Brothers & Sisters

Baltimore SunDavid Zurawik

A network series potentially good enough to be on HBO.

Wall Street JournalDorothy Rabinowitz

There are precious few signs of trouble or uncertainty in the polished, instantaneously seductive finished product on display in its first episode.

USA TodayRobert Bianco

TV desperately needs a straightforward drama that explores family dynamics without some imposed gimmick, and Brothers & Sisters could just be the show to fill that bill.

San Francisco ChronicleTim Goodman

The promise of grown up storytelling is alluring. This is a series to watch to see if it grows.

Detroit Free PressMike Duffy

With fun, familiar faces like Field, Flockhart and Griffiths on board, attending a family reunion with the Walkers every Sunday could be a lively, entertaining way to end the weekend.

New York PostLinda Stasi

Once "Brothers & Sisters" gets started, it works, and it works well.

Chicago TribuneMaureen Ryan

Meeting the Walker clan and getting a glimpse at their personal lives... is like being led to a table of tantalizing appetizers. Even as you take a sample of these introductory delights, you’re wondering whether the main course will live up to your expectations.

New York MagazineJohn Leonard

Despite cast changes, rewrites, and producer musical chairs, this brainy soap checks in with promise.

TV GuideMatt Roush

On the glossy surface, it’s an earnestly predictable but impeccably produced soap opera. [13 Sep 2006]

The New York TimesAlessandra Stanley

Ms. Flockhart... is not convincing as a woman of conviction. And that is too bad, because “Brothers and Sisters” has wit and grace.

Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob Owen

"Brothers & Sisters" may find a way to streamline its storytelling and allow viewers to more easily sort out the huge cast of characters (there are at least 10 series regulars), or it may remain an unwieldy mess. Time will tell.

Orlando SentinelHal Boedeker

What should be a juicy family soap opera -- the family in question owns a food company -- comes off as a blah banquet.

Entertainment WeeklyGillian Flynn

The pilot was reshot, and it shows--the timing lurches and scenes grind into each other. [22 Sep 2006, p.90]

Los Angeles TimesPaul Brownfield

The pilot has a "Steel Magnolias" feel to it: Too many stars, too many faces, too many names, a cornucopia of character business.

NewsdayVerne Gay

The good news is that "Brothers & Sisters" isn't even remotely a disaster. The bad news is that it isn't even remotely a success either.

New York Daily NewsDavid Hinckley

"Brothers & Sisters" establishes itself as little more than a family gathering you should have no interest in attending. Their dialogue sounds real, but not much of it sounds interesting.

Hollywood ReporterBarry Garron

"Brothers & Sisters"... has all the traditional themes of unhappy marriage, unmet parental expectations, unexpected financial chicanery and (possibly) unfaithfulness. It deals with them convincingly, though not with any great depth or insight.

Newark Star-LedgerAlan Sepinwall

A work in progress.

Seattle Post-IntelligencerMelanie McFarland

File this under "We'll See."

Philadelphia Daily NewsEllen Gray

Based on the first episode... we're talking predictable prime-time soap.

People WeeklyTom Gliatto

The show wants to mix in big themes (politics, money) with a family soap opera, but it just feels bloated and vague. [25 Sep 2006, p.43]

Chicago Sun-TimesDoug Elfman

A clutter of clunky dialogue that sucks the life out of [Flockhart] and other usually skilled actors.

TimeJames Poniewozik

It's the sort of talky tedious drama that is far less intelligent than it clearly thinks it is.

VarietyBrian Lowry

The show seems as if it desperately yearns to be a worthy companion to "Housewives" but lacks the requisite bite, despite political references meant to feel edgy that prove mostly banal.

San Jose Mercury News/Contra Costa TimesCharlie McCollum

An incoherent, almost unwatchable mess.

Washington PostTom Shales

If you're looking for the deep emotional truths that the creators of ABC's would-be heart-tugger imagine they're after, well, pro wrestling might be a good choice.

Boston GlobeMatthew Gilbert

Not a single note in the premiere of "Brothers & Sisters" rings true.