brothers & Sisters (2006-2009)

Sally Field and Calista Flockhart on Brothers & Sisters. (Photo: ABC)

Starring: Ron Rifkin, Dave Annable, Balthazar Getty

Oscar-winner Sally Field and popular Ally McBeal star Calista Flockhart made their highly touted joint return to series television in this hour-long serialized drama set in California. Field was cast as Nora Walker, matriarch of a prosperous and sizeable family and mistress of an impressive estate. Nora's comfortable, well-ordered lifestyle was shattered upon the death of her husband, William (played in the opener by Tom Skerritt), whereupon things also unraveled for Nora's grown children, with dark secrets and unhappy relationships coming to the forefront in rapid and disturbing fashion. Flockhart was seen as Nora's daughter Kitty, a New York-based conservative talk-show host who was in town at the time of her father's death to consider a job as a political commentator on a national TV show. Rachel Griffiths played Kitty's sister Sarah, who had remained in California to help run the family business with her brother Thomas (Balthazar Getty) and Thomas' wife, Julia (Sarah Jane Morris). Other members of the Walker brood included Justin (David Annable), a disturbed veteran of the Afghan war, and Kevin (Matthew Rhys), a gay lawyer, as well as Sarah's stay-at-home-dad husband, Joe (John Pyper-Ferguson), and their children and Saul Holden (Ron Rifkin), family uncle and brother to Nora. Looming ominously over the proceedings was a "mystery woman" (later identified as Holly Harper), who had some sort of connection with the late William Walker, and who was portrayed by Patricia Wettig, real-life wife of series co-producer/co-creator Ken Olin. Brothers & Sisters premiered September 24, 2006, on ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide