NBC doesn't have a lot going for it right now. The Thursday night comedy line-up is superb (as partially discussed here) but doesn't draw a lot of viewers and none of their dramas have really taken off. Their re-tooling of the British series Prime Suspect has not been a ratings juggernaut by any stretch of the imagination, and increasingly all their prime-time slots are being taken up by reality shows stretched to 2 hours to cover that yawning expanse of TV real estate. The one exception to this drama drought is Parenthood.
Based on the 1989 Steve Martin movie of the same name (which you should seek out because it is quite wonderful in its own right), the show revolves around the very large and very diverse Braverman family. The clan is headed by Zeke and Camille Braverman, a free-spirited couple that have raised their family with a great deal of love and make sure they gather everyone together for Sunday dinner every week. They have four children: Adam who has two kids (now three as of the last episode) with his wife Kristina; Sarah who has two kids from her disaster of a marriage with an alcoholic musician - at the beginning of the series she is divorced and has moved in with her parents as she figures out her financial situation; Crosby who finds out he fathered a now 5-year old child with an old flame and is trying to get his free-wheeling lifestyle into gear to cope with the responsibility; and Julia who, with her husband Joel, dotes on their only daughter. This is a huge cast of characters, each with their own strengths and foibles, and that is the kind of variety you need to make an hour-long drama week after week without losing the audience's interest.
The cast is filled with extremely talented people who seem to be completely in tune with their characters. The kids on the show are particularly notable because these are not your typical TV kids. They do not simply hang around in the background and get dragged out for a get-together or birthday scene. These kids have their own story lines, their own troubles and successes. There's Max who has been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome or Amber who alternates between careless wild child and penitent daughter. Drew and Haddie are the "good kids" who nonetheless struggle to shrug off the awkwardness of adolescence and make their mark in the midst of this rather hectic family.
Part of the show's realism comes from the fact that the writers allow for a great deal of improvisation. Scenes are set up but the dialogue is more loosely scripted, allowing the actors to speak naturally and fill in pauses with "ums" and "ahs" like regular folk. They make up their lines sometimes and struggle to communicate, all which is very much in keeping with real life and the actual dynamics between husband and wife, grandparent and grandson, brother and sister. This looseness makes the show more alive, more vibrant, and as a result, you genuinely enjoy tuning in every Tuesday night to see what fresh troubles have befallen the Bravermans.
Some story lines are hugely dramatic and over-the-top, because that is the point of TV. But others are small yet significant, minor victories and minor failures that add up to a more complete picture of each person and each family. Tonight's episode featured one such moment: Joel (played to stoic and warm perfection by Sam Jaeger) can no longer listen to his father-in-law's incessant hectoring of his daughters, and firmly declares that they are grown women who should be allowed to make their own decisions. He does not raise his voice and this does not turn into a bitter argument that will rankle for episodes to come. He simply declares his views with an air of finality that closes the subject, and after a short pause, things go back to normal. The reason he is able to do this, however, is that Joel never speaks. He has long conversations with his wife Julia (the marvelous Erika Christensen) and adores his daughter Sydney, but when it comes to family gatherings, it is rare to see Joel do much more than ask someone to pass the salt. Therefore, these rare moments when he speaks sharply and can no longer keep his opinions to himself are surprisingly effective and a great deal of fun for the viewer. You can't help but cheer.
This is by no means a perfect show. It has its ups and downs like any other. But it is an incisive portrait of what it takes to make a large family love each other despite everything. They are into the third season and so much has happened that you would marvel that any of these people even speak to each other now. But they do. Because ultimately they know that all of their mistakes and squabbles can be forgiven and when they really need some help, their family will back them up 100 percent. So the next time you're on the lookout for some good old-fashioned family drama that is silly, poignant, warm, funny, heartbreaking, shocking, and so on, give Parenthood a try. You might find yourself wishing you could join in the big family dinner at the end.
Based on the 1989 Steve Martin movie of the same name (which you should seek out because it is quite wonderful in its own right), the show revolves around the very large and very diverse Braverman family. The clan is headed by Zeke and Camille Braverman, a free-spirited couple that have raised their family with a great deal of love and make sure they gather everyone together for Sunday dinner every week. They have four children: Adam who has two kids (now three as of the last episode) with his wife Kristina; Sarah who has two kids from her disaster of a marriage with an alcoholic musician - at the beginning of the series she is divorced and has moved in with her parents as she figures out her financial situation; Crosby who finds out he fathered a now 5-year old child with an old flame and is trying to get his free-wheeling lifestyle into gear to cope with the responsibility; and Julia who, with her husband Joel, dotes on their only daughter. This is a huge cast of characters, each with their own strengths and foibles, and that is the kind of variety you need to make an hour-long drama week after week without losing the audience's interest.
The cast is filled with extremely talented people who seem to be completely in tune with their characters. The kids on the show are particularly notable because these are not your typical TV kids. They do not simply hang around in the background and get dragged out for a get-together or birthday scene. These kids have their own story lines, their own troubles and successes. There's Max who has been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome or Amber who alternates between careless wild child and penitent daughter. Drew and Haddie are the "good kids" who nonetheless struggle to shrug off the awkwardness of adolescence and make their mark in the midst of this rather hectic family.
Part of the show's realism comes from the fact that the writers allow for a great deal of improvisation. Scenes are set up but the dialogue is more loosely scripted, allowing the actors to speak naturally and fill in pauses with "ums" and "ahs" like regular folk. They make up their lines sometimes and struggle to communicate, all which is very much in keeping with real life and the actual dynamics between husband and wife, grandparent and grandson, brother and sister. This looseness makes the show more alive, more vibrant, and as a result, you genuinely enjoy tuning in every Tuesday night to see what fresh troubles have befallen the Bravermans.
Some story lines are hugely dramatic and over-the-top, because that is the point of TV. But others are small yet significant, minor victories and minor failures that add up to a more complete picture of each person and each family. Tonight's episode featured one such moment: Joel (played to stoic and warm perfection by Sam Jaeger) can no longer listen to his father-in-law's incessant hectoring of his daughters, and firmly declares that they are grown women who should be allowed to make their own decisions. He does not raise his voice and this does not turn into a bitter argument that will rankle for episodes to come. He simply declares his views with an air of finality that closes the subject, and after a short pause, things go back to normal. The reason he is able to do this, however, is that Joel never speaks. He has long conversations with his wife Julia (the marvelous Erika Christensen) and adores his daughter Sydney, but when it comes to family gatherings, it is rare to see Joel do much more than ask someone to pass the salt. Therefore, these rare moments when he speaks sharply and can no longer keep his opinions to himself are surprisingly effective and a great deal of fun for the viewer. You can't help but cheer.
This is by no means a perfect show. It has its ups and downs like any other. But it is an incisive portrait of what it takes to make a large family love each other despite everything. They are into the third season and so much has happened that you would marvel that any of these people even speak to each other now. But they do. Because ultimately they know that all of their mistakes and squabbles can be forgiven and when they really need some help, their family will back them up 100 percent. So the next time you're on the lookout for some good old-fashioned family drama that is silly, poignant, warm, funny, heartbreaking, shocking, and so on, give Parenthood a try. You might find yourself wishing you could join in the big family dinner at the end.
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