I enjoyed the pilot. I hope it sticks around, network TV has been missing a good family drama for a while now. They have tried but failed in my opinion, this one seems like it may be good at least the pilot made me have hope.
Parenthood The heavily promoted launch of NBC's "Parenthood" got off to an OK start Tuesday night, winning its hour with a somewhat unimpressive number considering the strength of its Olympic-sized marketing.
On the plus side, "Parenthood" (8.1 million viewers, 3.1 preliminary adults 18-49 rating) largely retained its "The Biggest Loser" (8.3 million, 3.2) lead-in. For NBC to win 10 p.m. with a scripted drama in a post-"Leno Show" era is what the network needs, though NBC hoped for a bigger splash out of the gate. Critics generally liked the first hour, with THR calling it a "sweet, extraordinarily well-cast dramedy."
Rival networks are jumping on the "Parenthood" number, but it's important to remember that "The Good Wife" debuted to this same rating, in this same time period, and the CBS show is now considered a success. Bottom line: From this starting point, "Parenthood" could go either way.
Lauren Graham is gorgeous! I've only ever seen her in Bad Santa as "Santa's Girlfriend" she is sexy as hell! But she also doesn't look 43, not even close!
I am really enjoying this show, and for me I am much more interested in Sarah and the kids than anything else on the show, so to see a focal point on them would be more to my liking in the future. They haven't really established her son nearly as much as her daughter, so I hope that changes over the coming episodes. And here's Sepinwall's thoughts.......
Quote:
A review of tonight's "Parenthood" coming up just as soon as I forget my worry beads...
"Parenthood" has a huge cast, and this early in the series, I'm sure there's both internal and external pressure to service them all as much as possible. Down the road, I wouldn't be surprised to see episodes where, say, we focus largely on Sarah and her kids, with the other family members seen only from Sarah's perspective. For now, though, Jason Katims and company want "Parenthood" to be clearly an ensemble, and that means some stories wind up more undercooked than others.
Once again, the plot with the strongest sense of focus was Adam coping with Max's Asperger diagnosis - or, rather, living in denial of it until being set straight by "the Bob Dylan of autism."(*) Peter Krause did a very good job at playing the confusion and need for a quick-fix that many dads would feel in that situation, and I thought Adam and Kristina's half-intimidated, half-horrified visit to meet the Asperger-veteran parents was really funny without really seeming to make too much fun of the other couple. (By the end, you could tell the Braverman's were suffering from information overload but were also kind of impressed that the Lessings know so much, even if sometimes they just let their own kid jump around the house and play loud music.)
(*) Bob Dylan did, in fact, have several albums hit number one, both here and in the UK, so is Max limiting his definition of "record" to mean "single" (where he got as high as #2 a few times)? Or did the creative team screw up not with the Asperger's, but with the music knowledge? I also found it interesting that, after the pilot featured Dylan's "Forever Young" at several points, an episode that repeatedly namechecked Dylan instead closed with Paul Simon's "St. Judy's Comet." I suppose they don't want to get pigeon-holed as "that show with the Dylan soundtrack." That, or his songs ain't cheap enough to license every week.
There was also another very entertaining scene with all the siblings (plus their mom) coming together after the auction, and partaking of the weed Adam found in his yard. These actors work very well together, and while seeing the whole clan get together this often is probably the show's biggest fantasy, seeing the brothers and sisters interact helps give us a clearer sense of who they are when they're each off in their own stories.
And those other individual plotlines were a bit sketchier than Adam's. Crosby, in particular, feels like he's not getting enough screen-time - and I'm surprised to be making that complaint about the Dax Shepard character in a show that co-stars Peter Krause, Lauren Graham and Erika Christensen - as I really enjoyed his breakfast date with his son (the grown-up questions thing, delivered deadpan by Shepard, was quite funny) and want to have a better sense of his relationship with Katie, which is mostly played as a goof.
I feel like I've seen the exact story with Julia feeling jealous of the stay-at-home mom on another show, but I'm blanking on what show that was. (Did Rachel Griffiths go through the same thing on "Brothers & Sisters," maybe?) Right now, Julia's the sibling who most verges on cliche, so I want to see where they take her in the future.
And Sarah actually got two stories in one, with her losing out on the dream job (though it was ambiguous whether she ever really had a shot, or if even the positive first interview was the guy sucking up to Adam by proxy) and then going to bat for Amber with her principal. Graham has the most experience of anyone in the cast on trying to do comedy and drama simultaneously, and you can see the creative team leaning on her for that, as we get to see Sarah be amusingly bumbling at picking out a good interview outfit, then awkward but ultimately charming in that interview, and then full-on mama bear in trying to get Amber out of the 10th grade. I also think Graham and Christensen play well off each other (or appear to, since their interactions are usually over the phone).
NBC's "Parenthood" took a knock in Week 2, dropping 16% and slipping into second place in the 10 p.m. hour.
"Parenthood" (6.1 million, 2.6 preliminary adults 18-49 rating) fell 13% from its "Biggest Loser" (7.9 million, 3.0) lead-in to rank as the night's second lowest-rated drama on a major broadcast network behind the presumed series finale of "The Forgotten" (4.9 million, 1.5).
