Brothers and Sisters, Wednesday 10pm, Channel 4

Posted by Will Parkhouse

Our rating:
Despite featuring the most improbable plot device since the bit in Neighbours when Susan Kennedy slipped on some spilt milk and woke up with a mental age of 16, the latest instalment of Brothers
and Sisters (we’re on episode seven now) is actually a bit of a corker.

When the Walkers realise money troubles are forcing them to sell the country ranch they holidayed in as children, they get all misty-eyed. That is, until mother Nora suggests they should all go and spend the weekend there together. As generally quite selfish people, desperate to let everyone know how damn dysfunctional they are, none of the family are up for it and make their excuses. Nora is upset. Poor Nora.

Then it gets really ridiculous, as each family member independently decides to have a sneaky weekend away at the ranch with their spouse/crush and heads to the country. There’s six of them! And they all arrive within five minutes of each other! How stupid is that?!

Answer: very stupid. At this stage I’d normally say “but suspend your disbelief because…” - but in fact you don’t need to bother, as your scepticism will be charmed into the air by the slickness of the farce. It’s, gulp, actually really funny. Of course, there’s still the slightly annoying fact that we’re supposed to sympathise with a family of stupidly good-looking Yanks just because their family business is in trouble - BOO HOO - but in spite of its hearty all-American feel, it feels as homely as Friends.