daxshepard

Parenthood was supposed to be one of NBC's fall shows this year. They really could have used it too, since it's actually good, and "good" seems to be in short supply at NBC these days. However, star Maura Tierney had to stop filming early on due to health reasons. Eventually she needed to leave the cast permanently, and re-shoots had to be done with her replacement, Gilmore Girls' Lauren Graham.

NBC has just released the first two promos for Parenthood, which is now premiering in March, after the Olympics. The first one features Graham as Sarah, a single mom to two difficult teenagers. Her daughter is played by Arrested Development's Mae Whitman. It's a short clip, but it's a pretty good indication of the character, which is basically what would have happened to Lorelai Gilmore if Rory hadn't turned out so perfect.

NBC seems to be sending out their screeners in dribs and drabs, so I'm making my way through their fall offerings very slowly. I've already given you previews of both Community and Trauma, and now we've got Parenthood, a new series based on a movie that was already turned into a series nearly twenty years ago. Who says Hollywood is out of ideas?

Parenthood is basically a less-melodramatic Brothers & Sisters. It follows the Braverman clan, a family in Fresno made up of four siblings: Adam (Peter Krause), Crosby (Dax Shepard), Sarah (Maura Tierney), and Julia (Erika Christensen), along with their children and parents, played by Craig T. Nelson and Bonnie Bedelia. They all have their share of drama, but at the end of the day, they're all brought together in the most suburban of pursuits: Little League. Say it with me now: "awwww."

What should you expect from the new TV shows coming this fall? Read our first impressions of NBC's 'Parenthood,' starring Peter Krause, Maura Tierney and Craig T. Nelson.

Premise: Struggling single mom Sarah moves her two teenage children back home to Berkeley, Ca., where she's welcomed back into the fold by her big, imperfect but loving family. Meanwhile, her three adult siblings all parenting issues of their own in this drama that is loosely based on the 1989 Ron Howard-directed film of the same name.