NBC takes on “Parenthood,” again
By Stacey Harrison
If NBC has a hit on its hands with Parenthood, it’ll certainly have earned it.
The network first attempted to adapt Ron Howard’s 1989 dramedy as a half-hour show back in 1990 — a straight-up adaptation with Ed Begley Jr. in the Steve Martin role. It lasted one season and is memorable now mainly as an early screen credit for Leonardo DiCaprio and David Arquette. Twenty years later, the concept was revived with a new set of characters and situations to explore. Howard was back as executive producer, and the all-star cast included Peter Krause, Craig T. Nelson, Monica Potter, Bonnie Bedelia, Erika Christensen, Dax Shepard, and in a critical role as troubled sister and single mom Sarah, Maura Tierney. The pilot had been completed and sent out to critics for the show’s premiere last fall. Before that could happen, though, Tierney announced that she had to leave the show to fight her newly diagnosed breast cancer. That left the production having to recast the role and shoot a new pilot.
Enter Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls), who joined the cast and has sought to make the role her own, having to answer just as many questions about Tierney as anything else. That should all be over tonight after the pilot premieres. The many plights of the Braverman clan — the pilot alone covers overbearing sports fathers, adult children moving back home, teen rebellion, work/life balance, an autistic child and unexpected paternity — provide plenty of drama that could make it NBC’s first step toward making amends for The Jay Leno Show.
I spoke with Krause and Christensen at a recent press tour to get their thoughts on their characters and why they connected to them. [Read more →]
A big day of Winter Olympic action on NBC, highlighted by the afternoon hockey clash between the USA and Finland. In prime time on NBC, viewers will see the final two events of these Olympics for Apolo Ohno, the men’s 500 meter final and the 5,000 meter relay final. Also, Lindsey Vonn looks to add to her medal total in her final event of these Games, the women’s slalom. Here’s the complete listings and highlights of Friday’s Olympic action from NBC:
native series called Losing It With Jillian is in the works for 2010. It will follow Jillian Michaels, the popular fitness trainer and wellness expert from The Biggest Loser, as she meets a different family each week to give them her own brand of tough love. She will get to the bottom of the issues each family member faces — ones that affect their health and happiness — and arm them with the tools necessary to make life-altering changes. Celebrity chef Curtis Stone will also be featured, as he enhances Michaels’ efforts by ridding the family’s kitchen of all unhealthy foods and educating them on proper nutrition and ingredients. 
