September 17, 2003

(NOTE TO EDITORS: This replaces the previous premiere storyline that was sent on Sept. 9.)

GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD-WINNER RANDY QUAID, JOHN CARROLL LYNCH, CHRIS PENN, ANN CUSACK, EMMY AWARD-WINNER MARE WINNINGHAM, ELIZABETH MCGOVERN, ANGELA GOETHALS, MEGAN HENNING AND CLEO KING STAR IN "THE BROTHERHOOD OF POLAND, NEW HAMPSHIRE," A NEW DRAMA THAT FOLLOWS THREE QUIRKY BROTHERS AND THEIR FAMILIES WHILE CELEBRATING THE ECCENTRICITIES OF SMALL TOWN LIFE

New Series From Emmy Award-Winning Executive Producers David E. Kelley And Michael Pressman Premieres Sept. 24 on the CBS Television Network

Golden Globe Award-winner Randy Quaid, John Carroll Lynch, Chris Penn, Ann Cusack, Emmy Award-winner Mare Winningham, Elizabeth McGovern, Angela Goethals, Megan Henning and Cleo King star in THE BROTHERHOOD OF POLAND, NEW HAMPSHIRE, a new drama that celebrates the eccentricities of small town life and follows three quirky brothers as they face challenges in their families and careers in the town of Poland, N.H. The series, from Emmy Award-winning Executive Producers David E. Kelley and Michael Pressman, premieres Wednesday, Sept. 24 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pressman directed the premiere episode from a story by Kelley.

Hank Shaw (Quaid), the police chief, Garrett Shaw (Lynch), the mayor, and Waylon Shaw (Penn), unemployed, were born and raised in Poland and are former high school hockey stars. Now, as grown men, they are struggling with big city problems. On the job, Hank is known for his unpredictable personality and tendency to communicate with his fists, while his home life is far from wild with his unhappy wife, Dottie (Winningham). Francine Hill (King) is an outspoken police officer who works with Hank. Garrett, the town's pillar of strength, finds his own world beginning to crumble when he's forced to hide a secret from his wife, Helen (McGovern), that could jeopardize his marriage and his relationship with his daughter, Monica (Henning), and son, Malcolm. Waylon, the youngest of the three brothers, is a loveable optimist who, although out of work, faces adversity with a positive outlook. He and his wife, Julie (Cusack), also have a teenage daughter, Katie (Goethals). As they confront their personal and professional dilemmas, the one constant in their lives is their family bond and their unconditional love for each other.

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In the new premiere episode, "Falling Acorns," which was originally to be the second episode, Dottie decides to buy the town's old movie theater and asks Hank's nemesis, Scott Haggis, to help fund her. Meanwhile, Waylon tapes his butt together in an effort to look more toned and confident for a job interview, and Sharon Ropers puts the heat on Garrett to pay her $100,000 in exchange for keeping their affair a secret. The episode includes a couple of scenes from the original pilot plus one new scene.

Randy Quaid's feature-film credits include "The Last Detail," for which he earned an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor, "The Last Picture Show," "Paper Moon," "The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz," "Midnight Express," "The Long Riders," "Texasville," "Kingpin," "Independence Day," "National Lampoon's Vacation," "Days of Thunder" and "Pluto Nash." He will soon be seen in "Milwaukee, Minnesota" and "Black Cadillac." Quaid's television-movie credits include his Emmy Award-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning role in "LBJ: The Early Years," as well as the mini-series "Ruby Ridge: An American Tragedy," on CBS, "A Streetcar Named Desire," "Purgatory," "The Thin Blue Lie" and the upcoming "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation: Lost."

John Carroll Lynch's feature-film credits include "Fargo," "The Good Girl," "Bubble Boy," "Waking the Dead," "A Thousand Acres," "The Next Best Thing," "Anywhere But Here," "Pushing Tin," "Face/Off," "Volcano" and "Confidence." He will soon be seen in "Catch That Girl" and "Gothika." Lynch played Drew Carey's brother in the television series "The Drew Carey Show" and has appeared in "Family Law," on CBS, "Gideon's Crossing," "The West Wing" and "Frasier," the television movies "Tuesdays with Morrie" and "Live from Baghdad" and the mini-series "From the Earth to the Moon." His recent stage credits include the original production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Dinner with Friends" and "Under the Blue Sky."

Chris Penn made his acting debut at the age of 16 in 1983's "Rumblefish." He has starred in more than 40 feature films including "Reservoir Dogs," "True Romance," "Rush Hour," "Mulholland Falls," "Short Cuts," "The Funeral," "Footloose" and "Murder by Numbers." He will be seen in the upcoming films "Starsky & Hutch" and "Palindromes." Penn's television credits include the mini-series "Dead Man's Walk" and the television movie "North Beach and Rawhide." He has guest-starred in "CSI: Miami" and "Chicago Hope" on CBS.

