''Parenthood'' is an American family

comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

television series developed by

Jason Katims Jason Katims (born November 30, 1960) is an American television writer, producer, and playwright. He is best known as the creator of several television series, including '' Relativity'' (1996), '' Roswell'' (1999–2002), '' Friday Night Lights' ...

and produced by

Imagine Television Imagine may refer to: * Imagination Music Albums * ''Imagine'' (Armin van Buuren album), 2008 * ''Imagine'' (Eva Cassidy album), 2002 * ''Imagine'' (Janice Vidal album), 2012 * ''Imagine'' (John Lennon album), 1971 ** ''Imagine: John Lennon ...

and

Universal Television Universal Television LLC (abbreviated as UTV) is an American television production company that is a subsidiary of Universal Studio Group, a division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It serves as the network television production arm of NBC; a prede ...

for

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

. The show tells of the Braverman clan, consisting of an older couple, their four children, and their families. Loosely based on the 1989 film of the same name, the series is the second adaptation of the film to air on television, preceded by the 1990–91 TV series, which also aired on NBC. Following the release of '' Friday Night Lights'', Katims approached

Ron Howard Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He first came to prominence as a child actor, guest-starring in several television series, including an episode of '' The Twilight Zone''. ...

and

Brian Grazer Brian Thomas Grazer (born July 12, 1951) is an American film and television producer and writer. He founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with Ron Howard. The films they produced have grossed over $15 billion. Grazer was personally nominated f ...

with the idea of creating an updated, modern adaptation of the 1989 film and bringing it to television. The series ran for six seasons from March 6, 2010 to January 29, 2015. The series was well received by television critics and earned several nominations and awards, including one Vision Award, a

Critics' Choice Television Award The Critics' Choice Television Awards are accolades that are presented annually by the Critics Choice Association (CCA). They were established in 2011, and the first ceremony was held on June 20, 2011, and streamed live on VH1.com. The fourt ...

, two

Television Academy Honors The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), also colloquially known as the Television Academy, is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the television industry in the United States. It is a 501(c)(6) non-prof ...

awards, four

Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...

s, and three Entertainment Industries Council PRISM Awards. Despite positive reviews, the series never gained a strong audience; the pilot received the highest audience figures, with ratings declining thereafter. The sixth and final season, consisting of 13 episodes, premiered on September 25, 2014. The series finale aired on January 29, 2015.

Series overview

The series is set in

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and E ...

on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay. The show revolves around three generations of the Braverman family: the patriarch Ezekiel "Zeek" Braverman, the matriarch Camille Braverman, and the families of their four children Adam, Sarah, Crosby, and Julia. Adam is married to Kristina and they have three children, Haddie, Max and Nora. Max is diagnosed with

Asperger's Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger's, is a former neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavio ...

. Sarah is divorced from Seth and has two teen children, Amber and Drew. Crosby is married to Jasmine and has a son, Jabbar, and a daughter Aida. Julia is married to Joel and has a daughter, Sydney, and a son, Victor, whom they adopted after finding themselves unable to conceive a second child.

Cast and characters

Peter Krause Peter William Krause (; born August 12, 1965) is an American actor, director, and producer. He has played lead roles in multiple television series, portraying Casey McCall on '' Sports Night'' (1998–2000), Nate Fisher on '' Six Feet Under'' ( ...

as Adam Braverman *

Lauren Graham Lauren Graham (born March 16, 1967) is an American actress and author. She is best known for her roles as Lorelai Gilmore on The WB/ CW television series ''Gilmore Girls'' (2000–2007), for which she received nominations for Screen Actors Guil ...

as Sarah Braverman *

Dax Shepard Dax Randall Shepard (born January 2, 1975) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker and podcast host. Since 2018, he has hosted ''Armchair Expert'', a podcast that interviews celebrities, journalists, and academics about their lives. Shepard ha ...

