Thanks to Netflix, I have been re-watching the first seasons of Parenthood.
(I have it on good authority that my friend Tina is doing the same thing.)
While I am enjoying reliving the joys and perils of the Braverman family — and anxiously awaiting the introduction of Ray Romano’s character Hank in episodes to come — I had forgotten how much I love…
Amber’s glasses.
So big. So bold. So beautiful.
Still want ’em, even though they make my nose hurt just looking at ’em.
Posted in Beauty, Commentary, Design, Entertainment, Fashion, Humor, Life, Television
Tagged a second glance, Amber on Parenthood, Amber's glasses Parenthood, Braverman family, commentary, design, entertainment, Fashion, Hank on Parenthood, Humor, life, Netflix, Parenthood tv show, Ray Romano, Television, TV
Dear Ron Howard:
Thank you for adding Ray Romano to the cast of Parenthood this season.
I love his character, Hank. I love the relationship that Hank has with Sarah Braverman, played by Lauren Graham.
Heck, I even love his glasses.
As devastated as I was by the cancellation of Romano’s wonderful TBS series Men of a Certain Age, this new role almost heals that wound.
Almost.
If Hank ends up having a limited run, though, the weeping will no doubt start anew.
Posted in Celebrities, Commentary, Entertainment, Family, Humor, Television, TV
Tagged Bravermans, celebrities, entertainment, family, Humor, Lauren Graham, life, Men of a Certain Age, Parenthood tv show, Ray Romano, Ron Howard, TBS, Television, TV, tv role, tv show cast, tv show character
Back in March of last year, I spanked Ron Howard’s new family drama Parenthood.
It had suffered the double misfortune of being forced to miscast its lead actress (Maura Tierney, who had become seriously ill) and enter the television year at mid-season, following the hugely popular breakout comedy Modern Family.
Thanks for playing, guys, but the family show and hit of the year had already been crowned.
I was also disappointed in what I found to be stereotypical characters and storylines. But I had already set the DVR — the cast, including Lauren Graham, Peter Krause and T. Craig Nelson, was really good, after all — so I hung around to see what developed.
Two years later, I’m still here.
And last night, when Alex broke up with Haddie — and told Kristina that she was the mother he had never had and that he loved their family — it was gut-wrenching. I literally blubbered. As I struggled to see the TV screen through my tears, the memory of that blog entry floated in my memory’s eye.
Mea culpa.
Posted in Blogging, Blogs, Celebrities, Comedy, Commentary, Entertainment, Family, Humor, Life, Love, Relationships, Television, TV, Writing
Tagged blogging, blogs, Braverman family, breakout hit, casting, celebrities, comedy, commentary, DVR, entertainment, family, family drama, family show, gut-wrenching good-bye, hit of the year, Humor, Lauren Graham, lead actress, life, Maura Tierney, mea culpa, mid-season replacement, Modern Family tv show, NBC, Parenthood tv show, Peter Krause, Relationships, Ron Howard, stereotypes, T. Craig Nelson, Television, tired storylines, TV
Earlier this week, Lauren Graham of NBC’s Parenthood paid a visit to the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
Between tales of the family drama’s new season and a strip club visit, Lauren displayed a habit of sticking her tongue out of one corner of her mouth.
Of course, Craig just had to point out her nervous tick to the audience. Lauren didn’t seem upset at being exposed; she was more worried that the gesture was a sign of her impending age.
Which got me thinking — do I have a geezer habit?
I’ve been trying to be more self-aware this week. And I’ve noticed when I walk the dog, I tend to roll and pop my neck while I’m waiting for Rory to do his business.
I wonder if my neighbors — who see me pass four times or more each day — noticed this habit years ago. Heck, I may even have a neck-related nickname that I don’t even know about.
“Cracky” definitely needs to start watching that.
Posted in Celebrities, Comedy, Entertainment, Humor, Television, TV
Tagged celebrities, comedy, cracking neck, Craig Ferguson, Dogs, entertainment, fall television premiere, geezer gesture, Humor, Lauren Graham, life, neighborhood, neighbors, nervous gesture, nervous tick, nicknames, Parenthood tv show, popping neck, Relationships, sticking out tongue, strip club, Television, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, tongue in corner of mouth, walking dog
Social media, I love you.
But you’re killing the very entertainment you seek to promote.
Movie trailers already reveal far too much about the plot of most films. By the end of some promos, you know everything but the specific dialogue for each plot point.
Now Twitter and Facebook are doing the same for television and movies, posting spoilers and clips galore. It’s almost impossible to be surprised.
Here are just a few examples from this morning alone:
I didn’t watch the Harry Potter clip. I want to experience that in the theatre. I love that moment when the lights go down and the saga’s logo fills the screen. Its rendering has been unique to each movie and always foreshadows in a small way what’s to come.
Watching those two minutes now, sitting here at my laptop, can’t touch that.
Sure, I could ‘unfollow’ the Facebook and Twitter feeds of these entertainment sites. But I’m interested in the news that they regularly report. I’m just asking for a bit of restraint.
Tease the entertainment that’s to come, absolutely.
Just don’t give it all away.
Posted in Advertising, Blog, Blogging, Blogs, Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Internet, Life, Movies, News, Television, TV
Tagged AMC, blog, blogging, blogs, commentary, entertainment, Entertainment Weekly, EW, Facebook, GLEE! tv show, Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow Part II, Harry Potter logo, Humor, Internet, life, movie clips, movie theatre, Movies, Parenthood tv show, social media, spoilers, Television, The Awful Truth, The Killing tv show, TV, tv clips, tweets, Twitter
The Sticky Egg 
What’s in a name?
I have devoted many a blog post to the all-too-short-lived series Parenthood on NBC.
You may have noticed.
But this weekend, an unrelated article in the Sunday New York Times has brought forth yet another question:
Why did the family name change from Buckman — in the 1989 origin film — to Braverman in the TV series?
I’ve done some research, and apparently I’m not the first to ask this question, but for decidedly different reasons.
Many viewers pointed out that “Braverman” is a surname of Jewish origin, but the Parenthood family is decidedly not so. Others surmised that “Buckman” sounded a bit too Midwestern — where the movie was located — and the name change was necessary to reflect the California setting.
Or was it a bit of an inside joke?
The Sunday New York Times article discussed the evolution of Doc Johnson Enterprises, the ‘first family of pleasure products.’ The family surname? Oh, it’s not Johnson; it’s Braverman. And it got me thinking…
Could one of television’s great family dramas have added this little Easter egg…just for giggles and grins?
Or maybe one of the creators is simply related to a Braverman, or it tested well…neither of which is as fun for me.
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Posted in Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Life, Television
Tagged Braverman, Buckman, Doc Johnson Enterprises, Easter egg, Jewish origin, Midwestern, New York Times, Parenthood, Parenthood movie, Parenthood tv show