‘P
ARENTHOOD,” the dramedy that’s been redone more times than Joan Rivers’ face, is finally starting tonight and, believe it or not, it looks as fresh as if it were the first time around.
In case you’ve forgotten, “Parenthood” began life as a 1989 Ron Howard feature film that was a critical darling and commercial hit.
Then, in 1990, Howard helmed a TV series that also debuted to critical raves but was a dog in the ratings and was canceled after one season.
Twenty long years later, it’s back again as a TV series, again from Howard’s Imagine Television, but this time, those same old characters have been re-imagined by Jason Katims of the great “Friday Night Lights.”
The plot involves four siblings — all young parents — living in California near their own parents.
The elder mom and dad are Camille and Zeek (Bonnie Bedelia, Craig T. Nelson).
The oldest son, Adam (Peter Krause), and his wife, Kristina (Monica Potter), have two kids (Sarah Ramos, Max Burkholder) and learn tonight that Max has Asperger’s Syndrome.
Second son Crosby (Dax Shepard) isn’t married and seems to spend a huge amount of time having sex and refusing to commit. Tonight, he finds himself first pushed to have a baby with his girlfriend and then discovering that he’s already got a son — with an ex.
Youngest sister Julia (Erika Christensen) is a high-powered lawyer with a stay-at-home hubby (Sam Jaeger). Their little daughter (Savannah Paige Rae) relates only to her dad. (Very 1980s mindset there, guys!)
The show begins when the black-sheep oldest sister, Sarah (Lauren Graham), who had been married to a burnt out, ne’er-do-well rocker, moves back into her parents’ house (of course) with her two teenage kids (Mae Whitman, Miles Heizer) who have problems of their own.
Yes, it’s all very “Brothers and Sisters“– but in all fairness, “Parenthood” did come first, and well, second, too.
This show should have debuted in September, but after the pilot was shot, Maura Tierney, cast in the Sarah role, was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to drop out.
That’s a real shame, because she was the best thing in the original pilot. While everyone is terrific, Tierney brought it to another level.
Graham’s Sarah is more frenetic than the low-key Tierney’s version, but kudos to Graham for stepping in and making Sarah her own. Solid stuff all around.