as Crosby Braverman *

Monica Potter Monica Gregg Potter (née Brokaw; born June 30, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her starring roles in the films ''Con Air'' (1997), ''Patch Adams'' (1998), and '' Along Came a Spider'' (2001). She also appeared in the horror films ...

as Kristina Braverman * Erika Christensen as Julia Braverman-Graham *

Sam Jaeger Samuel Heath Jaeger (born January 29, 1977) is an American actor and screenwriter. Life and career Jaeger was born in Perrysburg, Ohio, the son of LeAnne (née Graening) and Charles Jaeger. He is the youngest of four children. He graduated from ...

as Joel Graham * Savannah Paige Rae as Sydney Graham *

Sarah Ramos Sarah Emily Ramos (born May 21, 1991) is an American actress who began her career as a child actress. She is known for her roles on the television series ''American Dreams'' (2002–2005) and '' Parenthood'' (2010–2015). Early life Ramos was ...

as Haddie Braverman (main seasons 1–3; recurring season 4; guest seasons 5 & 6) *

Max Burkholder Maxwell Henry Wolf Burkholder (born November 1, 1997) is an American actor most notable for his role as Max Braverman in the comedic television drama on NBC, '' Parenthood''. Prior to that, he became known as a voice actor for his roles as Chomp ...

as Max Braverman *

Joy Bryant Joy Bryant is an American actress, businesswoman and fashion model. She has appeared in numerous films and television since beginning her acting career in 2001. She has received two NAACP Image Award nominations, and one Screen Actors Guild Award ...

as Jasmine Trussell *

Miles Heizer Miles Dominic Heizer (born May 16, 1994) is an American actor. On television, he is known for portraying Alex Standall in the Netflix original series ''13 Reasons Why'' and Drew Holt in the NBC drama series '' Parenthood''. He has also appeared i ...

as Drew Holt *

Mae Whitman Mae Margaret Whitman (born June 9, 1988) is an American actress and singer. She began acting in commercials as a child, making her film debut at the age of six in the romantic drama '' When a Man Loves a Woman'' (1994). She achieved recognition as ...

as Amber Holt *

Bonnie Bedelia Bonnie Bedelia Culkin (born ) is an American actress. After beginning her career in theatre in the 1960s, Bedelia starred in the CBS daytime soap opera '' Love of Life'' and made her film debut in '' The Gypsy Moths''. Bedelia subsequently appea ...

as Camille Braverman * Craig T. Nelson as Ezekiel "Zeek" Braverman * Tyree Brown as Jabbar Trussell (recurring season 1; main seasons 2–6) *

Xolo Maridueña Xolo Maridueña (; born June 9, 2001) is an American actor. His roles include Miguel Diaz in the Netflix series ''Cobra Kai'', Victor Graham in the NBC TV series '' Parenthood'', and Jaime Reyes / Blue Beetle in the upcoming DC Extended Univer ...

as Victor Graham (guest season 3; main seasons 4–6)

Production

Development

''Parenthood'' is based on the 1989 film of the same name, co-written and directed by

. Following the release of the film, a

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

was created and aired in 1990 on

but turned out to be unsuccessful and was cancelled after one season. Nearly two decades later,

, the

showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also the ...

of '' Friday Night Lights'', met with Howard and

to ask them to readapt the film on television, which they accepted though they were reluctant at first. The show was given the

green-light To green-light is to give permission to proceed with a project. The term is a reference to the green traffic signal, indicating "go ahead". Film industry In the context of the film and television industries, to green-light something is to ...

from NBC in January 2009, and Katims finished writing the pilot script in early 2009.

Casting

Erika Christensen was the first actress to land a role in the pilot in early March 2009. By the end of the month,

Maura Tierney Maura Therese Tierney (born February 3, 1965) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She is best known for her roles as Lisa Miller on the sitcom '' NewsRadio'' (1995–1999), Abby Lockhart on the medical drama '' ER'' (1999–2009) ...

and Craig T. Nelson were all attached to the drama. Nelson came aboard the project after passing on the role of the grandfather in ''

Modern Family ''Modern Family'' is an American family sitcom television series created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan for the American Broadcasting Company. It ran for 11 seasons, from September 23, 2009, to April 8, 2020. It follows the lives of th ...

