The alphabet network has renewed Sunday night drama Brothers & Sisters for a fifth season. As you may have heard, there are big changes in store for the TV show.

Brothers & Sisters revolves around the Walker family as they deal with their own personal dilemmas and run the family business, Ojai Foods. The ABC cast includes Calista Flockhart, Sally Field, Dave Annable, Emily VanCamp, Kerris Lilla Dorsey, Luke Grimes, Luke Macfarlane, Matthew Rhys, Maxwell Perry Cotton, Patricia Wettig, Rachel Griffiths, Rob Lowe, Ron Rifkin, and Balthazar Getty.

While the ratings this season are down from last year, the decrease isn’t dramatic (unlike most everything on the show). Last season, Brothers & Sisters averaged a 3.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 9.87 million viewers. So far, the ABC drama’s averaged a 3.0 in the demo and 9.23 million viewers.

The show’s now been renewed for a fifth season. No word on how many installments ABC will order but a full season of 22-24 episodes is expected.

However many episodes there are, they will likely be full of changes. Lowe is leaving the series later this season and Flockhart is supposedly going to be cutting back the number of episodes she’ll do. In addition, Gilles Marini, who plays the boyfriend of Sarah Walker (Griffiths), may become a series regular next season.

What do you think? Are you glad that Brothers & Sisters has been renewed? Do you think the cast changes will result in the show being cancelled or revitalized?

Image courtesy ABC.