If you aren't watching this...you aren't watching the best show on television.

It's hard for me to choose my favorite tv shows because I love a lot of them for different reasons. Until recently, if someone asked me what my favorite was they would get a list that would be at least three shows long, and ultimately after having to listen to me talk forever, would probably regret asking the question at all. However, last year I decided to check out a show that raised the bar on my expectations of what television was capable of.

Since then, I can say unequivocally that my absolute favorite show is "Friday Night Lights". Anyone that has read my blog won't be surprised by that and in fact, many of you are probably sick of hearing about it (there is an easy solution to that problem, watch it already so I can stop talking about it!). Rest assured this isn't a post about "Friday Night Lights" but since I put it in a class of it's own, the fact that I am about the review a show that I can say is almost just as good as "Friday Night Lights" really speaks volumes.

If you aren't watching "Parenthood", you are absolutely missing out. Since the show was developed by Jason Katims, the head writer of "Friday Night Lights", it's no surprise that "Parenthood" has the potential to change the way you look at your family, your relationships and the way that you live your life.

Centering on the Braverman family which is comprised of Zeke played by Craig T. Nelson and Camille played by Bonnie Bedelia, as well as their four adult children, this show will make you laugh but more often it will be so relatable, it will make you cry. 

Oldest child Adam and his wife Kristina have three children, teenage daughter Haddie, son Max and new baby Nora. Their son Max, who is now in fifth grade is played by Max Burkholder. Max has Asperger's syndrome and it is commendable the attention "Parenthood" is bringing to the struggles that parents of children on the autism spectrum face, as well as how it impacts the child and other family members. Burkholder's performance is nothing short of Emmy worthy.

Zeke and Camille's oldest daughter is played by one of my favorites, Lauren Graham. I loved her as Lorelai Gilmore and I couldn't have been happier when she was cast as Sarah Braverman. Graham's portrayal of a single mother left to raise two teenagers when her alcoholic musician ex decides that responsibility just isn't his thing is flawless. 

Crosby, Sarah and Adam's younger brother played by Dax Sheppard, is the self proclaimed screw up of the family and finds out in the pilot episode that he has a son, Jabbar, that he was previously unaware of. Crosby has a realization that he needs to start taking some responsibility in his life and watching his relationship with his son develop will make you fall in love with him even when he makes some questionable choices. 

Youngest Braverman Julia, is a working mom struggling with trying to balance her work as a lawyer with motherhood while her husband stays at home with their daughter Sydney. Julia's jealousy that her husband gets to stay home coupled with his frustration at needing to, creates some problems in their marriage and their portrayals of a young couple struggling with very normal, very real problems are spot on. 

This show is perfectly cast, perfectly written and is the most realistic portrayal of a family that I have seen on television in a long time. I promise that if you just watch one episode of this show, you will love it. Sometimes, television has the ability to make you feel and to reflect on your life, relationship and your family. Sometimes, television even has the possibility to change your life. "Parenthood" is that kind of television. 

It's currently in it's third season and hopefully it will be around for a long time.  If you already watch it, I'm preaching to the choir, because you already know how amazing it is. If you haven't seen it yet, stop reading this and make it happen. Season one is on sale on Amazon.com starting at $17.00 and season one is streaming on Netflix. Stop watching crappy reality tv and start watching something that has the potential to make you a better parent, child, husband, wife, brother, sister and ultimately maybe even a better person.

Revenge is sweeter...

I was pretty sure that I was never going to forgive ABC after they cancelled "Brothers and Sisters" one of my favorite family dramas last spring all the while allowing "Grey's Anatomy" to continue on as they recycled the same tired will-they won't-they story lines over and over again (yes I still watch it anyway...see my blog post on "The Office" for further understanding of my contradictions).  However, our relationship has totally been repaired because they have brought me one of my new favorite shows of the fall, "Revenge". 

So even though Meredith and Derek are still in turmoil over at Seattle Grace, ABC is really delivering with this new drama featuring Emily VanCamp as Amanda Clarke, a daughter back with a new identity set on avenging the unfair conviction and ultimate death of her father.  

Amanda Clarke now goes by the name Emily Thorne to avoid any suspicion from the seemingly endless group of people she is targeting for being responsible for unfairly putting her innocent father in prison.  The first episode begins with Emily's engagement party as she is set to marry the son of one of those very targets. We immediately go back to five months earlier and it seems like this season could culminate with those first few, very intense, minutes of the pilot episode. 