''. In April,

was chosen to portray Peter Krause's son. In that same month

and

were cast.

Diane Farr Diane Farr (born September 7, 1969) is an American actress, producer, and writer. She is known for her roles as the FBI agent Megan Reeves in the CBS television series '' Numb3rs'' and the firefighter Laura Miles in '' Rescue Me''. Life and ca ...

was originally chosen as Kristina Braverman, but she quickly left the series due to scheduling conflicts with ''

Californication Californication may refer to: *Californication (word) ''Californication'' is a portmanteau of California and fornication, appearing in ''Time'' on May 6, 1966 and written about on August 21, 1972, additionally seen on bumper stickers in the U.S. ...

'' and was replaced by Potter. The series was originally scheduled to premiere on NBC on September 23, 2009. However, on July 10, 2009, it was announced that ''Parenthood'' would be pushed back to midseason due to Tierney's

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or ...

diagnosis. On September 10, 2009, a spokesperson for Tierney announced that she was leaving the show because of conflicts with her treatment schedule. Tierney's already-filmed scenes were deleted. On October 9, 2009, it was reported that

would replace Tierney in the upcoming series.

Helen Hunt Helen Elizabeth Hunt (born June 15, 1963) is an American actress and director. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. Hunt rose to fame portraying Ja ...

had been approached, but she and NBC could not come to a financial deal. The pilot was reshot in November. Max Burkholder, who portrays a boy who has

, explained how they ensure his portrayal is accurate:

Ray Romano Raymond Albert Romano (born December 21, 1957) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Ray Barone on the CBS sitcom '' Everybody Loves Raymond'', for which he received an Emmy Award, and as t ...

joined the cast, in the role of Hank Rizzoli on September 11, 2012. The role was specifically created for him after he expressed his love for the show and met with Katims on the set of ''Friday Night Lights''.

Filming

Production for the first season began in 2009 with Katims as

executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights ...

, serving as showrunner and

head writer A head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera genre, as well as with sketch comedies and talk shows that feature monologues and comedy skits. In fictional comedy o ...

; he also directed a few episodes later in the series. The pilot episode was filmed in

Northern California Northern California (colloquially known as NorCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties, its main population centers incl ...

, using local crews, while the rest of the series was filmed in Los Angeles. As in Katims's other show, '' Friday Night Lights'', three cameras were used for shooting, placed at both sides of a scene. There usually were no

table read The read-through, table-read, or table work is a stage of film, television, radio, and theatre production when an organized reading around a table of the screenplay or script by the actors with speaking parts is conducted. In addition to the ca ...

s prior to the filming of an episode, a process often used in other television shows.

Broadcast history

In the aftermath of Maura Tierney's departure, the premiere date that was originally set for September 23, 2009, was moved to March 1, 2010, at 9:00 p.m., but it was again delayed to the following day at 10:00 p.m. in the aftermath of ''

The Jay Leno Show ''The Jay Leno Show'' is a talk show created and hosted by Jay Leno. Premiering on NBC on September 14, 2009, the program aired on weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ET/ PT through February 9, 2010. The program was modeled upon the format of a late ...

'' cancellation and

2010 Tonight Show conflict The 2010 ''Tonight Show'' conflict was a media and public relations conflict involving the American television network NBC and two of its late-night talk show hosts, Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno, over the timeslot and hosting duties of long-runni ...

, requiring the return of scripted programming to the later time slot. The series premiered on March 2, 2010, at 10:00 p.m., on

, following ''

The Biggest Loser ''The Biggest Loser'' is a reality television format which started with the American TV show '' The Biggest Loser'' in 2004. The show centers on overweight and obese contestants attempting to lose the most weight; the winner receives a cash pr ...

