Parenthood

NBC | PBS | Release Date: March 2, 2010
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
64
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 39 Critic Reviews
Positive:
23
Mixed:
14
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
NewsdayDiane WertsSep 7, 2012
Season 4 Review: It's less the Plot Events that ring true here than the well-played little side moments and background squabbles, the simmering resentments and recriminations, the emotional tugs-of-war. Read full review
91
Entertainment WeeklyTanner Stransky
Season 2 Review: The continued ooey-gooey goodness of TV's best family drama is particularly satisfying tonight, spotlighting story lines from the underutilized Joel (Sam Jaeger) and the oddly interesting Crosby (Dax Shepard). Read full review
83
HitfixAlan SepinwallSep 12, 2011
Season 3 Review: Sometimes, everything's within your grasp, while at other moments one or more things start to slip too far away. But I always applaud the effort, and most of the time the results. Read full review
80
The Huffington PostMaureen RyanSep 16, 2011
Season 2 Review: This well-constructed drama is something to treasure on the TV schedule--it's a show that respects our everyday experiences and emotions and yet also manages to entertain. Read full review
80
TimeJames Poniewozik
Season 1 Review: Parenthood shows a funny, affecting, distinctive voice that you'll want to keep listening to. Read full review
80
Zap2it (Inside the Box)Rick Porter
Season 1 Review: Its first two episodes do give the show a very strong foundation on which to build. Read full review
75
People WeeklyTom GliattoSep 13, 2012
Season 4 Review: The show is a birdhouse full of woodpeckers. [24 Sep 2012, p.54]
75
St. Louis Post-DispatchGail PenningtonSep 11, 2012
Season 4 Review: The Season 4 premiere is solid in most ways. Read full review
75
Slant MagazinePhillip MaciakNov 23, 2011
Season 3 Review: Having too many compelling directions to take a series in is far better than having too few, even if the writers make a wrong turn every once in a while. Read full review
75
New York PostLinda StasiSep 13, 2011
Season 3 Review: Parenthood works because the show has kept up with the times. Drugs, sex and unemployment are enough to make it all seem real. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesPaige Wiser
Season 1 Review: Parenthood strikes all the right notes, although it's not yet can't-miss television. It's sweet and funny and heartbreaking, and relatable to the point of cliche. Read full review
75
NewsdayVerne Gay
Season 1 Review: Tere's real promise in Parenthood. In time, we may all genuinely care whether Crosby and Sarah find themselves, or at least grow up. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleTim Goodman
Season 1 Review: It does the near impossible for any extended-family drama: It manages to be poignant and funny without becoming ridiculously soapy and larded with cliches. Read full review
75
New York PostLinda Stasi
Season 1 Review: While everyone is terrific, Tierney brought it to another level. Graham's Sarah is more frenetic than the low-key Tierney's version, but kudos to Graham for stepping in and making Sarah her own. Solid stuff all around. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyKen Tucker
Season 1 Review: Parenthood isn't better than "Modern Family," but it's different--it's its own creation, thanks to the deft touch and careful characterizations developed by executive producer Jason Katims and his writers. Read full review
70
TV Guide MagazineMatt RoushSep 11, 2012
Season 4 Review: Some of the episode is forced--Sarah's babbling job tryout with Hank, for instance--but in those universal moments of family togetherness and transition, as these grown-ups who sometimes still feel like kids marvel at the mystery of parenthood, Parenthood is worth its weight in sentimental angst. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterRandee Dawn
Season 1 Review: Parenthood, like the experience itself, is an evolving tale, and one worth watching. Read full review
70
VarietyBrian Lowry
Season 1 Review: All those plot threads could be beneficial in sustaining the series on a serialized basis, but Parenthood's multifaceted vision of family risks feeling too precious in places. Read full review
70
The New York TimesAlessandra Stanley
Season 1 Review: The Bravermans are more interesting than the sum of their plights. The actors sparkle, even in muted form, but the Berkeley they inhabit feels a lot like upscale Brentwood, minus the Lexus sports cars and nanny cams. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesMary McNamara
Season 1 Review: Though filled with far more tender and often tear-jerking moments than actual laughs, the first hour of Parenthood seems a solid and steady enough vehicle for such a brilliant cast. Read full review
70
Newark Star-LedgerAlan Sepinwall
Season 1 Review: Like the movie that inspired it, Parenthood isn’t an instant classic, but it’s smart and warm and knowing, and it casts its net so wide that at least part of it should connect with you. Read full review
67
San Jose Mercury News/Contra Costa TimesChuck Barney
Season 1 Review: What it lacks thus far are the laugh-out-loud oments that made the movie such a joy....That's not to say Parenthood isn't worth a look. Graham, the adorable "Gilmore Girls" alum, rocks the heck out of every scene she's in. Read full review
63
Chicago TribuneMaureen Ryan
Season 1 Review: Even when the show gets a bit melodramatic or overwrought, however, Parenthood's good intentions radiate throughout its many story lines. But do good intentions make for reliably compelling family drama? That depends on your tolerance for its frequent tonal shifts and occasional manic intervals. Read full review
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