This show is flawless. It has it all, strong acting, strong writing, beautiful set design and a fresh take on the idea of revenge...sometimes it just might be justified.

VanCamp, who I have loved since her days on "Everwood" (check it out on Netflix if you haven't seen it) and my beloved fore mentioned "Brothers and Sisters" has a way of making you root for her, even as she ruins lives and wrecks families...now that's talent. She is the perfect balance of vulnerability and strength and watching her take down both men and women of power and wealth simply with her brains, tenacity and a little help from her pretty large inheritance, is extremely enjoyable.

Also perfectly cast is Madeleine Stowe as Victoria Grayson, the Queen of the Hampton's who was deeply involved with the situation with Amanda's father. Seeing VanCamp and Stowe in scenes together, the passive aggressiveness and tension is palpable and for some reason it really reminds me of 80's dramas like Dynasty...but in a good way. Fortunately though, I don't think we will see any swimming pool cat fights on Revenge, these women are much too smart for that. I'm loving watching them in scenes together and I can't wait to see how this progresses as Emily gets more and more involved with Victoria's family.

And, if there are any other "Gossip Girl" addicts out there (what? It's a guilty pleasure, try it, you might like it), wondering where brother Van Der Woodsen has disappeared to, he's been spotted in the Hampton's. 

Watch this show. All of the previous episodes are available now on ABC.com so there really is no excuse, well I guess unless you don't have internet...but then how would you be reading this blog? 

Girls, Girls, Girls...

I have to admit that this is the best pilot season I have seen in a long time, usually one or two new shows will make it to a season pass but this year even the CW made it into regular rotation on my tivo. I already shared my witty remarks on my new favorite sitcom, "Up All Night" which is still going strong as it heads into it's fourth episode, so in another tivo or forgo entry, I'm tackling two more new sitcoms!

First up, "Two Broke Girls". Since the show was created by Michael Patrick King who also executive produced and wrote one of the greatest female ensemble shows...well, ever, "Sex and the City" (Let's all try to forgive him for "Sex and the City 2") and Whitney Cummings, frequent "Chelsea Lately" contributor and also creator of perhaps the worst sitcom pilot of this year, "Whitney" the show had a 50/50 chance of being watchable.

The pilot, starring Kat Dennings as Max, a tough talking, poor girl living in Brooklyn and working two jobs as a waitress and a nanny and Beth Behrs as Caroline, a fallen from grace socialite who finds herself broke after her father is caught participating in a Ponzi scheme, wasn't awful. The jokes were funny, some even pushing the envelope for an 8:30 p.m. time slot, and Dennings who I have loved since she played Norah in "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" has enough talent to make you forget (for a little while) about how cliche the rich girl/poor girl relationship really is. In typical odd couple fashion, the two can't stand each other at first but 30 minutes later they are fast friends, talking about opening their own cupcake business and going to Caroline's house in Manhattan to pick up her only possession, a horse. They then ride the horse back to Brooklyn and keep it in the backyard of their apartment building...which begs the question, can you jump the shark in the first episode?  


The second episode resorted to jokes about poop, and it only got worse from there. The envelope pushing turned into cheap sex jokes that resulted in over the top amounts of laughter from the studio audience but only made me want to change the channel. Overall, "2 Broke Girls" isn't the worst thing you could watch this fall, but it's definitely not the best, so it's getting a forgo from me. It's mediocre at best but if you need something to pass the time, it won't kill you.


Next up, Fox's "New Girl", which is so far my second favorite sitcom of this season. Whoever thought Zooey Deschanel should play a giant nerd, fresh from a breakup and living with three guys she met on the internet, is a GENIUS.  Deschanel plays Jess so perfectly with an equal balance of awkwardness and lovability (yah, sometimes I make up words) that her performance is reminiscent of one of the greatest female nerds of all time, Liz Lemon. 

The pilot focused on Jess moving in with her new three male roommates who try to get her back into the dating world. When she gets stood up the guys rise to the occasion and by the end of the episode, they are in the middle of a restaurant singing Jess' comfort song "I've had the time of my life" to cheer her up. I think I need to spend some more time on Craig's List... There is a really strong chemistry between the cast and even though one of the roommates was recast by the second episode because Damon Wayan's Jr. is busy working over at "Happy Endings" (blog post coming on that soon) the show still works. 
 
Season pass "New Girl" and I don't think you will be disappointed, and even if you hate the show, the theme song alone is worth watching!