''. The series premiere was dedicated to the memory of Nora O'Brien, a vice president at NBC, who died on the set of ''Parenthood'' on April 29, 2009, after collapsing from an

aneurysm An aneurysm is an outward bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also be a nidus ( ...

. On April 20, 2010, ''Parenthood'' was renewed for a second season by NBC, as reported by ''Variety''. The second season premiered September 14, 2010. Later that year on November 15, it was announced that ''Parenthood'' would be moving to Mondays at 10/9c beginning March 7. However, due to an overhaul of NBC's '' Law & Order: Los Angeles'' putting the show on an indefinite hiatus, the network announced on January 18, 2011, that ''Parenthood'' would remain in the Tuesday 10/9c time slot. On May 12, 2011, ''Parenthood'' was renewed for a third season and premiered at 10:00 p.m. on September 13. On May 10, 2012, NBC renewed ''Parenthood'' for a 15-episode fourth season. On April 26, 2013, NBC renewed ''Parenthood'' for a fifth season, with 22 episodes. On May 11, 2014, NBC renewed ''Parenthood'' for a sixth and final season, with 13 episodes, after a stand-off with the cast which has seen their episode guarantee reduced. On April 3, 2015, NickMom, a block carried as part of the American cable network

Nick Jr. Nick Jr. (known on-air as the Nick Jr. Channel) is an American pay television channel spun off from Nickelodeon's long-running programming block of the same name. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Gr ...

, began to carry the series in cable syndication, mainly as part of weekend and weeknight blocks, until it ended operations on September 28, 2015. The rights have since moved to UP (which also carries ''

Gilmore Girls ''Gilmore Girls'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and starring Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore) and Alexis Bledel ( Rory Gilmore). The show debuted on October 5, 2000, on The WB and became a flag ...

'' repeats), uniting both of Lauren Graham's main series on the same network for cable syndication. Beginning on December 15, 2015, all six seasons of ''Parenthood'' were available for streaming on

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

. ''Parenthood'' was removed from Netflix on September 25, 2019. In August 2016, Katims was interviewed by

TV Line ''TVLine'' is a website devoted to information, news, and spoilers of television programs. History In late 2010, ''Entertainment Weekly''s Michael Ausiello announced that he would be leaving ''EW'' after nearly two years in their employ to est ...

about a potential revival of the series. He said:

"It would start at the moment when I feel like I have a story to tell," he admitted. "But the whole thing about ''Parenthood'' is the kids get a little older and their lives change and then there's more story to tell. I feel like that will happen at some point. And then it will be a question of, logistically, can we get the actors ack togetherat the same time? And then we have to ind an outletthat wants to irit."

Soundtracks

On August 31, 2010, Arrival Records/Scion Music Group released a soundtrack for the first season of ''Parenthood''. The soundtrack consists of 10 songs including the theme song for ''Parenthood'', " Forever Young" by

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

, and the international theme, "When We Were Young" by

Lucy Schwartz Lucy Nicole Schwartz (born December 7, 1989) is an American singer and songwriter from Los Angeles, California. She has become well known for writing and performing original songs for film and TV, including songs for '' The Twilight Saga: Break ...

. The soundtrack also includes a cover of "Forever Young" performed by

John Doe John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law enforcement in the United States, such names are ofte ...

and Lucy Schwartz.

Andrew McMahon Andrew Ross McMahon (born September 3, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter. He was the vocalist, pianist and primary lyricist for the bands Something Corporate and main songwriter for Jack's Mannequin and performs solo both under his own na ...

, of the band

Jack's Mannequin Jack's Mannequin was an American rock band formed in 2004, hailing from Orange County, California. The band originally began as a solo project for Andrew McMahon, the frontman of Something Corporate. The band was signed to Maverick Records and ...

, revealed in speaking about the band's album, ''

People and Things ''People and Things'' is the third and final studio album by American rock band Jack's Mannequin. It was released on October 4, 2011, through Sire Records. Following the release of ''The Glass Passenger'' (2008), the band's vocalist and pianist, ...

