The Brothers (1956 TV series)

The Brothers is an American television sitcom broadcast by CBS from October 2, 1956, to March 26, 1957. Reruns of The Brothers were broadcast by CBS during the summer of 1958, alternating with repeats of Bachelor Father.

Synopsis
The Brothers (original pilot title: The Box Brothers) was about the small adventures of the Box brothers, Gil and Harvey, who owned a photography studio in San Francisco. Harvey was the more aggressive, overbearing brother while Gil was a reserved, shy man who happily allowed his big brother to run things. Both of them had steady girlfriends who were matched to their personalities, Harvey's being the strong-willed, aggressive Dr. Margaret Kleeb and Gil's being the quiet, unassuming Marilee Dorf.

It was one of the first shows to have an unseen character. Andy, the darkroom person, was always heard but never seen.

Production
The Brothers was a Dallad Productions and Desilu Studios product. Episodes were filmed in black-and-white with a live audience. Edward Feldman was the producer, and Hy Averback was one of the writers. Bill Davenport, Jim Fritzell, Al Lewin, and Burt Styler were among the writers. Wilbur Hatch provided music. Sponsors included American Tobacco Company, Lever Brothers, Procter & Gamble, and Shaeffer Fountain Pens. It was broadcast on Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Critical response
After The Brothers went off the air, Feldman blamed critics for the cancellation. He said that prior to the series's debut advertising agencies, sponsors, and CBS all expected it to be a hit. "Then came the reviews on the first show", he said. "Most of the critics clobbered us, and overnight that enthusiasm of our original supporters vanished. Suddenly we were working in an atmosphere of failure."