I am a huge fan of the 1989 Steve Martin movie Parenthood, so I was less than thrilled that the bright folks over at NBC decided to remake the classic comedy in to a TV show. Normally movie-to-TV (and TV-to-movie) remakes bum me out. There’s just never the same flavor there that made me love the original. However, after catching a preview for the show this weekend, my hopes are slightly higher. If you forget for a second that they’re trying to improve upon what I consider to be one of the funniest movies of my lifetime and just think of it as another hour-long dramedy, it seems like it might be pretty good. Also, I love Dax Shepard and will give anything he makes a chance.
Check out these photos from the Parenthood premiere last night and LA and let me know in the comments if you’ll be tuning in as well. Also, what’s your least favorite adaptation/remake? Most of them suck, so I know you’ll be able to come up with some good ones.
Firefly and Serenity made a good combination of TV series and film, though technically the film was a continuation rather than a remake.
TV or stage comedy characters can sometimes translate well to film, such as Wayne’s World or The Blues Brothers.
Have you checked to see what planet you’re on?
Earth I believe.
You didn’t like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the sitcom? Clueless, the sitcom? Ferris Bueller, the sitcom? Shaft, the TV drama (yes, true, you probably don’t want to know), Schindler’s Listless, a sitcom based on the award winning movie (okay, I may have made this last one up)?
Special shout-out to Buffy. That film-to-TV adaptation really worked. Decent shout-outs to Friday Night Lights and The Odd Couple.
A (failed) attempt to make Parenthood work as a TV series took flight in the form of an early 1990s show that featured some now-storied talents (Joss Whedon, Leonardo DiCaprio, etc.).
The new version of Parenthood is the same show that lost the awesome Maura Tierney from its cast due to her ongoing cancer fight.
On the Maura Tierney note. It really weirds me out to see the same previews that I was seeing in August but with a replacement (Lauren Graham). I liked Maura better.
No. Not really interested. Lauren Graham is too shrill and always seems to be trying too hard. It’s why I never got into Gilmore Girls.
Why bother?? Seriously. I give a new show a go, I like it, then the assholes cancel it. I swear, I won’t take on any new shows. They will have to prove staying power until I give them a chance. Too pissed off when a show I love is cancelled … Dirty Sex Money, Trauma, pretty much anything new is cancelled.
i feel your pain, tiffany. pushing daisies. southland. almost happened to chuck, would have if not for Subway. networks just don’t give shows room and time to find their audience anymore.
but since i’m a stupid “teacher” or something, i’ll try this one anyway. :)
Ah, Pushing Daisies. That one still hurts.
I loved Southland and Pushing Daisies!
Southland was supposed to get picked up by a different network and start airing in January… I thought!
TNT picked it up. I think they started airing the series from the beginning. New episodes are coming in March.
At least, that’s what I’ve learned from watching Charmed reruns. I know, Charmed sucks. I love it anyway…
yes! i love peter krause and lauren graham. love, love, love. so, while i usually shun remakes, i will be giving this one a try. if it sucks, i’ll abandon it. but i’ll give it a shot.
Well thought out. I’ll bet your a teacher, or something.
Most idiots on this blog won’t even catch my fuck up.
wow. i’ll bet “your” not.
douche is right.
Touché. But let’s be honest, I put my head on the tee for you.
yes, and it (t)rolled right off, too.
Cool story, sis.
I guess you could call it a remake, but it seems more conceptual than literal. The characters aren’t the same, although many of the situations are probably going to be familiar. But that’s because the topic is families.
If you have enough story lines, you’re going to cover the same ground all over again with a family themed show.
I like that they’re going to have a story line focusing on a family’s struggle with an Asperger’s diagnosis. There are very few characters on tv that feature anybody on the autism spectrum, and never in this capacity.
It’s probably going to be nice for a lot of families to see their struggle being acted out. And it might help some people who have no concept of that struggle gain some insight and sympathy.
Hey, whatever Ron Howard does, I will watch!!! Hello Arrested Development?! Brilliant! So damn brilliant. So I’m definitely giving this show a chance.
I thought that was Isla Fischer.