Ann Cusack's feature-film credits include "America's Sweethearts," "What Planet Are You From?," "Stigmata," "Multiplicity," "The Birdcage," "A League of Their Own" and "Gross Pointe Blank," among others. Her television credits include the series "Family Law," "Murder, She Wrote" and "Love and War," all on CBS, "Frasier," "Miracles," "Enterprise," "What About Joan," "Ally McBeal," "Maggie," "The Jeff Foxworthy Show," "Boomtown," "The Jackie Thomas Show" and "Overexposed." She appeared in the television movies "My Sister's Keeper," on the Network, and "Victim of Love," as well as the mini-series "From the Earth to the Moon."

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Mare Winningham has appeared in over 50 television movies and mini-series, including the "Hallmark Hall of Fame" presentations "Love Is Never Silent" and "The Boys Next Door," for which she received Emmy Award nominations, as well as "Little Girl Fly Away" and the Peabody Award-winning "Sharing the Secret," all on CBS. She won Emmy Awards for her performances in "George Wallace" and "Amber Waves." Winningham also starred in "Off the Minnesota Strip," "Love and Lies," "Helen Keller: The Miracle Continues," "God Bless the Child," "Everything That Rises," "Snap Decision," "Eye on the Sparrow" and the mini-series "The Thorn Birds." She will soon be seen in "The Maldonado Miracle." Winningham's feature-film credits include "Georgia," for which she earned Academy Award and SAG Award nominations and an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress, as well as "Wyatt Earp," "Turner and Hooch," "St. Elmo's Fire," "One Trick Pony," "Made in Heaven," "The War," "Threshold," "Under Pressure," "Miracle Mile" and the soon-to-be-released "Dandelion." Also a singer-songwriter, she recorded the album Lonesomers.

Elizabeth McGovern's feature-film debut was in "Ordinary People," followed by "Once Upon a Time in America" and "Ragtime," for which she earned an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress. Her additional feature-film credits include "Racing with the Moon," "She's Having a Baby," "The Handmaid's Tale," "A Shock to the System," "The Bedroom Window," "Lovesick," "Me & Veronica," "King of the Hill," "The Favor," "Wings of Courage," "The Wings of the Dove," "Twice Upon a Yesterday" and "Buffalo Soldiers." McGovern's television credits include the "Hallmark Hall of Fame" presentations "Flamingo Rising" and "The Summer of Ben," on CBS, as well as the television movies "The Scarlet Pimpernel," "Thursday the 12th," "Tales from Hollywood" and "Broken Trust" and the series "If Not for You," on the Network.

Angela Goethals starred in the television series "Do Over" and "Phenom." Her other television credits include "Boston Public," "Madigan Men," "The Tracey Ullman Show" and, on CBS, "The Education of Max Bickford." She appeared in the television movie "Porn 'n Chicken" and will be seen in the upcoming television movie "Surviving Christmas." Goethals' feature-film credits include "Jerry Maguire," "Changing Lanes," "V. I. Warshawski," "Storytelling," "Rocket Gibraltar" and "Home Alone."

Megan Henning's television credits include roles in "Judging Amy," on CBS, as well as "Boomtown," "NYPD Blue" and "The Practice." Her feature-film credits include "A Girl's Guide to the Wilderness," "A Safe Place," "Passing Resemblance" and "My Turn." She also has an extensive theater background.

Cleo King is best known to television audiences as Helene Parks in the series "Boston Public." Her other television credits include "Friends," "Six Feet Under," "The Bernie Mac Show," "Charmed," "NYPD Blue," "Strong Medicine," "Gilmore Girls," "The Jamie Foxx Show," "ER" and, on CBS, "Diagnosis Murder," "Becker" and "Murphy Brown." Her feature-film credits include "Dogville," "The Life of David Gale," "Waking Up in Reno," "Bubble Boy," "Dude, Where's My Car?," "Magnolia" and "Six Degrees of Separation."

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THE BROTHERHOOD OF POLAND, NEW HAMPSHIRE is produced by David E. Kelley Productions in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television.

Chief Hank Shaw Randy Quaid

Mayor Garrett Shaw      John Carroll Lynch
Waylon Shaw     Chris Penn
Julie Shaw      Ann Cusack
Dottie Shaw     Mare Winningham
Helen Shaw      Elizabeth McGovern
Katie Shaw      Angela Goethals
Monica Shaw     Megan Henning
Sharon Ropers   Elizabeth Sampson
Dr. Patz        Robert Stanton

Warren Ropers Wayne Joseph
Scott Haggis Larry Miller
Mark Green Tim Haldeman
Deputy Francine Hill Cleo King
Jack Boyle George Newbern
Rupert Robin James Eckhouse
Aerobics Instructor Lindsay Zir

RATING: TV14-LV

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Press Contacts: Andrea Ballas           323/575-2858            Andrea.ballas@tvc.cbs.com
                        Phoebe Glassner 212/975-3148            pglassner@cbs.com