Dear producers of ‘Parenthood’ on NBC:
When I first heard that this movie remake was coming to television — and that Ron Howard was attached — I was pretty excited. Visions of ‘Arrested Development’ started swirling in my brain.
Heady stuffy.
Then you guys had a bad break when actress Maura Tierney became ill, and you were forced to re-cast and delay the series to mid-season. Now you are the ‘other family show;’ the brilliant “Modern Family” has already captured the imagination and allegiance of the American audience and the critics.
Admittedly, you have started in a hole. But now your writers are digging you an even deeper one.
With all the talent you have in place — Lauren Graham, Craig T. Nelson, Peter Krause, Monica Potter and Dax Shepherd — you are wasting them on tired storylines and family conflict we have seen time and time again. Sure, a diagnosis of Asperger’s is unique to network television, but your treatment of the issue isn’t.
Your actors are better than this. And if you loosen the reins a bit, I’ll bet your writers are, too.
Your parents are watching. Make them proud.
This show is everything that is broken in TV.
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