Parenthood: ‘Pilot’

As somebody who likes to keep up-to-date on the discussions and debates occurring in television criticism, I’ve managed to get a pretty good idea on what the general consensus is of the best US network dramas (ignoring cable gems like Mad Men, Justified, Boardwalk Empire and Breaking Bad). When considering the best current dramas on the main networks (we’re talking about ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX here), the names that frequently crop up are The Good Wife (a legal drama that I’ve seen enough of to know that it’s worth its reputation), Fringe (a sci-fi spectacular which I’m borderline fanatical about) and family drama Parenthood, which, over the pond, is in its second season and began here last Thursday on the newly rebranded channel 5*.

Whilst I’m not necessarily buying into the critical acclaim and Thursday’s premiere wasn’t a perfect pilot episode, I can’t deny that Parenthood exhibits many qualities that will keep me watching. It has a superb cast and a tone that fits neatly in the gap between comedy and drama. I really like the fact that the problems that these families are dealing with seem realistic and that it’s both heartfelt and funny. There’s a lot to enjoy in the overloaded first hour (in some ways it might’ve worked better as an extended episode) and even just on the merits of the pilot it would be something that I’d recommend.

The plot of Parenthood follows three generations of the very large Braverman family. At the head of this family are Zeek and Camille (played by Craig T. Nelson and Bonnie Bedelia), they are the parents to Adam (Peter Krause), Sarah (Lauren Graham), Crosby (Dax Shepard) and Julia (Erika Christensen) who each have families/relationships of their own and are dealing with different issues relating to parenthood. Adam and his wife Kristina (Monica Potter) have two children: 16-year old typical “good girl” Haddie (Sarah Ramos) and 8-year old Max (Max Burkholder), who has just been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. Sarah has recently divorced from her musician husband and also has two kids: rebellious 16-year old Amber (Mae Whitman) and 14-year old Drew (Miles Heizer), who is introverted and quiet. Crosby is in a long-term relationship yet hesitant to start a family, as he doesn’t really have things under control. The youngest of the siblings, Julia, is a lawyer who is finding it difficult to spend time with her 5-year old daughter Sydney (Savannah Paige Rae); Julia is married to Joel (Sam Jaeger), who is a stay-at-home father.

As you can probably tell, there’s a lot going on in Parenthood and I must say that it’s impressive that the first episode didn’t feel more bloated. Some of the families’ stories are more effective than others, with the most interesting being Adam and Kristina dealing with their son’s diagnosis and Sarah re-discovering life after her divorce. I’m one of four siblings myself and I feel like the show really understands the way that a large family communicates, especially how so many conversations can turn into a shouting contest. It is also just very refreshing to watch a show about real problems that people actually tackle, not everything has to be super-dramatic for it to be compelling.

Overall, I was impressed by the first episode of Parenthood. I’m intrigued to see if the show can make me care about the entire family rather than just some smaller groupings while the strong performances and atmosphere will keep me watching to see if it finds some better balance. In the early stages, though, characters are what draw you in and Parenthood has a whole load of great characters who I want to see interact with each other each week. If you like the sound of a drama that has a good sense of real family dynamics, it’s worth tuning in for.

Parenthood airs on Thursdays at 10pm on 5*

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