Series synopsis
Brothers is an American comedy television series that premiered on Showtime on July 13, 1984. It ended on April 28, 1989. It stars Robert Walden, Paul Regina, Brandon Maggart and Philip Charles MacKenzie.
Two conservative men support their younger brother when he comes out as gay, and help him navigate being openly homosexual in 1980s Philadelphia.
Premise
Two conservative men support their younger brother when he comes out as gay, and help him navigate being openly homosexual in 1980s Philadelphia.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Robert Walden as Joe Waters
- Paul Regina as Cliff Waters
- Brandon Maggart as Lou Waters
- Philip Charles MacKenzie as Donald Maltby
- Hallie Todd as Penny Waters
- Robin Riker as Kelly Hall
- Tommy Hinkley as Jim Grant
- Yeardley Smith as Louella Waters
Supporting cast
- Mary Ann Pascal as Sam Booke Waters
- Timothy Williams as Mike Chandler
- Cathryn Hacker as Caroline Waters
- Judith Baldwin
- Rick Ducommun
- Joseph Mascolo
- Gretchen Wyler
- Leslie Easterbrook
- Robert Stack
- Tim Rossovich
- Larry Joshua
- Rebecca Balding
Guest cast
Episodes
This series spans 5 seasons with 116 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 15 | July 13, 1984 | December 16, 1984 |
| Season 2 | 25 | April 25, 1985 | December 11, 1985 |
| Season 3 | 25 | April 23, 1986 | December 3, 1986 |
| Season 4 | 25 | May 8, 1987 | December 11, 1987 |
| Season 5 | 26 | June 24, 1988 | April 28, 1989 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Wedding On the day of his wedding, Cliff decides to come out as gay, which does not sit well with his two older brothers, Joe and Lou. |
July 13, 1984 |
| 2 |
You Brought a New Kind of Love To Me Joe's high-school football buddies pay a visit, but it is underwhelming when they tease one friend, Bubba, who is coming out as gay. Joe tries to set the record straight and pretends to be gay himself to fool the two other friends. |
August 16, 1984 |
| 3 |
Lizards ain't Snakes Joe is concerned that Cliff's new life as a gay man is preventing him from going back to his usual carefree activities, so Cliff decides to tag along with Donald to a neighborhood gay bar. |
August 23, 1984 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER Joe and Kelly spend the night together after a night of heavy drinking. They don't remember what happened. Will this lead to a relationship? |
April 25, 1985 |
| 2 |
YOUR BROTHER'S KEEPER Lou has an attack of pride when he gets fired from his job and his ensuing personal crisis drives Cliff and Joe crazy, especially he starts working at the restaurant. At a loss for how to help him, Joe decides to fire him to give his wounded pride a boost. |
May 2, 1985 |
| 3 |
THE FOURTH BALL (aka Lucky Charm) During a blackout one night at the restaurant a mysterious stranger shows up out of nowhere eating food that the place doesn't serve and waving a trinket that promises magic that everyone is ready to fall for. |
May 9, 1985 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
HAIRBALL BLUES After Donald's cat Blanche Dubois dies, Cliff gives him one of the two kittens he's been feeding in the alley and keeps the other. |
April 23, 1986 |
| 2 |
TAKE ME OUT OF THE BALLGAME (aka Dreams Of Summer) Cliff gets the chance of a lifetime to try out for a pro baseball team. When things don't quite go the way he would have planned, he learns a something about himself. |
April 30, 1986 |
| 3 |
THE SEDUCTION OF LOU Lou gets a huge promotion at work but is having second thoughts after the bosses daughter makes advances at him. |
May 7, 1986 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
WEDDING BELL BLUES After going out for over 6 months, Joe and his new girlfriend Annie announce they're ready to tie the knot. |
May 8, 1987 |
| 2 |
WHAT? An innocent prank by Lou causes Donald to temporarily lose his hearing. |
May 15, 1987 |
| 3 |
CHEZ CLIFF After graduating college in journalism Cliff has second thoughts about his direction in life. |
May 29, 1987 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SITTIN' IN A TREE | June 24, 1988 |
| 2 | BARNEY, WE HARDLY KNEW YE | July 8, 1988 |
| 3 | I'LL KNOW WHEN MY LOVE COMES ALONG | July 15, 1988 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | Showtime |
|---|---|
| First aired | July 13, 1984 |
| Last aired | April 28, 1989 |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | at 20:00:00 |