Parenthood - Minha Família

I wonder why this program hasn't received the Emmy or Golden Globe nominations it deserves. The family members aren't perfect, which is one reason I love this show so much.

Even the "good guys (or gals)" make mistakes, just like we all do in real life. Each of the story lines is interesting, and every week I wonder where the writers will go with each story.

The younger actors in this series are impressive. Their acting is often subtle, which must be difficult for those who are so young to accomplish. The way they are portrayed is realistic, in that they are all likable in some way, but not so likable in others. As a mother, I appreciate the parenting difficulties which come along in this series, but I can also relate to the teenagers as they try to make sense of life. The character "Max" is truly remarkable.

Others who have commented have mentioned the high quality of the adult cast. I agree that they are all good, but I particularly like the work of Dax Shepard.

Stick with this show. These multi-dimensional characters will only get better with time.

I actually was very skeptical of this show- at first glance, I didn't see how all these different people were possibly going to mesh with one another on screen (the last time I was this skeptical was seeing the teasers for 30 Rock... that should have been a clue!). After watching the first episode, I was impressed. Granted, there was a lot covered in the pilot, but that's how it is: they have to introduce everybody and what their story lines are in the first 60 minute episode. The "too much" feeling will undoubtedly calm down as we get wrapped up in individuals instead of the mass family group.

Each individual family deals with their share of parenting problems, including Grandma and Grandpa, and they hit every single parenting problem right on the head. We see good teens, bad teens, a kid with a developmental disorder (my son was diagnosed with a developmental disorder in 2009, and I gotta tell you, they absolutely nailed the feelings during the first 48 hours after the diagnosis), single parents, working parents, etc.

It's a good show, and you WILL see something of you or your family in it somewhere.

Not everyone is going to "approve." The characters make mistakes, sometimes behave irresponsibly, and are full of self doubt. In other words, this is great storytelling. Even if this show is slow to get its start, I hope the network has the foresight to keep it running, because programming of this emotional and moral complexity is a rarity.

Beyond the top notch writing, the acting is superb. These roles are demanding of actors. There are moments of comedy mixed in with real pathos, which requires a cast that has range and depth. Every single casting choice is pitch perfect, and creates a wonderful dynamic on the screen.

This series is well worth watching.

A new show with Peter Krause and Craig T. Nelson in the cast demanded at least a look, though if it weren't for the DVR I might have passed on it since it's on at the same time as the excellent "The Good Wife". Fortuitous indeed that I did because it strikes me as pure genius in writing and casting.

This show makes me laugh. This show makes me weep. Most important, it makes me smile in recognition of so many scenes that I recognize as things that happened to or around me. Of particular note along this line are the times in family "discussions" when everyone is talking and no one is listening. I don't recall another show that has done this, and it's sooo true to life.

The casting matches the writing so well that I can't imagine another actor in any of the parts. This show is definitely in my all-time top 10; maybe even top 5. Do yourself a favor and watch "Parenthood".

Zeek (Craig T. Nelson) and Camille (Bonnie Bedelia) are the heads of the Braverman clan. They have four children. Adam (Peter Krause) is the responsible businessman married to Kristina (Monica Potter). They and their daughter Haddie (Sarah Ramos) have to deal with Max (Max Burkholder) with Asperger. Julia (Erika Christensen) is a high stress lawyer married to Joel Graham (Sam Jaeger) with daughter Sydney. They seem to have everything. Sarah (Lauren Graham) is the struggling single mom to Amber (Mae Whitman) and Drew (Miles Heizer). Crosby (Dax Shepard) is the slacker music producer who finds out that he has a son Jabbar with Jasmine Trussell (Joy Bryant) which she just told him.

These are all terrific actors in characters that are so well written and developed over the years. They may as well be real family off the screen. It starts off with good family drama. It's not really dysfunction although there are lots of that. This family loves each other. The Asperger storyline is terrific and one of the few on TV that is done well. Somewhere alone the lines, this show became cry TV. Between split-ups, break-ups, cancer and general family drama, everybody on this show tends to tear up. The chemistry between everybody is the soul of this show.