The TV Zone

Still kicking?

Whom among us tube-o-holics just HAD to watch last night's big two-hour special "Brothers & Sisters?" (Besides me?)

Who among us HAD to find out about a "shocking death" and whether our band of brothers and sisters was about to shrink by one, due to the shuffling off of the mortal coil?

There were many guesses to be had - and ABC 's carpet-bombing promo campaign of the last few days certainly provided no definitive clues... It could be Tommy, or Saul, or maybe even Scotty or Joe. Most bets were probably on Robert McCallister - Rob Lowe. Promos reveal a weepy Kitty though that mighta just been the baby's arrival.

OK, so who was it? Who bought the farm, kicked the bucket, headed west?

NOBODY!

Nobody died in last night's "Brothers & Sisters." When the show faded to black, all were present and accounted for. (Anybody foolish enough to tune to the last ten seconds would have heard Kitty say to Baby: "It's just you and me from now on," or words to that effect...) In fact, mom was just peeved that Robert planned to return to the campaign trail.

So what gives? Here's what: McAllister, who had a heart attack (that plot detail for the benefit of you who did tune in at 10:59) did "technically" die for about ten seconds, while doctors were applying the paddles. (Kevin even had to tell him, "you did die...")

No one, in other words, died on "B&S.;"

This was a promotional con job of the likes I've never seen before, ever, in the history of TV.

Although give me a few minutes - I'm sure I'll come up with another doozy.

Notice to ABC's flim-flam promo crew: When you tell us someone is going to die, we want to see a cold body. We don't want to see some phony "death," whereby the person is unconscious for a couple seconds and probably just having a bad dream about, maybe, college tuition fees eighteen years from now.

Truth in advertising!

From now on, I will refer to "B&S;" simply as "BS."

(Pix: Scott Garfield)