Brothers (1984 TV series)

Brothers
Brothers opening title sequence
Genre	Sitcom
Created by	David Lloyd
Starring	Robert Walden Paul Regina Brandon Maggart Philip Charles MacKenzie Robin Riker Hallie Todd Mary Ann Pascal Yeardley Smith Tommy Hinkley Timothy Williams Cathryn Hacker
Theme music composer	Marcus Barone Joe Diamond Gloria Nissenson
Composer(s)	Dan Foliart Howard Pearl
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	5
No. of episodes	115
Production
Executive producer(s)	Greg Antonacci Gary Nardino
Producer(s)	Marie Connolly Katherine Green Stephen Neigher Shelley Jensen Nick LeRose Rick Newberger Stu Silver Don Van Atta Joel Zwick
Running time	22–24 minutes
Production company(s)	Gary Nardino Productions Paramount Video (1984–86) Paramount Television (1987–89)
Distributor	CBS Television Distribution (2007-present)
Release
Original network	Showtime
Audio format	Monaural
Original release	July 13, 1984 (1984-07-13) – May 5, 1989 (1989-05-05)

Brothers is an American television sitcom that originally aired on the cable network Showtime from July 13, 1984 to May 5, 1989, totaling 115 episodes. It was produced by Gary Nardino Productions, in association with two separate divisions of Paramount Pictures: first by the Paramount Video division (1984–86) and by Paramount Television (1987–89). The show focuses on the three Waters brothers.

David Lloyd, Greg Antonacci and Gary Nardino respectively created and developed Brothers in 1982, with the same format as what made it to the air. Lloyd, a veteran TV writer known for his work on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi and the then-new NBC sitcom Cheers, had the premise for this series suggested to him by his employers, TV producers Ed. Weinberger and Stan Daniels. Wishing to develop a new screenplay with a revolutionary theme, Lloyd took to Weinberger and Daniels' idea about exploring familial relationships with the presence of a major—and controversial—life change, that of a relative finally coming out and addressing his homosexuality. Lloyd fully developed the idea and assumed full creation credit for the project. He then partnered himself with current Paramount Television president Nardino, who was looking to form an independent production company (he would leave Paramount in July 1983 to form Gary Nardino Productions), and Antonacci, a young actor-turned-director and producer, to write a pilot script with a modern, relevant point of view. The relationship of three adult brothers, inseparable and living in a world strongly underscored by masculinity, who soon have to confront the youngest brother's decision to be openly gay, quickly came to fruition in the screenplay aptly titled Brothers.

The project was originally shopped around to broadcast networks NBC and ABC, in hopes of being picked up for the 1983 fall television season. NBC agreed to screen the pilot due to Lloyd's work on Taxi and Cheers (both of which had aired on NBC during the 1982-83 season), and due to the insistence of Weinberger and Daniels. The network suits (then headed by Brandon Tartikoff) saw the charm of the content, but were concerned about how homosexuality was going to be portrayed. NBC did put Brothers in the running of fall 1983 pilots, but ultimately passed on it, instead choosing a series from Weinberger, Mr. Smith, which starred a talking orangutang, in its place. Lloyd, Antonacci and Nardino then offered Brothers to ABC, who instantly shot it down because of its dealings of gay themes. The creative team refused to give up hope on the project, and the same was said for its three leads, which from the beginning were Robert Walden (fresh off his Emmy Award-winning role of Joe Rossi on CBS' Lou Grant), Paul Regina and Brandon Maggart. As the producers tried to find a new outlet to pitch it to, development was put on hold, allowing Regina to co-star in CBS' short-lived Zorro and Son (1983), and Maggart to assume a role on NBC's Jennifer Slept Here (1983–84).