The series is from producer
Ken Olin (star of
thirtysomething and producer of
Alias) and
Jon Robin Baitz, one of
Broadway's most prominent playwrights (
The Substance of Fire). Noted producer
Greg Berlanti was also an executive producer and
showrunner during season one. Berlanti continued to serve on the series as executive producer. Mark B. Perry (
The Wonder Years and
One Tree Hill) served as the showrunner for twelve episodes before departing the show in the aftermath of the
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. Perry was replaced by
Monica Owusu-Breen and
Alison Schapker who served as showrunners until they were replaced by
David Marshall Grant shortly into season 4. After the series pilot was shot, and the show was picked up by
ABC, the series underwent some moderate changes. Most notably, several of the roles were recast: • The Walker family had originally been the March family, and the original matriarch of the show was Iva March, who'd been cast with veteran theater actress
Betty Buckley. The role was ultimately renamed Nora and cast with
Sally Field. • The character of Kevin had originally been named Bryan, and had been cast with actor
Jonathan LaPaglia. Like the current Kevin character, the Bryan version of the character was also gay, but had been married, and was going through a divorce. The Bryan incarnation of the character also had a child, and he and his ex-wife were going through a custody battle. Bryan's child later reappeared during the first season as the show, where he was recast as "Gabe," Joe's child from his first marriage. The show has subsequently received positive press attention for its depiction of Kevin Walker, who came to be seen as a breakthrough in the depiction of
gay men on television: he has had several love interests, has kissed his boyfriends on-screen, and had a commitment ceremony with his partner Scotty in the second-season finale—the first such ceremony ever shown on American network television between series regulars rather than minor recurring or guest characters. • The character of Jonathan, the man with whom Kitty was involved as the show began had originally been cast with writer and actor
Dan Futterman. They had previously acted alongside each other as lovers in the film
The Birdcage. The role was ultimately recast with actor
Matthew Settle. • The roles of Sarah and Joe's children, Paige and Cooper Whedon (originally named Paige and Teddy Traylor), were initially portrayed by
Gage Golightly and
Jimmy Pinchak. Their son also had autism in the original pilot. However, the roles were ultimately recast and the autism storyline was dropped. Robert McCallister was the name of a character on a previous Greg Berlanti production,
Jack & Bobby, about a boy who grew up to be the president of the United States. As with the Robert McCallister on
Brothers & Sisters, the character on
Jack & Bobby was a Republican who had a wife named Courtney and a son named Jack.
Brothers & Sisters is produced by
Berlanti Television, After Portsmouth, and Touchstone Television (Fall 2006–Spring 2007), which is now ABC Studios (Fall 2007–2011). On May 13, 2011, ABC canceled the series after five seasons. ==Location==