NBC Fall Preview: PARENTHOOD

NBC revealed some of the shows in its fall 2009 lineup on Monday. I'll try to get a little something for each of them.

First up: Parenthood, by the creators of the 1989 film.

Here's the hype from the press release:

PARENTHOOD
From the executive producers of the box-office hit "Parenthood" -- Ron Howard and Brian Grazer (Oscar winners for "A Beautiful Mind"), and writer/executive producer Jason Katims ("Friday Night Lights") -- this contemporary re-imagining of the blockbuster film depicts the colorful and imperfect Braverman family -- four grown siblings sharing the headaches, heartaches and joy of being parents. The star-studded cast includes Peter Krause, Maura Tierney, Craig T. Nelson, Dax Shepard, Bonnie Bedelia, Monica Potter, Erika Christensen and Sarah Ramos. When Sarah Braverman (Tierney, "ER"), a financially strapped single mother, returns home to her parents and siblings in Berkeley, Calif. after packing up her Fresno apartment and uprooting her two inconvenienced kids, Amber (Mae Whitman, "In Treatment") and Drew (Miles Heizer, "ER"), she is greeted by her opinionated father, Zeek (Nelson, "Family Stone," "Coach"), and strong mother, Camille (Bedelia, "Heart Like a Wheel"), who are privately dealing with their own marital issues. As Sarah is reunited with her siblings -- sister, Julia (Christensen, "Traffic"), and brothers Crosby (Shepard, "Baby Mama") and Adam (Krause, "Six Feet Under") -- all struggling with issues of their own, it's clear that the Braverman reunion is just what they need to face the everyday challenges of modern family life. "Parenthood" is a production from Imagine Entertainment and Universal Media Studios. Emmy winner Thomas Schlamme ("The West Wing") directs the pilot.




My initial thoughts:
The Parenthood I really enjoyed was a serious comedy, and this looks like a humorous drama. There may not seem to be much of a difference, but there is one. Hopefully, the show remembers where it came from.
But this is must-try. Just look at that cast. And the creative talent behind the camera. This has to be pretty bad to fail (as a show; not the ratings).
Unfortunately, the "sure things" are usually the ones that disappoint (Private Practice is just one example I can pull from recent memory).