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It's been 24 years since NBC introduced its television audience to the notorious Reed sisters – Alex (Swoosie Kurtz), Teddy (Sela Ward), Georgie (Patricia Kalember) and Frankie (Julianne Phillips) – and now they're back on DVD courtesy of Shout! Factory and the tenacity of determined Sisters fans.

Seasons 1 and 2 of the series, now available for purchase, covered topics both scandalous and salacious (cross dressing and couple swapping) but also poignant and groundbreaking (abortion, alcoholism and surrogacy).

Although never a ratings blockbuster, Sisters captured an emerging coveted audience, the female demographic aged 18 to 49, in addition to boasting a solid leading cast that included a two-time Tony winner (Kurtz) and thirtysomething veteran (Kalember). However, it was Ward who quickly revealed herself to be the true breakout star as the reckless, albeit thoughtful, artistic Teddy; in 1994, she took home the Emmy for Leading Actress in a Drama Series and went on to snag the same award in 2000 for her work as Lily Manning in the critically-acclaimed Once and Again. Ward, herself, noted in her 2002 memoir, "Homesick," that "Teddy Reed was the role that would make a real actress out of me. It was like going to acting class on a daily basis, week after week."

At its core, Sisters promoted the bonds of family once thought by previous generations to be ingrained in its children only to suddenly witness it more difficult to have those values adhere in this last decade of the 20th century. In an early episode, Reed matriarch, Bea, chastised her daughters for having witnessed disloyalty among them. Her eloquent words resonated with watchers and within those same words NBC found a famous tagline for the series.

"Daddy's gone. One day, I'll be gone," she reminds Alex and Frankie in the heartbreaking season one closer, 'Some Tuesday in July.' "Children will leave, so will husbands and lovers. But not your sisters. You're the only ones who know each other from cradle to grave."

And from this, a solid fan base emerged – a base so loyal that it fought years for Sisters to gain rebirth on DVD as so many shows previously. It was one that Kolya Lynne Smith, President/Director of a non-profit organization and a devoted follower of the series, took charge of seven years ago by starting a petition put out by Care2 petitions. "Every milestone, I would print out and mail the signatures (of the petition) to Warner Brothers (studio behind Sisters) and NBC," she tells Soapdom. "I made it a point to highlight comments of the signers...to stop encouraging piracy and release the DVDs...highlighting the signers all over the world – Peru, Croatia, Netherlands, etc."

"I also made a facebook group for Sisters and a YouTube video, letting people know about the petition and group," adds Smith, who cites Georgie as her favorite Reed sister. (A must-see for all is Season 2's inspiring episode entitled, 'George Through The Looking Glass.'

Upon learning that the battle was won, Smith recalls to Soapdom, "I was sitting on a bus, coming back from a trip to New Hampshire, and I had to cover my mouth quickly because I screamed loudly! Then, the tears started to flow from happiness and relief."

Bonus features include an in-depth sit-down with Sisters show creators/executive producers/co-writers, Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, who would later on, remember, tap into the zeitgeist with Showtime's memorable Queer As Folk. Some fun nuggets fans will find interesting involve the show's casting process – Kurtz's chat with Cowen and Lipman took place on a city curb over a tuna sandwich; Kalember originally auditioned for Teddy; Ward was the last sister cast only three days before shooting – the uproar caused by the opening sauna sequence that set the scene for every show in those first two years – and, most surprising of all, the inspiration for the indelible Reed sisters.

At press time, there was no word from Shout! Factory on whether or not it planned on releasing any future seasons. However, Soapdom has on good authority that Smith and others have been emailing the distributor "like crazy."

To purchase seasons 1 and 2 of Sisters, go to shoutfactory.com If you're interested in lending a hand to make available Sisters remaining seasons, email Shout! Factory at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

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