'', that the song "Casting Lines" was written after he was contacted by producers of the show as a possible theme song for the series. After recording the song and sending it to producers, he was told they appreciated his efforts but they had selected "Forever Young" as the show's theme song. The song does appear on

's third album, ''People and Things''. ; Track listing # " Forever Young" –

# "Darlin' Do Not Fear" –

Brett Dennen Brett Michael Dennen (born October 28, 1979) is an American folk/pop singer-songwriter from Central California. His seventh studio album, ''See the World'' was released in July 2021. Early life Dennen grew up in Central Valley, California in a s ...

# "Colors" –

Amos Lee Amos Lee (born Ryan Anthony Massaro, June 20, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter whose musical style encompasses folk, rock, and soul. He was born in Philadelphia and graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Engli ...

# "Kick Drum Heart" –

The Avett Brothers The Avett Brothers are an American folk rock band from Concord, North Carolina. The band is made up of two brothers, Scott Avett (banjo, lead vocals, guitar, piano, kick-drum) and Seth Avett (guitar, lead vocals, piano, hi-hat) along with Bob C ...

# "

Put Your Records On "Put Your Records On" is a song by English singer Corinne Bailey Rae from her self-titled debut studio album (2006). Written by Bailey Rae, John Beck, and Steve Chrisanthou, it was released as the album's second single in February and early Ma ...

" –

Corinne Bailey Rae Corinne Jacqueline Bailey Rae (; born 26 February 1979) is an English singer and songwriter. She is best known for her 2006 single "Put Your Records On". Bailey Rae was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2006 in an annual BBC po ...

# "In My Dreams" –

Eels Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...

# "Change of Time" –

Josh Ritter Josh Ritter (born October 21, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and author who performs and records with the Royal City Band. Ritter is known for his distinctive Americana style and narrative lyrics. In 2006, he was named one of ...

# "When We Were Young" –

# "In These Arms" –

The Swell Season The Swell Season is a folk rock duo formed by Irish musician Glen Hansard and Czech singer and pianist Markéta Irglová. "The Swell Season" name is derived from Hansard's favourite novel by Josef Škvorecký from 1975 bearing the same title ...

# "Solitaire" –

Wilco Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently d ...

# "Let It Be Me" –

Ray LaMontagne Raymond Charles Jack LaMontagne (; born June 18, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. LaMontagne has released eight studio albums: ''Trouble'', ''Till the Sun Turns Black'', '' Gossip in the Grain'', '' God Willin' & the Creek Don ...

# "Forever Young" –

and Lucy Schwartz A second soundtrack was released on October 8, 2013, through J-2 Music. It was produced by Jason Katims and Liza Richardson among others and features songs heard from the second to the fourth season. ; Track listing # "Dance In The Graveyards" -

Delta Rae Delta Rae ( ) is an American folk rock band formed in Durham, North Carolina. The band consists of three siblings Ian Hölljes (vocals and guitar), Eric Hölljes (vocals, guitar, piano and keys) and Brittany Hölljes (vocals), as well as Elizabe ...

# "If I Had A Boat" -

Lyle Lovett Lyle Pearce Lovett (born November 1, 1957)Lyle Lovett Pageat Allmusic – Lovett's Genre and Styles. Retrieved February 2, 2007 is an American singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. Active since 1980, he has recorded 13 albums and releas ...

# "

Piece Of My Heart "Piece of My Heart" is a romantic soul love song written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns, originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967. Franklin's single peaked in December 1967 at number 10 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles char ...

" (Live Recording) -

CeeLo Green Thomas DeCarlo Callaway - Burton (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. He is known for his work in hip hop and R&B, including the Gnarls ...

# "What I Wouldn't Do" -

A Fine Frenzy Alison Sudol (born December 23, 1984) is an American actress, singer, songwriter and music video director. She is known as the singer A Fine Frenzy, and for her role as Queenie Goldstein in ''Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'' (2016), as ...

