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Parenthood

post #1 of 63
3/3/10 at 1:34am
Thread Starter 
Did anyone watch the series premiere tonight? I'm not a huge fan of NBC right now but I thought this was a pretty strong premiere. The cast is great and I really liked seeing Mike O'Malley on the show, I hope he has a big role. I don't watch that many drama TV series besides Rescue Me and Sons of Anarchy but I'll definitely watch next week.
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post #2 of 63
3/3/10 at 2:10am
I was really impressed as well. Krause, Graham, and Nelson were especially good. Hell, they even managed to make Dax Shepard less annoying than usual.
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post #3 of 63
3/3/10 at 4:20am
Thought it was a little overcrowded for an hour show. Recognized two authentic East Bay locations-- Children's Fairyland and Oscar's-- but the rest of the show feels a lot more like Portland than Berkeley.

That said, Graham is basically playing Lorelai 2.0 and that's enough to keep me coming back for a bit. Daughter was damn right about the boots.
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post #4 of 63
3/3/10 at 11:04am
Liked what I saw last night. Solid acting all around (esp. the aforementioned Graham, Krause and Nelson) Will definitely watch next week. Just hope the show-runners opt to go their own way instead of "pickin and choosin" plot elements from the '89 film.
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post #5 of 63
3/3/10 at 2:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by FilmNerdJamie View Post
Liked what I saw last night. Solid acting all around (esp. the aforementioned Graham, Krause and Nelson) Will definitely watch next week. Just hope the show-runners opt to go their own way instead of "pickin and choosin" plot elements from the '89 film.
They'll have to; they've already introduced nearly all of the plot elements from the movie, and it's one episode in. There's not much left to "pick and choose."

I liked it. It felt pretty familiar since it's just a slight retooling of the source material, but the cast sells it, and I appreciate the slight innovations, like Krause and Shephard's characters actually being close (I don't remember Steve Martin and Tom Hulce being that tight in the movie), the slightly revised ages of some of the kids, and the Asperger's subplot.
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post #6 of 63
3/3/10 at 2:17pm
Is there a little black boy named Cool in this version?
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post #7 of 63
3/3/10 at 2:20pm
Nope. Jabar.
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post #8 of 63
3/3/10 at 2:39pm
Well, then, fuck this show.
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post #9 of 63
3/3/10 at 2:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveB View Post
They'll have to; they've already introduced nearly all of the plot elements from the movie, and it's one episode in. There's not much left to "pick and choose."
No Grandma or Cowboy Dan, dammit! The kid probably won't turn out to be Dax's is my guess.
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post #10 of 63
3/3/10 at 3:21pm
There's a grandma - it's Bonnie Bedelia. Couldn't remember the grandma in the original, so I looked it up on Wikipedia. Interestingly, the synopsis mentions Asperger's as a possible diagnosis for the kid in the original, too. I never interpreted it that way, but I don't think I was all that familiar with the concept of autism when I last saw the movie.

Also interesting:
Quote:
The film was adapted for 1990 on television and broadcast on NBC. The television version was a critical flop and was quickly canceled, but is notable for featuring an unusual number of people who at the time were unheard of but later became famous. One of the writers on the show was Joss Whedon. The cast featured child actors Leonardo DiCaprio, David Arquette, and Thora Birch. The show was featured on the now-defunct cable network Trio in 2005 as part of their "Brilliant But Canceled" series of shows that were canceled before their time.
I vaguely, vaguely remember this.

The Krause/Martin character also had another son in the movie. Wonder if they'll bring the boyfriend/Keanu figure back into the picture.
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post #11 of 63
3/3/10 at 3:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveB View Post
Wonder if they'll bring the boyfriend/Keanu figure back into the picture.
I was wondering that too. But wasn't he (kinda) represented by the boyfriend of Laura Graham's daughter?
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post #12 of 63
3/3/10 at 8:38pm
I remember Ken Ober playing the Moranis part in the tv series. I never knew it got 12 episodes.

Also the Grandmother in the film was Gil's grandmother. The Grandmother in this one is Adam (the Gil translation's) mother.

