Brotherhood Of Poland, N.h.

10-11 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 24
CBS

"Daring" may not seem like a description for a drama about three rather ordinary, stout brothers and their middle-class families in a small New England town, but it fits nonetheless. That's because the newest series from David E. Kelley goes where TV has not gone for a long time -- right into the homes and lives of the people who actually watch it.

This being from Kelley, there are, of course, some quirks and surprises. Even so, CBS' "The Brotherhood of Poland, N.H." is TV with dramatic truth and inordinate credibility filled with relatable characters and, in one way or another, familiar issues. At a time when hourlong TV is dominated by crime and teenage hormones and tawdry reality, by rap music and quick editing cuts, "Brotherhood" may be the riskiest show of the new season as well as one of the most compelling.

The three brothers at the center of the series, all former high school hockey stars whose advance to middle age has been less than cosmetically graceful, are Mayor Garrett Shaw (John Carroll Lynch), Police Chief Hank Shaw (Randy Quaid) and perennial job seeker Waylon Shaw (Chris Penn). Each finds himself in a quandary of one sort or another.

Garrett is being blackmailed for $100,000 by the woman with whom he had an affair six years earlier. The threatened lawsuit could have calamitous impact on his wife, Helen (Elizabeth McGovern), and children as well as his hopes for re-election. Hank finds himself smitten by Katie Couric, so much so that he has lost interest in his wife, Dottie (Mare Winningham), who, in turn, goes on a crusade to save the town's only theater. Waylon, the youngest, hopefully pursues job after job, always in vain but always with the support of his wife, Julie (Ann Cusack), and daughter, Katie (Angela Goethals).

A second episode made available for review introduces a couple of sexually charged subplots (careful, now, this is Poland, N.H., not Peyton Place) but also continues to find extraordinary drama among ordinary characters. "Picket Fences" notwithstanding, this is mostly virgin territory for Kelley, and he relishes its exploration. What's more, he has assembled perhaps the most accomplished cast of any new series.

The pace and style of Michael Pressman's direction suits the material perfectly. He conveys the idea that small Poland, N.H., may be hugely comforting one moment and threatening the next. Production design is excellent, inside and out.

There isn't a lot of obvious flow to the CBS lineup on Wednesday nights, but "Brotherhood" at least offers a distinct alternative to its crime-fighting competition.

THE BROTHERHOOD OF POLAND, N.H.
CBS
David E. Kelley Prods. in association with 20th Century Fox Television
Credits:
Executive producers: David E. Kelley, Michael Pressman
Co-executive producer: Alice West
Supervising producer: Steve Robin
Producer: Jack Philbrick
Creator-writer: David E. Kelley
Director: Michael Pressman
Director of photography: Tim Suhrstedt
Production designer: Veronica Hadfield
Editor: Craig Bench
Music: W.G. Snuffy Walden
Set decorator: Diane O'Connell
Casting: Risa Bramon Garcia, Brennan duFresne, Ken Miller, Nikki Valko
Cast:
Chief Hank Shaw: Randy Quaid
Mayor Garrett Shaw: John Carroll Lynch
Waylon Shaw: Chris Penn
Julie Shaw: Ann Cusack
Dottie Shaw: Mare Winningham
Helen Shaw: Elizabeth McGovern
Katie Shaw: Angela Goethals
Monica Shaw: Megan Henning
Sharon Ropers: Elizabeth Sampson
Dr. Patz: Robert Stanton