Interview with Greg Berlanti

AE: Speaking of Kevin's love interests. We've been hearing a lot about the senator's gay brother. Will the character be introduced this season?
GB: Yes, he will be. We're working on that episode right now.

AE: Which episode will that be? How far out is that?
GB: It will be in the spring before May sweeps.

AE: I know you've got a show this Sunday [March 4] and then not another new show until April 1st. So starting April 1st, are you running through to the end of the season?
GB: They change it all the time so I can't give you a firm answer, but my guess is the episode that we're working on when he appears will happen in April, but folks should tune in March too.

AE: I'd read some online gossip/conjecture that the part might go to Dan Futterman. Any comment on that?
GB: That name hasn't been brought up to me.

AE: Interesting.
GB: Dan was in the original pilot as Kitty's boyfriend.

AE: Yes, and I know he worked with Calista Flockhart on The Birdcage.
GB: He's a phenomenal actor. We'd be lucky to get someone like Dan, so that's a great idea.

AE: So the part hasn't actually been cast yet?
GB: No.

AE: And we're not going to find out that the brother's an identical twin and the part played by Rob Lowe.
GB: [Laughs.] No.

AE: [Laughs.] OK. Good. You know, I really liked the story arc that dealt with Justin's recall, 9/11 and the Iraq war. I thought Kitty's change of heart about the war itself probably struck a chord with a lot of viewers who may have initially supported the Iraq war. When McAllister was first brought on, a big deal was made of his support for anti-gay marriage legislation. And it almost seemed like you guys were setting it up as a future crisis of conscience for Kitty, forcing her to reconsider her position on gay marriage in light of what it means personally for her brother. Is the issue of gay marriage going to be explored in the same way as you did the Iraq War and 9/11?
GB: I definitely think it will. You know, Kitty is now officially dating the senator. I think as she gets more involved with the senator, the politics of this family will become important to him and to her. It was definitely in Robbie's original concept and something that's really held true with the show — we really examine what are the politics of a family and how does that inform one another's politics. And that's definitely been one of the more successful elements of the show. Now we may not get to that [gay marriage issue] this year just because there are so many characters and so many competing stories, but we didn't just set that potential conflict up lightly.

AE: You have probably the best cast on television.
GB: Yes, without a doubt.

AE: All of the siblings and Sally Field just seem to click beautifully together. Just for instance, a few episodes ago there was a scene at Justin's group therapy session — it was so funny and beautifully acted.
GB: It's those kinds of fights we try to crescendo these episodes toward. You know, they're very much a staple to the show, and I think there's a lot of people who tune in to see them. Anyway, that's what I meant before when I said that it's a double-edge sword to having a big family. It's our [the writers'] job to figure out ways to dramatize that sword every week and just show people what are the best and what are the worst elements of having a family like this. I also think there's an element of wish-fulfillment involved. Because I think every kid wishes that as an adult they could still have that kind of relationship with their siblings and with their parents.

AE: Are there particular scenes or episodes of Brothers & Sisters that have stood out to you as favorites?
GB: One I loved was the episode called "Northern Exposure" where they are all up at the Ojai Ranch and there's the request for Kevin's sperm and the fight that that yields for the family. That was the first big family fight we had on the show, and I remember working on it with the episode's writer, David Marshall Grant, and I remember reading his first draft and thinking: "OK, this has not been on TV before."

We've seen families on TV before; we've seen different characters on TV fight before; and even on Everwood we had family arguments — but never with something this large where you have such an ensemble going at it all at once. And it was in that moment it kind of clicked for me what this show would have an opportunity to do that hadn't been done before.

AE: So tell us, what's coming up on the March 4th episode?
GB: That's a doozy. Its called "The Other Walker," and in it everyone finds out about Rebecca and we blow the whole thing up. So it's one of the episodes we've been writing toward all year.

AE: Who's writing that one? Are you doing that one?
GB: No, it was written by two of our newer writers: Allison Schapker and Monica Owusu-Breen. As usual, we broke it with them and they did a fabulous, fabulous job.

AE: You wrote "Mistakes Were Made: Part 2" earlier this season. Do you have writing duties for any upcoming episodes?
GB: Well, as a show runner it's sort of your job to work on every episode, come up with as many stories as possible and not take credit. Honestly, it really is the role of a show runner — at least I think — other people don't and prefer to take credit. But me, I get my joy in this job from working with the writers to fashion an episode, so whatever writing I may do is covered by the executive producer title.

AE: I read somewhere about Bridge and Tunnel [a film project Berlanti was set to direct for Robert De Niro's production company with Jennifer Lopez attached to star]. Is that a go?
GB: That was supposed to happen instead of Brothers & Sisters. We had everybody lined up to do it, but we just couldn't get the budget down in time to shoot in New York City — it was really, really expensive — before my TV contract with Touchstone kicked in. That project may still happen though.

AE: But it's on hold?
GB: Yeah. The problem is that every time I write a TV pilot, it gets shot! So what ends up happening is I end up getting put into a contract on a show, and for me to do my TV job right it's a 24/7 thing. And so the intervals I have for movies only happen once every couple years.

AE: Last question, and our readers will definitely want to know this. How's your love life? What's going on in your personal life?
GB: You know, I'm glad you asked that. For the first time in my life I've been in a really serious relationship. It's been a year and a half, and I'm as happy as I've ever been and, just like coming out, it has made my writing better and my breadth of storytelling hopefully deeper in terms of the things I have to say. It has been a real successful part of my life.

AE: That's great. Congratulations.
GB: And I'm not sure I believed it was possible. I'm 34, and two years ago I was a real cynic. I mean I used to write about people falling in love all the time, but I think deep down I sort of felt like it wasn't possible. I'm a little bit more of a believer now.

Brothers & Sisters airs on Sunday nights at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.