I thought the pilot was pretty good. Has potential to be pretty good or pretty bad.
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post #13 of 63
3/4/10 at 7:50pm
There's something creepy/ethereal about Marguerite Moreau's eyes that makes it hard for me to accept her in a show like this, despite being a decent actress.
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post #14 of 63
3/4/10 at 10:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by FilmNerdJamie View Post
I was wondering that too. But wasn't he (kinda) represented by the boyfriend of Laura Graham's daughter?
Yeah, that's what I meant, although I didn't get the point across well. I wonder if that character's going to re-emerge (or perhaps the daughter has a "type" and will find a similar replacement in her new town).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jcassady View Post
Also the Grandmother in the film was Gil's grandmother. The Grandmother in this one is Adam (the Gil translation's) mother.
Ah. Forgot that there was an extra generation accounted for in the movie.
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post #15 of 63
3/10/10 at 1:01am
The bit with the "other" Aspergers parents was much. Felt like I was watching another show altogether. That aside, good episode.
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post #16 of 63
3/10/10 at 4:21am
Where in Berkeley are all these giant houses? It looks like the grandparents have a freaking barn.

And "You drove here all the way from downtown?" was silly-- nothing's far from anything here. Unless that house is up in Canyon or something, which might explain the trees.

I was about to call shenanigans on Sarah's job interview too, but yes. No degree, no dice. Reality points duly awarded there. And Graham was strong throughout.
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post #17 of 63
3/11/10 at 3:12pm
Pretty enjoyable episode.

The show is still trying to find it's tone (going from silly surreal with the Aspergers parents, to adult contempo comedy with the weed scene outside to serious with Adam versus the opossum to melodramatic with the potential cheating husband storyline).

Still in the "could be great or could really suck" boat.
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post #18 of 63
3/19/10 at 5:22pm
Not a good episode.

Christensen who looks 24, trying to play someone in her 30s, just isn't working.

Of course, the entire show is slipping in primetime melodrama, which is the exact wrong direction for the show so I can't imagine this lasting for more than the half-season.
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post #19 of 63
3/19/10 at 5:26pm
What did work was putting her in those swimsuits. But as before, the only character who feels authentic to me is Graham's.
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post #20 of 63
3/19/10 at 5:49pm
Lotta MILFy goodness on this show though.
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post #21 of 63
3/19/10 at 6:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jcassady View Post
Not a good episode.

Christensen who looks 24, trying to play someone in her 30s, just isn't working.

Of course, the entire show is slipping in primetime melodrama, which is the exact wrong direction for the show so I can't imagine this lasting for more than the half-season.
See, I disagree, but only because I have thought for a while that Christensen has always been mature for her age. I did flashback to Swimfan though with the pool diving scene.
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post #22 of 63
3/20/10 at 9:47am
I'm gonna stick with this show for now, because I like Krause, Graham and Nelson. It definitely has gotten a little too melodramatic with the parents and the whole autism storyline, but perhaps now that the kid is in the right school, it won't be played up as much.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveB View Post
I vaguely, vaguely remember this.

The Krause/Martin character also had another son in the movie. Wonder if they'll bring the boyfriend/Keanu figure back into the picture.
Ed Begley Jr. had the Steve Martin role in the 1990 TV version. I watched a couple of the episodes when TRIO aired it. TRIO was a great network. It's a shame NBC moved in online within the realm of Bravo's website. http://www.brilliantbutcanceled.com is still a registered domain, but just brings up Bravo's website now. Bravo was also once a great network before NBC allowed them to start developing all those awful reality shows it now airs.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hammerhead View Post
What did work was putting her in those swimsuits.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dickson View Post
Lotta MILFy goodness on this show though.
Agreed. She and other Scientologists (Catherine Bell & Leah Remini) are rather well-formed.
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post #23 of 63
3/20/10 at 12:07pm
I do like that the Dax Shepard/Tom Hulce character is actually making an effort with the kid - still convinced it won't end up being his.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jcassady View Post
Of course, the entire show is slipping in primetime melodrama, which is the exact wrong direction for the show so I can't imagine this lasting for more than the half-season.
As much I'm enjoying this, only way I see NBC green-lighting a second season is its waste-land of programming right now. They have a lot of slots to fill this fall and can't see them relying too much on new shows. Some lower-rated shows could return, like this and Mercy.
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post #24 of 63
3/20/10 at 1:01pm
The kid is surely his. The question is whether the mom skips out like in the movie.
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post #25 of 63
3/24/10 at 3:41am
Hey, parents, don't you have computers of your own? 'Cause you don't need to HACK into anything to find someone on Facebook.

