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Ron Howard's Parenthood seems perfectly applicable as the seed of a television entity: That 1989 film about mothers and daughters and sons and dads was an interwoven, multi-character study of the delicate art of family relations at the end of the 1980s - the kind of thing that could keep storylines afloat for years in a television syntax. And while none of the new NBC series hearkens specifically back to Parenthood the film, it can definitely be argued that the show does exactly what Howard's film did, only way more of it.

For the most part, the show works with a craftsmanlike diligence. There isn't a wild amount of organic dramatic quality to the show - as solid as it can be, it has 'night-time TV' stamped squarely and directly on its forehead - but as is the case with all well-oiled television, once the hook of Parenthood gets into you, you want to see where the mundanity will take you. For, yes, Parenthood is a mundane series, but that's one of its most roundabout successes: Sometimes having a family is mundane, and finding the nuance and merit in that is one of the key elements of life - and Parenthood knows it.

Craig T. Nelson and Bonnie Bedelia are the figureheads of the Braverman clan, a Berkeley-centered big family with all sorts of issues. Son Adam (Peter Krause) and his wife Kristina (Monica Potter) start this Season 1 set dealing with the revelation that their son has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. Then there's Julia (Erika Christensen), a high-profile executive who finds herself slowly becoming distant to her daughter and stay-at-home husband (Sam Jaeger). We also have son Crosby (Dax Shepard) who plays the I-will-I-won't with his girlfriend who's looking for more than late nights on the town and rolls in the hay, and - the best for last, folks - we get the television return of Lauren Graham, a fucked-over single mom who has a bastard for a husband (he's a musician, natch) and two kids who don't much care for their new life back in the Braverman fold.

It goes without saying that there is narrative meat on the bones of Parenthood - as I say, if you stick around long enough, you'll fall victim to at least one of its storylines - but I'd be lying if I said it was as good as it should be. I understand that my expectations deserve to be tempered when it comes to Lauren Graham's return to the boob tube - boy, I wish she'd work more - but even though Parenthood will likely be around for a little while (it's a surprise ratings darling), I hope it finds a sure footing in its second go-round. And if it does, it just might be the real deal.

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