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Brothers
1984 - 1989 7.2 (9 votes) 5 Seasons
Genres
Comedy
Networks
Showtime

Brothers

Overview

Two conservative men support their younger brother when he comes out as gay, and help him navigate being openly homosexual in 1980s Philadelphia.

Key Crew

Producer: Shelley Jensen

Top Cast

Robert Walden
Robert Walden

Joe Waters

Paul Regina
Paul Regina

Cliff Waters

Brandon Maggart
Brandon Maggart

Lou Waters

Hallie Todd
Hallie Todd

Penny Waters

Philip Charles MacKenzie
Philip Charles MacKenzie

Donald Maltby

Robin Riker
Robin Riker

Kelly Hall

Tommy Hinkley
Tommy Hinkley

Jim Grant

Yeardley Smith
Yeardley Smith

Louella Waters

Seasons

Season 1 poster
Season 1 (1984)

No overview available.

15 episodes

Episodes
Episode 1: The Wedding
1984-07-13

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.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 2: You Brought a New Kind of Love To Me
1984-08-16

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.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 3: Lizards ain't Snakes
1984-08-23

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.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 4: He ain't Witty, He's my Brother
1984-09-20

Joe attempts to woo Cliff's new friend, Lisa, but feels out of place amongst her other "sophisticated" friends.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 5: Mindless Passion
1984-08-30

Joe finds out that the woman he is dating is married. Joe tries to break it off, but he and his girlfriend cannot control their lust for each other.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 6: FEAR OF FLYING
1984-09-06

Joe, Cliff, Lou, and Donald notice a dead body in Joe's apartment. They decide it is best to bury the corpse and take an airplane out of town to figure out their next move.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 7: MONTE CARLO NIGHT
1984-09-13

Joe's financial troubles are preventing him to get Penny an expensive gift when she is close to graduating high school.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 8: AND BABY MAKES TWO
1984-09-27

The gang do not approve of Kelly's marriage to a tough guy and their plans on throwing a baby shower for Kelly ends in a free-for-all fistfight.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 9: FOOLS RUSSIAN
1984-10-04

Cliff falls in love with a Russian wrestler. The wrestler is using him because he wants to stay in the United States.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 10: STANDARDS AND PRACTICES
1984-10-11

Should Joe pose nude for the Sports Men of Philadelphia calendar?

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 11: LIZA
1984-10-18

A street person sparks a bet between Joe and snobbish Marcus that Joe can transform her into a beautiful, cultured woman.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 12: IT ONLY HURTS WHEN I'M GAY
1984-10-25

Cliff is beaten up because he is gay. His brothers want to avenge him and end up in jail. There they meet the thugs.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 13: I REMEMBER PAPA
1984-11-01

A spat between Joe and Lou causes Cliff to reflect themselves back when Joe promised their father that he and Lou would look after Cliff when he is gone.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 14: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MEL (PART 1)
1984-12-16

Christmas activities are put on hold for the gang when a major snowstorm hits the city. At the same time, Joe befriends a fellow gay man.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 15: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MEL (PART 2)
1984-12-16

Christmas activities are put on hold for the gang when a major snowstorm hits the city. At the same time, Joe befriends a fellow gay man.

Runtime: 26 min
Season 2 poster
Season 2 (1985)

No overview available.

25 episodes

Episodes
Episode 1: AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER
1985-04-25

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?

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 2: YOUR BROTHER'S KEEPER
1985-05-02

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.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 3: THE FOURTH BALL (aka Lucky Charm)
1985-05-09

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.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 4: LIFE'S TOO SHORT TO BE DELICATE
1985-05-16

Cliff is confronted by his former fiancé.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 5: LET THE EAGLE FLY
1985-06-20

Lou is humiliated when he suddenly becomes impotent.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 6: THE GIRL MOST LIKELY
1985-06-06

Joe offers to pose as Kelly's husband to impress her former classmates at her high school reunion.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 7: DONALD'S DAD
1985-06-13

Donald's estranged father arrives in Philadelphia to visit his son, but the reunion is cut short when he suffers a heart attack.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 8: DONALD'S OLD FLAME
1985-05-30

Donald considers settling down with a former girlfriend and her daughter, as this offers him a ready-made family.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 9: THE PROOF IS IN THE PJs
1985-07-11

Joe feels like a failure when he does not approve of Penny's new boyfriend and she retaliates by moving in with him. Joe is then forced to enlist everybody's help into sprucing up their new apartment.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 10: A HOUSE DIVIDED
1985-07-18

Joe's plans to run as city councilman is dampened due to disagreements and tensions within the gang.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 11: THE STING
1985-08-01

A crooked detective sets up a sting when he accuses Donald of being a criminal.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 12: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY BROTHER
1985-08-08