Graham killed it again. It's like Bizarro Gilmore Girls, with a less-than-totally-perfect daughter this time around.
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post #26 of 63
3/24/10 at 11:52am
They need to drop the "And then the whole family got together to celebrate" ending.
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post #27 of 63
3/24/10 at 4:52pm
Agreed. I found last week's "Everybody get up at 7am to go swimming" more implausible though.
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post #28 of 63
3/25/10 at 3:00pm
So agreed on the get-togethers.

My wife pointed out that she could have had a non-public profile, which means they wouldn't have been able to get any of the pictures unless they hacked her account.

Still Graham is great, the word masturbation was tossed around so much, I thought I was watch SVU and the wassup at the end actually made me laugh-out-loud. Kinda surprised by that.

If they could add a little more comedy to the show, it could work.
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post #29 of 63
3/25/10 at 3:18pm
Next week: more Erika Christensen in a bathing suit!
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post #30 of 63
3/25/10 at 3:34pm
Given the situation, I think it's bra and panties.
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post #31 of 63
3/25/10 at 3:44pm
Semantics.
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post #32 of 63
3/25/10 at 3:58pm
Bras and panties aren't made for swimming, IFYOUKNOWWHATIMEAN.
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post #33 of 63
3/25/10 at 4:07pm
If you're lying about this, Richard, I swear to god...
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post #34 of 63
3/25/10 at 4:08pm
Honest, it was in the previews at the end of the last episode. Her and her hubby get romantic in the swimming pool. MUST SEE TV!
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post #35 of 63
3/25/10 at 4:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dickson View Post
Her and her hubby get romantic in the swimming pool. MUST LEER AT MY TV!
Fixed it.
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post #36 of 63
3/25/10 at 4:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by FilmNerdJamie View Post
They need to drop the "And then the whole family got together to celebrate" ending.
Damn, they did that shit again? I gave up on the show and didn't watch this last one. I thought it highly manipulative and overly sugar coated.
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post #37 of 63
3/25/10 at 4:45pm
"Craig T. Nelson cured his Erectile Dysfunction? Let's get the whole family together to celebrate!"

I like the show, but Jesus enough.
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post #38 of 63
3/25/10 at 10:14pm
I got to say, watching each and every family member react to boyfriend made me understand why she didn't want her parents to know she was dating.

Also, the one kid played basketball for 5 minutes so now his problem is gone? Huh?
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post #39 of 63
3/25/10 at 11:34pm
The kid had a problem? Oh shit...
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post #40 of 63
3/25/10 at 11:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Boomstick View Post
Damn, they did that shit again? I gave up on the show and didn't watch this last one. I thought it highly manipulative and overly sugar coated.
I know they do it a lot, but to be fair I have to say that my ex's family gets together at least once per week and the scene is something like the gatherings on the show. Just with less Craig T. Nelson.
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post #41 of 63
3/31/10 at 4:10pm
I'm just going to be fast-forwarding to the Lauren Graham parts from now on.
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post #42 of 63
3/31/10 at 4:34pm
Fie upon them for holding out on the Erika Christiansen bra and panty action until the last five minutes!
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post #43 of 63
3/31/10 at 4:42pm
And didn't they show more of her in the promo?
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post #44 of 63
3/31/10 at 4:43pm
Is the lead character/FBI Agent mom still the fucking dumbest federal agent in television history? So few things are consistent these days.
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post #45 of 63
3/31/10 at 4:49pm
I think you're talking about Elizabeth Mitchell in V, though our learned friend Ms. Christensen is following close (as a stupid lawyer, not a stupid Fed).
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post #46 of 63
3/31/10 at 4:58pm
Hey, she was very knowledgeable about what laws she was breaking by going into that pool!
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post #47 of 63
3/31/10 at 5:04pm
True, she's more of a stupid mom. But this can't-juggle-kids-and-a-career thing is so '80s.
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post #48 of 63
3/31/10 at 5:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cuchulain View Post
Is the lead character/FBI Agent mom still the fucking dumbest federal agent in television history? So few things are consistent these days.
WTF. Sorry about that. It was a quickpost in the V thread. No idea how it ended up here.
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post #49 of 63
3/31/10 at 5:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hammerhead View Post
True, she's more of a stupid mom. But this can't-juggle-kids-and-a-career thing is so '80s.
A lot of this show is so 80s.
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post #50 of 63
4/7/10 at 11:36pm
This won its time slot last night, so it's looking more likely it's getting picked up for a second season. My wife loves it, and I have to admit the cast is pretty darn appealing, even if they're going through some pretty run-of-the-mill plots.
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