# "Man On Fire (Little Daylight Remix)" -

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros is an American folk rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2005. The group is led by singer Alex Ebert. The band's name is based on a story Ebert wrote in his youth, about a messianic figure named ...

# "Honey I'll Try" - Emile Millar # "Take A Bow" -

Greg Laswell Greg Laswell (born April 26, 1974) is an American musician, recording engineer, and record producer from San Diego, California. He attended high school at Valley Christian High School in Cerritos, California. He has released 7 studio albums: '' ...

# "Hard Times (Come Again No More)" -

# "Lady Adelaide" -

Benjamin Gibbard Benjamin ( he, ''Bīnyāmīn''; "Son of (the) right") blue letter bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3225/kjv/wlc/0-1/ H3225 - yāmîn - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv) was the last of the two sons of Jacob and Rachel (Jacob's th ...

# "My My Love" -

Joshua Radin Joshua Radin (born June 14, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter. He has recorded nine studio albums, and his songs have been used in a number of films and TV series. His most successful album, '' Simple Times'', was released in 2008. Beginni ...

# "High Hope" -

Glen Hansard Glen Hansard (born 21 April 1970) is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and actor. Since 1990, he has been the frontman of the Irish rock band The Frames, with whom he has released six studio albums, four of which have charted in the top te ...

Reception

Critical response

''Parenthood's'' first season received generally positive reviews from critics, scoring a 61 out of 100 on the review aggregator

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

. Alessandra Stanley of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' said ''Parenthood'' is "unexpectedly compelling" despite being reminiscent of '' Brothers & Sisters''. She praised the writing and the cast and described the show as "a coming-of-age drama for all ages".

Alan Sepinwall Alan Sepinwall (born October 19, 1973) is an American television reviewer and writer. He spent 14 years as a columnist with ''The Star-Ledger'' in Newark until leaving the newspaper in 2010 to work for the entertainment news website HitFix. He ...

, writing for ''

The Star-Ledger ''The Star-Ledger'' is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to '' The Jersey Journal'' of Jersey City, ''The Times'' of Trenton and the '' Staten Island Advance'', all of ...

'' in Newark, wrote that "Like the movie that inspired it, ''Parenthood'' isn't an instant classic, but it's smart and warm and knowing, and it casts its net so wide that at least part of it should connect with you."

Ken Tucker Kenneth Tucker is an American arts, music and television critic, magazine editor, and non-fiction book writer. Early life and education Tucker was born in Manhattan, New York City, New York, and raised in Stamford, Connecticut. He earned a ...

of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...

'' wrote, "''Parenthood'' isn't better than ''

'', but it's different—it's its own creation, thanks to the deft touch and careful characterizations developed by executive producer Jason Katims and his writers." Following the second season's premiere, Tucker of ''Entertainment Weekly'' wrote: "As the series has proceeded, what initially looked like a bunch of talented but disparate actors has cohered into a believable clan." ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'' Maureen Ryan called it a "solidly rewarding drama" which is "something to treasure on the TV schedule". ''Parenthood'' was furthermore praised for the way it tackles Asperger's. The moment during which Kristina and Adam explain to Max he has the syndrome was listed in ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corporat ...

'' Top TV Moments of 2011. Regarding the third season, ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

'' writer Emily Nussbaum noted the show's positive development saying that it "has become stronger with each season". She deemed ''Parenthood'' one of only two great dramas on network television next to ''

The Good Wife ''The Good Wife'' is an American legal and political drama television series that aired on CBS from September 22, 2009, to May 8, 2016. It focuses on Alicia Florrick, the wife of the Cook County State's Attorney, who returns to her career in l ...

'' and cited its ability to be warm and sentimental without being dumb as one of its strengths. Sheri Levine of ''

The Vancouver Sun The ''Vancouver Sun'', also known as the ''Sun'', is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The newspaper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network. Published si ...

