Parenthood

Long, long ago (1989), in a galaxy far, far away (my childhood), there premiered an hysterical movie. Producer Brian Grazer and Director Ron Howard summed it up nicely with the affectionate title Parenthood. It's the story of the Buchman family - 4 children, their spouses, and their conglomeration of offspring...not to mention their eclectic approaches to parenting. If you haven't seen it (ever or recently), pick it up next time Redbox comes a'callin'. It's a load of laughs (but appropriate for big ears, only).

Well, NBC has remade it into an hour-long drama airing Tuesday nights. Production is still headed by the Grazer-Howard dream team (think Splash, A Beautiful Mind, Backdraft, Apollo 13, and The DaVinci Code) and, if you haven't tried it, you really should. I know, I know. Lots to watch and not enough time to do it. But this is a rare one that leaves you tearing up while laughing uproariously. You know...laughter-through-tears kind of emotion. This time, though, it's about the Braverman family.
 
Still 4 kids. Still their spouses (or lack thereof) and their conglomeration of offspring and parenting styles. But now it's about how the siblings relate and somehow find relationship while battling against (and sometimes because of) their separate issues with everything from birth order to profession to roles with Autism, infidelity, and dating in between. It's the sunny side of parenting, yes. But it's got the carefully-restrained dark half, too. Maybe the best way to sum up is through this analogy: in an effort to freshen its antiquated preview tagline of "Stay tuned for scenes from our next episode...", NBC is trying on new ones unique to every show's vibe. Affixed to Parenthood's end is the invitation, "The Braverman's would love to have you back again". Well, you feel it - they're major-dysfunctional but endearing. Relatable. And, despite their many issues, you find you want to get to know them better.

But at a safe distance. 

Like as a pretend-friend you visit in tv land when you're up for a family dinner

...without carrying the family baggage.

(btw, all links lead to clips or full episodes, for your viewing curiosity).