Parenthood.

It's refreshing to have a show that is not centered around cops, a courtroom, or the ER. Finally, we have something that many of us can relate to. NBC hasn't really had a lot to brag about as far as dramas over the years. Not since they canned Studio 60 has there been a show the family can gather around and appreciate. Parenthood on Tuesday night is that one.

I have been a huge fan of Peter Krause since he first appeared as Casey McCall on Sports Night. He has finally landed another great show since that one was cancelled. He stars as Adam Braverman, the oldest of four kids now all grown with families of their own. He has a family of his own, a wife, a teenage daughter, and a young son with a form of Autism called Azbergers syndrome. He works for a shoe company in marketing and advertising, and has his struggles, yet it would appear that every single member of his family comes to him at some if not multiple points in the episode to complain about something or get advice about something else.

It seems that there is no time for him to catch a moment to himself or to enjoy his life. You really feel for him and hope that things turn around for him. Many times I have found myself wondering if this is the episode that things turn around for him. It's time for someone to be there for Adam.

Also returning to television is Lauren Graham, best known as Lorelei Gilmore on the hit show the Gilmore Girls. She is Sarah Braverman, single mother to two children this time around, a teenage boy and girl. She struggles finding a job and keeping it, as well as being a good mother to her kids who miss their father and wish things in their lives weren't so cruddy all the time. Sarah is hard working and loves her family. She also is someone we can relate to, a parent trying everything she can to make her family happy. She is selfless and giving and her scenes are filled with tears and laughter.

Surprisingly the scene stealer of the show as far as I'm concerned is Dax Sheppard as Crosby Braverman. He is a music producer, lives on a houseboat, and just recently discovered that he is a father to a 6 year old son named Jabbar. He never knew he existed until the mother, a fling from long ago, returned in the pilot episode to inform Crosby that he is a father. Crosby is fun guy who doesn't run towards responsibility but when he learned he was a father, he is changing his ways and watching him learn what to do and not to do as a new father is fun and memorable. I was worried that I wouldn't like him, but he has turned out to be the most likable person on the show.

What I love about this show is the dedication to family that is at the heart of the show. Each week no matter what goes wrong, no matter what fights they find themselves in, no matter what struggles they go through, nothing beats your family. Blood is blood and the bond that unites is the strongest bond in the world. You want to be a Braverman, and you want to feel the love that they feel for each other. I love that. I love the feeling that nothing beats family.

It's encouraging that somewhere out there, TV executives wanted to make a show that didn't revolve around the big three, court, cop, doctor. They saw how shows like 7th Heaven, Brothers and Sisters, Gilmore Girls, and others could still find a heart with viewers. They have done it with this show. I encourage you to give it a try, I really think you will like it.

Until Next Time
P