Original title
Brothers
Released
7/13/1984
Origin country
US
Genre
Comedy
Production companies
Showtime Networks, Paramount Television, Gary Nardino Productions
Status
Ended
Number of seasons
5
Number of episodes
116
Two conservative men support their younger brother when he comes out as gay, and help him navigate being openly homosexual in 1980s Philadelphia.
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.
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.
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.
Joe attempts to woo Cliff's new friend, Lisa, but feels out of place amongst her other "sophisticated" friends.
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.
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.
Joe's financial troubles are preventing him to get Penny an expensive gift when she is close to graduating high school.
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.
Cliff falls in love with a Russian wrestler. The wrestler is using him because he wants to stay in the United States.
Should Joe pose nude for the Sports Men of Philadelphia calendar?
A street person sparks a bet between Joe and snobbish Marcus that Joe can transform her into a beautiful, cultured woman.
Cliff is beaten up because he is gay. His brothers want to avenge him and end up in jail. There they meet the thugs.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
Cliff is confronted by his former fiancé.
Lou is humiliated when he suddenly becomes impotent.
Joe offers to pose as Kelly's husband to impress her former classmates at her high school reunion.
Donald's estranged father arrives in Philadelphia to visit his son, but the reunion is cut short when he suffers a heart attack.
Donald considers settling down with a former girlfriend and her daughter, as this offers him a ready-made family.
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.
Joe's plans to run as city councilman is dampened due to disagreements and tensions within the gang.
A crooked detective sets up a sting when he accuses Donald of being a criminal.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
Donald is faced with the possibility of coming out to his former Air Force buddies.
Joe's old friend Bubba is back in town, but he does not answer. Joe questions him and learns that Bubba has AIDS.
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.
Lou is embarrassed and upset when his son Bucky considers leaving the seminary because he cannot take the vow of celibacy.
Penny dates an African-American circus clown. Rose Marie and Maury Amsterdam play the clown's parents.
Donald is very secretive about the reason he doesn't want to spend Thanksgiving with the Waters brothers.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Lou gets a huge promotion at work but is having second thoughts after the bosses daughter makes advances at him.
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.
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.
Lou finds out Kelly can sing and tries secretly to have her perform for a record producer.
The Waters brothers face off with childhood rivals when three bullish brothers return to town for a family reunion.
Donald writes a play but the only producer that will consider his play doesn't seem very legit.
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.
Cliff gets a job interview as an apprentice sports writer. But he would have to move to Utica, NY if he takes the job.
Joe suffers a midlife crisis when one of Penny's friends hits on him.
After going out for over 6 months, Joe and his new girlfriend Annie announce they're ready to tie the knot.
An innocent prank by Lou causes Donald to temporarily lose his hearing.
After graduating college in journalism Cliff has second thoughts about his direction in life.
After Flo leaves Lou he has trouble learning to charm her into coming back.
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.
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.
This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.
