BROTHERS & SISTERS CANCELLED

Brothers & Sisters, the family drama that broke new ground in its depiction of gay men on American television, has been cancelled after five seasons.

It’s been reported that ABC, the network behind the show, canned the series because of weak ratings. There were attempts to produce a shorter final season but on Friday network executives decided to bring the series to an end.

First broadcast in the US in 2006, Brothers & Sisters centred on the Walker family and their lives in California.

Created by Jon Robin Baitz, an out gay man, the show included the gay character of Kevin Walker (Matthew Rhys) and featured storylines that saw him marry Scotty Wandell (Luke Macfarlane) and start a family. His uncle Saul (Ron Rifkin) also came out as gay and HIV positive.

Sally Field, who played the family’s matriarch, received a Primetime Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her work in Brothers & Sisters. Rachel Griffiths, (Sarah Walker) was also nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for the show.

The season currently being broadcast in South Africa by M-Net is the show’s last.