The purported seven-figure contract will keep Baitz on as executive producer of "Brothers & Sisters" and also supports the development of projects for the studio through 2009. "He's one of the truly great original voices out there, and we are eager to make a home for him so we can continue to develop material together," ABC Studios exec VP Julia Franz told Variety — conceding she first signed Baitz for "Brothers & Sisters" based on his work as a playwright.
Baitz created "Brothers & Sisters," which stars stage veterans Calista Flockhart, Sally Field, Ron Rifkin, Patricia Wettig and Rob Lowe as well as Rachel Griffiths, Balthazar Getty, Dave Annable, Matthew Rhys, Sarah Jane Morris, Emily VanCamp and Kerris Lilla Dorsey. The one-hour drama series airs Sundays at 10 PM (ET).
Baitz's plays include The Paris Letter, Ten Unknowns, Mizlansky/Zilinsky or Schmucks, A Fair Country, The Film Society, The Substance of Fire, The End of the Day and Three Hotels. He has also written the screenplays for "The Substance of Fire" and "People I Know" as well as for TV's "The West Wing" and "Alias."