Cliff find a rich boyfriend (Winston) who quickly gets too serious about his relationship with Cliff. Cliff does not feel the same way about Winston.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 13: TO PLAY OR NOT TO PLAY
1985-08-15

Cliff is failing one of his college courses, which will prevent him from playing baseball. His female professor offers him a passing grade in exchange for sex.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 14: THE GREATEST STORY NEVER TOLD
1985-09-04

Joe decides to write a book about his memoirs, but decides to bend the truth on certain things, causing a rift between him and his family.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 15: AMONGST MY SOUVENIRS
1985-09-11

A young woman shows up from Korea who might possibly be Lou's daughter. Lou was involved with her mother when he was stationed in Korea. Is this his daughter?

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 16: RHINO RHAPSODY
1985-09-18

Lou feels he needs a way to "be remembered", so he runs for president of the Rhinos. In order to cement the election he recruits three new members: Joe, Cliff, and Donald.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 17: DONALD'S AIR FORCE BLUES
1985-10-02

Donald is faced with the possibility of coming out to his former Air Force buddies.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 18: THE STRANGER
1985-10-23

Joe's old friend Bubba is back in town, but he does not answer. Joe questions him and learns that Bubba has AIDS.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 19: IT AIN'T OVER TIL IT'S OVER
1985-10-09

Joe and his ex-wife Janey begin spending time with each other again and Penny hopes for a reconciliation, but Janey's selfishness jeopardizes their chances.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 20: FATHER, FATHER
1985-10-30

Lou is embarrassed and upset when his son Bucky considers leaving the seminary because he cannot take the vow of celibacy.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 21: A GREASEPAINT SMILE
1985-11-06

Penny dates an African-American circus clown. Rose Marie and Maury Amsterdam play the clown's parents.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 22: GOBBA, GOBBA
1985-11-27

Donald is very secretive about the reason he doesn't want to spend Thanksgiving with the Waters brothers.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 23: GODZILLA MEETS BAMBI (aka Donald's Apartment)
1985-11-13

Lou and Donald get the chickenpox. They are quarantined for a fortnight in Donald's apartment. Soon they are annoyed by each other. Penny fears the two are killing each other.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 24: A CARNATION BY ANY OTHER NAME
1985-12-04

Joe and Cliff do not want to live together anymore. Everyone feels cramped in their privacy. In order to complete the change, they immediately enter a contact ad. The badge is a red carnation.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 25: THE SHOOP SHOOP SHOP (aka Isle Of Lesbos)
1985-12-11

Kelly is turned off by a bad date. She becomes friends with Donald's friend, Annie. When Lou tells the gang that Annie is a lesbian, they begin to read more into their relationship than there is.

Runtime: 26 min
Season 3 poster
Season 3 (1986)

No overview available.

25 episodes

Episodes
Episode 1: HAIRBALL BLUES
1986-04-23

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.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 2: TAKE ME OUT OF THE BALLGAME (aka Dreams Of Summer)
1986-04-30

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.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 3: THE SEDUCTION OF LOU
1986-05-07

Lou gets a huge promotion at work but is having second thoughts after the bosses daughter makes advances at him.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 4: A PENNY A DANCE
1986-05-14

Joe makes Penny get a job because she gets her first credit card bill. He tries to help her out by getting her a secretarial job but she turns it down and tries to get a job on her own.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 5: DONALD'S HALF SISTER
1986-05-28

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 6: WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO GO
1986-06-04

When the bar gets closed down by the building inspector, Joe agrees to host a wake when a widow offers to pay enough to make the repairs to reopen the bar.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 7: BLIND LOVE
1986-06-11

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 8: THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME
1986-06-18

Lou finds out Kelly can sing and tries secretly to have her perform for a record producer.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 9: BROTHERS THREE
1986-06-25

The Waters brothers face off with childhood rivals when three bullish brothers return to town for a family reunion.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 10: THE PLAYS THE THING
1986-07-09

Donald writes a play but the only producer that will consider his play doesn't seem very legit.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 11: HARRY AND THE OGRE OF OCK
1986-07-15

Lou is excited to spend the day with Flo's nephew Harry. But Lou realizes that him and Harry don't have that much in common.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 12: MOTHER'S DAY
1986-07-30

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 13: TWO-TIMIN' MAN
1986-08-06

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 14: IF I ONLY HAD A WATCHAMACALLIT
1986-08-20

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 15: GOODBYE, CLIFFIE
1986-09-03

Cliff gets a job interview as an apprentice sports writer. But he would have to move to Utica, NY if he takes the job.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 16: JOE LEAVES THIS OLD WORLD BEHIND
1986-09-10

