''The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire'' is an American

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

television series created by

David E. Kelley David Edward Kelley (born April 4, 1956) is an American television writer, producer, and former attorney, known as the creator of '' Doogie Howser, M.D.'', ''Picket Fences'', ''Chicago Hope'', ''The Practice'', '' Ally McBeal'', ''Boston Public' ...

that aired on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

from September 24 to October 22, 2003. The show offers the typical quirkiness and eccentric humor that have become synonymous with David E. Kelley's shows. ''The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire'' has been described as "''

Northern Exposure ''Northern Exposure'' is an American Northern comedy-drama television series about the eccentric residents of a fictional small town in Alaska that ran on CBS from July 12, 1990, to July 26, 1995, with a total of 110 episodes. It received 57 ...

'' with middle-aged angst and populated with the sort of oddball supporting characters so typical of the Kelley oeuvre." The show was canceled after five episodes due to low ratings.

Plot

The show focuses on the families of three brothers in fictional Poland, New Hampshire, one the police chief, one the mayor, and one out of work. Local heroes in their youth, they are now tackling grown-up problems such as the economy, their children's educations, and their families. As in most families, the brothers know they'll always have each other to help weather the storms of their changing lives. The show has been compared to ''

Picket Fences ''Picket Fences'' is an American family drama television series about the residents of the town of Rome, Wisconsin, created and produced by David E. Kelley. The show initially ran from September 18, 1992, to June 26, 1996, on the CBS televis ...

'', another show by creator David E. Kelley.

Cast

Randy Quaid Randy Randall Rudy Quaid (born October 1, 1950) is an American actor known for his roles in both serious drama and light comedy. He was nominated for an Academy Award, BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award for his role in ''The Last Detail'' i ...

as Hank Shaw, the police chief. *

John Carroll Lynch John Carroll Lynch (born August 1, 1963) is an American character actor and film director. He first gained notice for his role as Norm Gunderson in '' Fargo'' (1996). He is also known for his television work on the ABC sitcom '' The Drew Carey ...

as Garrett Shaw, the mayor of Poland, NH. *

Chris Penn Christopher Shannon Penn (October 10, 1965 – January 24, 2006) was an American actor. He was the brother of actor Sean Penn and musician Michael Penn. Noted as a skilled character actor from a prominent acting dynasty, he was typically cast a ...

as Waylon Shaw, the brother down on his luck. *

Mare Winningham A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four y ...

as Dottie Shaw, wife of Hank. She does not enjoy living in Poland, NH. *

Elizabeth McGovern Elizabeth Lee McGovern (born July 18, 1961) is an American actress and musician. She has received many awards, including a Screen Actors Guild Award, three Golden Globe Award nominations, and one Academy Award nomination. Born in Evanston, Ill ...

as Helen Shaw, wife of Garrett. *

Ann Cusack Ann Cusack (born May 22, 1961) is an American actress. She had minor roles in '' Multiplicity'' (1996), ''A League of Their Own'' (1992), and '' The Informant!'' (2009). Additionally, she has made guest appearances in a number of television serie ...

as Julie Shaw, wife of Waylon. *

Angela Goethals Angela Bethany Goethals ( ) is an American film, television and stage actress. Goethals made her acting debut in the Broadway production of ''Coastal Disturbances'' in 1987, and later played the sister of Macaulay Culkin's character in ''Home Alo ...

as Katie Shaw, daughter of Waylon and Julie. * Megan Henning as Monica Shaw, daughter of Garrett and Helen. *

Cleo King Harriet Cleo King is an American actress. She is best known for her roles on television, particularly ''Mike & Molly'' (2010–2016). Early life King was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and was the youngest of seven children. She graduated from ...

as Francine Hill, a police officer in Poland who works with Hank. *

Jodi Benson Jodi Marie Benson (née Marzorati; born October 10, 1961) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for providing the voice of Ariel in Disney's 1989 animated film '' The Little Mermaid'' and throughout other films, including its seq ...

as A Soloist of the Choir

Production

The pilot was filmed in Plymouth, New Hampshire in 2003, as were the exterior establishing shots and main title scenes. Filming of the series was then relocated to

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. ...

. Brian Haley was originally cast in the role of Waylon Shaw, but was replaced with Chris Penn after filming the pilot episode. Haley's scenes were reshot with Penn, but the pilot was eventually scrapped and never aired.

Episodes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Brotherhood Of Poland, New Hampshire, The 2003 American television series debuts 2003 American television series endings 2000s American drama television series CBS original programming English-language television shows Television shows set in New Hampshire Television series by 20th Century Fox Television Television series created by David E. Kelley Television series about families