Brotherhood

Creator Blake Masters originally pitched Brotherhood as a feature film to executive producer Elizabeth Guber Stephen, who convinced him it would work better as a television series.

The premise was inspired by the real-life Bulger brothers of Massachusetts: William M. Bulger, a prominent state politician, and his brother James J. Bulger, leader of the Winter Hill Gang.

Because Masters had no prior experience producing television, Showtime asked him to bring on a partner; being a fan of Homicide: Life on the Street, he recruited that show's writer/executive producer Henry Bromell, who joined after being impressed by the pilot.

After it was determined the show could not be filmed in Boston for budgetary reasons, producer Elizabeth Guber Stephen arranged a deal with the Rhode Island Film Office and even helped write the tax incentive legislation for film and TV production in Rhode Island.

The series was filmed largely on location in Providence, Rhode Island, including scenes shot at the Olneyville New York System Restaurant in Providence and in Woonsocket.

Season 1 episode titles are all drawn from religious texts, Season 2 episode titles are based on Bob Dylan song lyrics, and Season 3 episode titles are quotations from Shakespeare.

On July 18, 2007, the first two episodes of season 2 were leaked onto the internet via torrent before their official broadcast.

Despite low total viewership of around 540,000 for season one, Showtime renewed the series due to strong critical acclaim, and it later won a Peabody Award; the show was ultimately cancelled after three seasons, with the third season DVD billed as 'The Final Season.'