Joe suffers a midlife crisis when one of Penny's friends hits on him.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 17: WHOSE GOLDEN YEARS IS IT, ANYWAY? (PART 1)
1986-09-17

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 18: WHOSE GOLDEN YEARS IS IT, ANYWAY? (PART 2)
1986-09-01

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 19: THE BOXER
1986-10-15

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 20: LAY THE POINTS
1986-10-08

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 21: THE GANG WHO COULD SHOOT STRAIGHT
1986-10-29

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 22: A PENNY FOR YOUR DREAMS
1986-11-05

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 23: ICEMAN
1986-11-12

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 24: STILL MARRIED AFTER ALL THESE YEARS
1986-11-19

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 25: MI CASA ES SEWER CASA
1986-12-03

Runtime: 26 min
Season 4 poster
Season 4 (1987)

No overview available.

25 episodes

Episodes
Episode 1: WEDDING BELL BLUES
1987-05-08

After going out for over 6 months, Joe and his new girlfriend Annie announce they're ready to tie the knot.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 2: WHAT?
1987-05-15

An innocent prank by Lou causes Donald to temporarily lose his hearing.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 3: CHEZ CLIFF
1987-05-29

After graduating college in journalism Cliff has second thoughts about his direction in life.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 4: LOVE AND LEARN
1987-06-05

After Flo leaves Lou he has trouble learning to charm her into coming back.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 5: LEAVE IT TO CLEAVAGE
1987-06-12

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 6: FEAR OF HEIGHTS
1987-06-19

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 7: CLIFF'S MAGIC RECIPE
1987-06-26

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 8: OLD MAN WATERS
1987-07-17

While tagging along with Lou to a physical, Joe finds out he has high blood pressure. Fearing for his health he starts to act like an old man.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 9: HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
1987-07-24

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 10: ON THE REBOUND
1987-07-10

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 11: MAN'S CHOICE
1987-07-19

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 12: STARRY, STARRY NIGHTMARE
1987-08-21

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 13: PENNY AND THE HARD HAT
1987-08-28

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 14: THE POINT AFTER NO MORE?
1987-08-01

Joe gets an irresistible offer to sell the bar. But little does he know the offer is from a developer who wants to tear down the bar to build a high rise.

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 15: LAS VEGAS SERENADE (PART 1)
1987-09-11

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 16: LAS VEGAS SERENADE (PART 2)
1987-09-18

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 17: ONE ON ONE
1987-09-25

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 18: THE FARMER ALWAYS RINGS TWICE
1987-10-02

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 19: BACHELOR FATHER
1987-10-09

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 20: MASQUERADE
1987-10-30

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 21: STOLEN PLEASURES
1987-12-11

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 22: IS THE CALLER THERE?
1987-11-06

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 23: THE WINDSOR WAR
1987-11-13

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 24: THERE'S A LID FOR EVERY POT
1987-12-04

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 25: THANKSGIVING
1987-11-20

Runtime: 26 min
Season 5 poster
Season 5 (1988)

No overview available.

26 episodes

Episodes
Episode 1: SITTIN' IN A TREE
1988-06-24

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 2: BARNEY, WE HARDLY KNEW YE
1988-07-08

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 3: I'LL KNOW WHEN MY LOVE COMES ALONG
1988-07-15

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 4: L. A. MALTBY
1988-09-30

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 5: HUSTLE UP
1988-10-07

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 6: BUT I KNOW WHAT I LIKE
1988-10-21

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 7: MOVING OUT
1988-10-28

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 8: A JOB WELL DONE
1988-11-04

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 9: TWO FOR THE SEESAW
1988-11-11

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 10: NOTHIN' SAYS LOVIN'
1988-12-02

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 11: THE DETOUR
1988-12-16

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 12: GUARDIAN ANGELS
1988-12-30

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 13: A STUDY IN MALTBY
1989-01-06

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 14: NANNY FROM HEAVEN
1989-01-13

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 15: THE POINT AFTER BOWLING TEAM
1989-01-20

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 16: ISN'T IT ROMANTIC?
1989-02-17

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 17: THREE INFANTS AND A BABY
1989-02-24

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 18: GUARDING THE NEST
1989-03-03

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 19: SAM'S DAD
1989-03-17

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 20: INHERIT THE BAR
1989-03-10

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 21: FANTASY IN EBONY
1989-04-07

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 22: BIG
1989-04-14

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 23: SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW
1989-04-21

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 24: WOULDN'T IT BE NICE
1989-04-28

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 25: THE ROAD YET TAKEN
1989-04-01

Runtime: 26 min
Episode 26: I REMEMBER BUT I DON'T LIKE IT (Compilation Show)

Runtime: 26 min

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