'' wrote, "The cast moves effortlessly from providing serious, thoughtful answers to cracking jokes and allowing the funny moments to shine through. It's almost as though art is imitating life, or life imitating art." ''

TIME magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Ma ...

'' columnist

James Poniewozik James "Jim" Poniewozik (; born July 12, 1968) is an American journalist and television critic. He is the chief TV critic for ''The New York Times''. Earlier in his career, he wrote ''Time'' magazine's ''Tuned In'' column for 16 years. Early life ...

wrote that the show's "third and fourth seasons have elevated it to one of TV's best because of how it has hit a memorable theme from '' FNL'': the idea of how community can be, inseparably, both a burden and indispensable support." Upon the fourth-season premiere, ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...

'' TV columnist Jen Chaney called the show "a perfect piece of 'reali-scapism': A television show that tackles subjects many of us confront in our own lives and dips all of it in just enough escapism to make it enjoyable to watch." Rachel Stein of Television Without Pity felt that the show "possesses the same family bonding that Lorelai and Rory [of ''

''] had (times 18 for every member of this family), each episode has a lot of purposeful quirk and there's a certain quaintness about life that it captures in the Braverman clan." The season was listed as one of the 10 best seasons of television in 2012 in several publications, including the ''

Cleveland Plain Dealer ''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. In fall 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily and 15th on Sunday. As of M ...

'', the ''

Contra Costa Times The ''East Bay Times'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Walnut Creek, California, United States, owned by the Bay Area News Group (BANG), a subsidiary of Media News Group, that serves Contra Costa and Alameda counties, in the East ...

'', ''

The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 20 ...

'', ''

HitFix HitFix, or HitFix.com, was an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information, and reviews and critiques of film, music, and television. In mid-2010 HitFix crossed the 1,00 ...

'', Salon.com, the '' St. Louis Post-Dispatch'', ''

'', and ''TV Guide''. Writing for ''The Daily Beast'', Jace Lacob highlighted

's "breathtaking" performance, whose cancer storyline was "poignant" and "gripping".

from ''HitFix'' commented: "this season's cancer storyline has brought a lot of what the show does well into even sharper focus, raising the stakes of almost every storyline in the process, and delivering fantastic, honestly tear-jerking performances."

Ratings

Accolades

Home media

Italian adaptation

In December 2015 an adaptation of ''Parenthood'' entitled ''Tutto può succedere'' (''Anything can happen'') began broadcasting on the Italian state TV channel RaiUno. The plot follows the fortunes of the Ferraro family, based in various locations in and around

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. Principal actors include

Giorgio Colangeli Giorgio Colangeli (born 14 December 1949) is an Italian stage, television and film actor. Life and career Born in Rome, Colangeli graduated in nuclear physics, then he started a stage career. After several minor roles, Colangeli's breakout r ...

as father/grandfather Ettore Ferraro,

Licia Maglietta Licia Maglietta (born 16 November 1954) is an Italian actress and stage director, known for her work with Italian director Silvio Soldini. Their collaborations include romances ''Bread and Tulips'' (2000) - for which Maglietta won multiple awards ...

as mother/grandmother Emma and

Maya Sansa Maya Sansa (born 25 September 1975) is an Italian actress. Early life and career Maya Sansa was born in Rome the daughter of an Iranian father and an Italian mother. When she was 14, she started to study acting at her high school in Rome the " ...

as daughter/mother Sara.

References

External links

Official website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Parenthood (2010 Tv Series) 2010 American television series debuts 2015 American television series endings 2010s American LGBT-related drama television series 2010 soundtrack albums 2013 soundtrack albums English-language television shows Lesbian-related television shows NBC original programming Serial drama television series Live action television shows based on films Television series about families Television series by Universal Television Television shows set in Berkeley, California Autism in television Television shows filmed in Los Angeles Parenthood (franchise) Television series by Imagine Entertainment Television Academy Honors winners