‘Brothers’ gets a jump on drama

If the scripts for ABC’s new fall drama “Brothers & Sisters” are as good as the behind-the-scenes intrigue surrounding the show, the network might have a hit on its hands.

Last week, executive producer Marti Noxon abruptly quit, a decision people familiar with the situation say was due to creative differences with series creator Jon Robin Baitz.

The defection of Noxon, who as the “showrunner” was the producer responsible for day-to-day supervision of the series, casts a cloud over “Brothers,” which debuts next month and stars Calista Flockhart as a New York talk-show host drawn back to her extended family in Southern California.

To fill the gap, Walt Disney Co.-owned Touchstone Television, which makes the show, has tapped veteran writer-producer Greg Berlanti to help out with scripts and production management, a spokeswoman confirmed Monday.

Berlanti is an A-list TV industry player, best-known as the creator of two critically acclaimed but now-canceled WB network dramas, “Everwood” and “Jack and Bobby.” He also has a development deal with Touchstone and has been working on an ABC drama pilot called “Eli Stone,” about an attorney who may have supernatural powers.

His new role raises the possibility that Berlanti might permanently take the reins on “Brothers.” That would in turn heighten doubts about the level of control retained by Baitz and another executive producer, Ken Olin.

The situation bears some similarities to “Commander in Chief,” the ABC drama starring Geena Davis that imploded last year after Rod Lurie, the series’ creator, suddenly exited the show early in its run. “Commander” then went through tumultuous personnel shifts before being canceled.

Noxon hasn’t commented on her departure.

Neither Berlanti nor his agent immediately returned telephone calls, but Touchstone spokeswoman Charissa Gilmore dismissed any hint of turmoil on “Brothers.”

“Everyone is absolutely thrilled about this collaboration, and we’re still trying to weigh options for going forward,” she said of Berlanti. “No decisions have been made as of yet.”

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