Kate Brasher
Kate Brasher is an American drama television series created by Stephen Tolkin, that was broadcast on CBS from February 24 until April 14, 2001. It premiered at 9:00pm ET/PT on Saturday, February 24, 2001 and was cancelled after six episodes.
| Kate Brasher | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | Stephen Tolkin |
| Starring |
|
| Theme music composer | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
|
| Producer(s) |
|
| Cinematography | Gordon Lonsdale |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
|
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | February 24 – April 14, 2001 |
Overview
The title character was the single mother of teenaged sons Daniel and Elvis. Facing a financial crisis, she seeks legal advice at Brothers Keepers, an inner city community advocacy center, and is offered a job as a social worker. Her co-workers include attorney Abbie Schaeffer and Joe Almeida, the organization's street-smart director, who founded it after his daughter was killed in gang crossfire.
Cast
- Mary Stuart Masterson as Kate Brasher
- Rhea Perlman as Abbie Schaeffer
- Hector Elizondo as Joe Almeida
- Mason Gamble as Elvis Brasher
- Gregory Smith as Daniel Brasher
- Roger Robinson as Earl
Among those actors making guest appearances during the series' short run were K Callan, Dennis Christopher, Paul Dooley, Mariette Hartley, Josh Hopkins, Carl Lumbly, Spencer Breslin, David Naughton and Mackenzie Phillips.[1]
Development and production
Series creator Stephen Tolkin based the character of Almeida on Rabbi Mark Borovitz, an ex-convict and alcoholic who became the spiritual leader of Gateways Beit T'Shuvah, a residential treatment center for Jews in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. The two men met when Tolkin contacted the rabbi for help with a friend who was dealing with substance abuse.[2]
Although set in Santa Monica, California, the series was shot on location in San Diego, California.
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by [3] | Written by [3] | Original air date | Prod. code [3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Kate" "Pilot" | James Frawley | Stephen Tolkin | February 24, 2001 | 1AEA01 |
| 2 | "Simon" | Jerry Levine | Story by : John Landgraf, Joel Fields, Stephen Tolkin Written by : Joel Fields, Stephen Tolkin | March 3, 2001 | 1AEA04 |
| 3 | "Jeff" | Steve Robman | Joel Fields, Stephen Tolkin | March 10, 2001 | 1AEA06 |
| 4 | "Jackson" | Joe Napolitano | Phil Penningroth | March 24, 2001 | 1AEA05 |
| 5 | "Tracy" | Arvin Brown | Stephen Tolkin | April 7, 2001 | 1AEA02 |
| 6 | "Georgia" | Steve Miner | Dana Baratta | April 14, 2001 | 1AEA03 |
Critical reception
Anita Gates of the New York Times said the series "has an appealing cast and doesn't insult viewers' intelligence most of the time. But the main characters - who are 100 percent good and face off against people who are 100 percent bad - always seem to be making self-righteous speeches . . . There's nothing wrong with inspiring little speeches that make audiences cheer. It was always a pleasure to see Dixie Carter get carried away with one of hers on Designing Women. But the speeches have to say something in a fresh way, and even Ms. Carter's orations got old once the show's writers became so self-conscious about them.
Kate Brasher is trying too hard . . . to be quirky . . . to create a noisy ER-ish atmosphere of hustle, bustle, chaos and crisis, . . . [and] to be simultaneously uplifting and cynical." [4]
References
- Series profile at Variety.com
- Jewish News of Greater Phoenix, March 30, 2001
- From the United States Copyright Office catalog: "Public Catalog - Copyright Catalog (1978 to present) - Basic Search [search: "Kate Brasher"]". United States Copyright Office. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
- New York Times review