Brothers and Sisters

The close-knit Walker family deals with struggles and triumphs.

Brothers and Sisters (2006-2011) is an American network family drama created by Jon Robin Baitz for ABC. The show follows the Walker family of Los Angeles, centered on matriarch Nora Walker (Sally Field), whose life is upended after the death of her husband. Her grown children are Kitty (Calista Flockhart), Kevin (Matthew Rhys), Sarah (Rachel Griffiths), Justin (Dave Annable) and Tommy (Balthazar Getty), each carrying private tensions into the family's gatherings. Saul Holden (Ron Rifkin) adds a further layer of family history and political complication. The engine of the series is the push and pull between loyalty and resentment: each episode is built around relationships, marriages, careers and secrets that surface at dinner tables and holiday gatherings. The series runs five seasons with a serialized, character-driven structure, weaving romance and family crisis into one continuing story. Its tone is warm yet melancholic, with sharp dialogue and emotional confrontations. Fans of Parenthood and This Is Us will find resonance in its ensemble focus on siblings and the bonds that hold them together, while Succession echoes its family power struggles. The show is set in contemporary Los Angeles, giving it a modern, suburban-leaning atmosphere of wealth and family ambition.

Audience reception is positive, with season ratings rising steadily across the five seasons.

• Parenthoodfamily drama ensemble, sibling rivalries, emotional soap-tinged storytelling
• Thirtysomethingfamily saga with patriarch conflicts and close-knit household drama
• This Is Usmulti-generational family drama with secrets and emotional confrontations
• Successionfamily business and dysfunctional family bonds, prestige ensemble drama

Created by

Jon Robin Baitz

Release Date

2006-09-24

Episode runtime

41 min

Rating

7.5 / 10 (207)

What is Brothers and Sisters about?

The Walker siblings and their mother navigate love, business, and grief after their father's death in Los Angeles.

What is Brothers and Sisters like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Brothers and Sisters as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.

Is Brothers and Sisters violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Brothers and Sisters as mild.

What did critics think of Brothers and Sisters?

Audience reception is positive, with season ratings rising steadily across the five seasons.

Which shows are like Brothers and Sisters?

Shows with a similar feel include Parenthood, Thirtysomething, This Is Us, and Succession.

How long is Brothers and Sisters?

Brothers and Sisters: 5 seasons, 109 episodes.

Is Brothers and Sisters still running?

No, Brothers and Sisters was canceled.

Where can I watch Brothers and Sisters?

In United States, Brothers and Sisters streams on Hulu.