Airing on NBC on Tuesday nights at 9 central time, Parenthood is one of those series that has managed to take a virtually unknown cast (sans Craig T. Nelson, of the 1990's tv series "Coach" and various movie roles) and create a raw, realistic family unit.
Set in the San Francisco area, the Braverman family is headed by parents Zeek(Nelson) and Camille(Bonnie Bedelia), a couple who began their relationship in the free love Hippie days of the 1960's. They share four children, Adam(Peter Krause), the oldest sibling to whom each family member- including the parents- look for advice and strength; Sarah (Lauren Graham), a free-spirited single mother of two teenage children whose ex husband deals with drug and alcohol addiction; Crosby (Dax Shepherd), a direction-less single father of a bi-racial son, whose ex girlfriend only introduced him to his son at the age of five; and Julia (Erika Christensen), a high powered lawyer, mother of an only child, whose husband is a stay-at-home dad; adult children who range from thirty to forty something. Rounding out the cast are a collection of seven grandchildren; three teenagers in various stages of teenage angst, one adolescent who deals with Asperger's Syndrome- a form of autism, two six year olds and an infant.
This show is not afraid to tackle the issues of any family; teenage sex and drug abuse, bi-racial families, behavioral disorders, you name it, the show handles it, and usually in a pretty realistic way; not everyone in the family agrees, and the problems aren't typically wrapped up in the one hour segment, but the storyline usually ends with an affirmation of the family's love for one another, even when they fight.
One of the criticisms of the show is how the cast "talk over" each other, interrupting the dialogue and literally fighting for the stage. I think this is one of the most realistic aspects of the show.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of the show is the soundtrack that goes along with each episode, showcasing various indie groups, as well as being headed by Bob Dylan's version of "Forever Young".
Even if you think you're not ready to tackle the issues of parenthood, I promise you can relate to this show. If you are a brother or sister, mother, father, son or daughter, this is a show for you.
I am always interested in any show that includes Asperger syndrome. You did a really good job of outlining who plays what part. I may try to catch this some evening. Good blog.
ReplyDeleteMartha