Five seasons have come and gone for Parenthood, the underrated NBC show that’s been a creative home for big TV stars in their second or third acts. If you turn on the TV at random you’re still more likely to see Ray Romano being loved by everybody on his old show. But Romano, Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls) and Craig T. Nelson (Coach) bring a professionalism to Parenthood that makes it a dramatic pleasure. Plus the multigenerational cast–with Mae Whitman, Matt Lauria, Dax Shepard, Erika Christensen, Miles Heizer, Bonnie Bedalia, Peter Krause and more–bring to life a show that actually looks like real life.
That’s not surprising from executive producers Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, who did the Parenthood movie–and not surprising in the new TV golden age, when there’s so much to watch you can miss a show like Parenthood. Don’t. There may not be another show that addresses so many contemporary issues so well. You can watch all of Season 5 right now to get ready for Season 6, which starts September 25 . “Rebellious daughter” Amber is pregnant in the opener.