When the time came for Parenthood to introduce the character of Gaby Moss, an Asperger’s aid that Kristina (Monica Potter) and Adam (Peter Krause) hire to help out with their son, Max, the NBC drama’s boss, Jason Katims, immediately thought of his onetime Friday Night Lights ingénue Minka Kelly.
“On the one hand, she’s charming and easy-going,” says Katims, “but she’s also quietly forceful, which is something this role requires. It’s a tough position to come in and tell anybody, ‘Hey, you’re not doing a good job with your kid.’”
Katims sent Kelly the script and within 24 hours she wanted in. “It was fortuitous that she had an opening in her schedule to do it,” he says of her two-episode arc, which kicks off next Tuesday. “Should we get more seasons of the show and if she’s available, I would love to [bring her back]. We’re waiting to see on both fronts.”
I'm not sure this show will make it but the wife and I both really enjoy it. I think it's one of those shows thought that unless you have a kid yourself and/or can relate to the show and get it then you won't like it much. If I wasn't married and didn't have a kid then I doubt I'd watch it. I think that is why numbers are low for it.
being a fan of someone does not equal quality. Look at Caprica.
I want some more darker storylines for this show. Like one of the kids having ALD. That would be bold, and true drama if done right.
Oh yeah I didn't mean to imply that either, yes there are a lot of things that could be improved, so characters I really like and others just aren't working for me. I would really like an episode that didn't feel the need to focus on the entire family and their individual storylines. Since we have pretty much established who each of the Braveman's are, I'd like episodes that focus on just a few of them like Adam and his clan one week, or Sarah and her kids you know not necessarily bounce back and fourth. One thing that really surprised me was how funny Dax Shepard's discussions with Jabar have been. Like when he talks to him like he's an adult, I really thought Dax would be the one who didn't work on this show, but so far for me the one character I really don't care for is Erica Chirstensen's Julia character. I did like that they have worked in some of the stuff from the original movie like Sarah's son Drew and the masturbation storyline which was pretty much ripped from Joaquin Phoenix's part in the original movie. I think the show definitely has potential for me more so than Caprica, which I am officially ending my relationship with, oh yeah thats right, it got DVR timer DELETED, serious business.
Quote:
Originally Posted by STARSCREAM
I'm not sure this show will make it but the wife and I both really enjoy it. I think it's one of those shows thought that unless you have a kid yourself and/or can relate to the show and get it then you won't like it much. If I wasn't married and didn't have a kid then I doubt I'd watch it. I think that is why numbers are low for it.
I'm 24, single with no children and enjoy this quite a bit. I was always a fan of the movie too though. The numbers vary from week to week, it's definitely on the bubble but a few solid episode ratings increases could get this one renewed.
Last night's episode was another really good one. I would love to see this show be given a chance and to grow and expand and continue to give me more Lauren Graham cause damn, something about her makes my mouth water, lol.
Quote:
Question: I’m loving Parenthood. It’s so great to have Lauren Graham back in my living room again. And the cast is great together. Any news on whether the show’s getting picked up for a second season or not? —Kay
Ausiello: I’m loving Parenthood, too. Head over to my Bubble Show Scorecard for some very good news about the show’s season 2 prospects.
Question: How long is Jason Ritter’s stint on Parenthood? Any chance we’ll be seeing more of Mike O’Malley? —Lelia
Ausiello: Ritter’s in the midst of a three-episode arc and exec producer Jason Katims says they’re “trying to bring him back for the season finale.” O’Malley, meanwhile, returns in episode 9.
Question: Are viewers going to see a relationship develop with Crosby and Jasmine on Parenthood? —Jane
Ausiello: I put that question to Jason Katims, to which he sheepishly replied, “You may just.” (Translation: Yes!)
Looks promising. I would like them to give the show enough time to really find its legs. I have enjoyed this a lot more than I thought it would, yes I still have some complaints but who doesn't with new shows?
Quote:
Parenthood has a new episode average of a 2.63 rating for adults 18-49. It may not look like much, but on NBC it’s the biggest scripted fish they’ve caught all season. NBC has only 3 scripted shows with better new episode averages (Office, 30 Rock and Law & Order: SVU). By comparison, CBS has thirteen scripted shows with a better ratings average.
On CBS, Parenthood would get thrown back in the lake. On NBC, it looks like a trophy.
Question: Any word on season 2 of Parenthood?
Ausiello: This week’s episode held up well against Glee, so I’m leaving it as “a safe bet” on my Bubble Show Scorecard. E.P. Jason Katims, meanwhile, tells me the season finale won’t really work as a series finale since “there will be one or two questions that are hanging in the balance.” (Note to NBC: If you cancel this show, I release the pictures!)
I've watched all the episodes so far and have mostly enjoyed it. I'm not a huge fan of Dax Shepard and would prefer they didn't focus so much on his storyline, but overall I've found the show pretty good. I would think this show is going to return.
All countries
Argentina
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Bulgaria
Chile
China
Colombia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Estonia
Denmark
Finland
Greece
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
India
Latvia
Lithuania
Malaysia
New Zealand
Norway
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Singapore
South Africa
South Korea
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
Parenthood
she is sexy as hell! But she also doesn't look 43, not even close!
Linear Mode
