It's a sad day for fans of ABC's Brothers & Sisters, as creator Jon Robin Baitz has announced his departure from the hit drama.  In a blog entry on The Huffington Post, Baitz explained that he's leaving the show due to repeatedly butting heads with the network over which direction the series should take.  Baitz wanted to focus on more serious stories involving older characters played by Sally Field and Patricia Wettig, while ABC wanted soapier, funnier fare that would fit better with the Desperate Housewives lead-in.

In his posting, Baitz explains his decision, saying, "I can... only watch as the demographic demands that have turned America into an ageist and youth-obsessed nation drives the storylines younger and younger, whiter and whiter, and with less and less reflection of the real America.  I will never again have to do a notes call wherein the fear and seasickness of the creative execs always prevail over taking a risk, resulting more often than not in muddy and flattening or treacly sweet compromises."

Baitz then went on to explain the original vision he had for the series, and what he would have done had the network allowed him to.  "I cannot help but dream about what my version of Brothers & Sisters would have looked like.  A show that could simply hold on the aging and real face of Sally Field, and reflect the sorrow and rage there... reflect the cold and funny sexuality of Patty Wettig's Holly, the perfect reconstruction of the L.A. mistress... hold on the eyes of Ron Rifkin, and reflect the wisdom, joyous childishness and the melancholy.  A show [that] could have followed the youngest, prodigal son to Iraq [and] shown his fellow soldiers, dying... allowed Calista Flockhart's character to be actually truly political... go even further in dealing with Kevin Walker's internalized homophobia and his fear of contact with others."

Though I'm a big fan of Brothers & Sisters, I can understand the frustration Baitz must feel.  He's a playwright who comes from the theater, and admits that he was "totally naive" about the compromises that exist in the world of television.  My biggest concern is that this will have a negative impact on the quality of the series. There are few shows that have lost their creators and maintained the same quality they were known for.  ABC may have made a big mistake by pushing Baitz out the door.

- Don Williams, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: The Huffington Post
(Image courtesy of InsideSoCal.com)