Parenthood: Mixed Reviews, Cancel or Keep It?

Published:March 3, 2010

After endless commercials during the Olympics and lots of print ads, NBC’s Parenthood has debuted. The show has experienced several bumps on its journey to primetime but now it’s finally here and NBC has high hopes for the series. Will it be a hit?

Parenthood revolves around the extended and very colorful Braverman family of Northern California. The large cast includes Lauren Graham, Peter Krause, Craig T. Nelson, Bonnie Bedelia, Mae Whitman, Miles Heizer, Erika Christensen, Sam Jaeger, Dax Shepard, Joy Bryant, Monica Potter, Sarah Ramos, and Max Burkholder.

Last night’s premiere debuted to an average of 8.1 million viewers with a 3.1 rating in the coveted 18-49 demographic. That put Parenthood in second place in total viewers (behind The Good Wife) but in first place in the demo. There was also very little erosion of the audience during the course of the episode.

While it’s positive that Parenthood won its timeslot in the demo, the numbers are surely not as good as NBC was hoping for, especially considering all of the promotion. Still, considering the state of the rest on NBC’s schedule, this should be considered a victory for the ailing peacock network.

As per usual, we’ll have to see how many viewers return week after week to know if Parenthood has a real chance at survival. For now, things look positive.

What do you think? Is Parenthood worth watching or are you changing the channel? Cancel or keep it?

Image courtesy NBC.

More about: Parenthood (2010)

Newer and/or Related Articles

NBC 2011-12 Ratings Report Card
Feb 12, 2012
Parenthood: Ratings for the 2011-12 TV Season
Feb 11, 2012
Parenthood: NBC Series Gets Third Season Renewal
May 13, 2011
Parenthood: NBC To Renew Series for Season Three [reports]
May 12, 2011
NBC TV Show Ratings for 2010-11 Season [as of 4/21/11]
Apr 23, 2011
NBC TV Show Ratings for 2010-11 Season [as of 4/14/11]
Apr 17, 2011
NBC TV Show Ratings for 2010-11 Season [as of 3/31/11]
Apr 3, 2011
NBC TV Show Ratings for 2010-11 Season [as of 3/3/11]
Mar 4, 2011
NBC TV Show Rankings for 2010-11 Season [as of 2/24/11]
Feb 26, 2011
NBC TV Show Rankings for 2010-11 Season [as of 2/17/11]
Feb 19, 2011
NBC TV Show Rankings for 2010-11 Season [as of 2/10/11]
Feb 11, 2011
NBC TV Show Rankings for 2010-11 season [1/15/11 update]
Jan 18, 2011
NBC TV Show Rankings for 2010-11 season [1/8/11 update]
Jan 11, 2011
Parenthood: What Happened? Has the NBC TV Show Been Cancelled?
Dec 27, 2010
Primetime Network TV Show Ratings: Tuesday, November 16, 2010 [finals]
Nov 17, 2010
Parenthood: NBC TV Show Renewed for Season Two
Apr 20, 2010
Parenthood (2010)
Mar 10, 2010
Parenthood: Star to Undergo Treatment, Show Delayed Until Midseason — Will Mercy Suffer?
Jul 14, 2009

{ 259 comments… read them below or add one }

← Previous Comments

Next Comments →

avery May 18, 2010 at 7:23 am

my husband and i are obSESSED w/this show. this and modern family are 2 totally new, fresh, modern shows that we can’t get enough of. parenthood is a total keeper!!!!

cheri June 3, 2010 at 2:41 pm: agree 100% avery, about both shows

Reply

Lynn May 19, 2010 at 7:34 pm

My daughter and I love this show!!! Keep it! I haven’t watched a weekly television show in years, and as far as I am concerned, it has all the elements for success. The actors didn’t even seem to need time to mesh. It’s as if they had been acting together for years. If the second season is as good as the first, we will be hooked.

maria May 21, 2010 at 5:38 am

I love this show. And it’s one of the few that my husband and I actually BOTH enjoy! Keep it!!

Angela May 26, 2010 at 1:44 pm

I love this show!! My co-workers and I talk about it the next day at work. Keep it!! It is one of my favorite shows.

monique May 26, 2010 at 8:04 pm

Keep It! I’m tired of reality and mindless teen shows !

Janice May 31, 2010 at 5:26 am

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the show, always wanting to know what is going to happen next week. PLEASE PLEASE keep the show going. My husband and I BOTH enjoy the show, we enjoy watching it together, thanks Janice

Torres June 1, 2010 at 7:35 pm

The show is a keeper!!!!!Thats is why i’m online right now wondering what happen to the show tonight. I am a parent with a busy lifestyle in the evenings with my children’s sport activities that I make sure that it is set to be recorded on my DVR. Please continue the show!!!!

Chelsea June 1, 2010 at 9:03 pm

KEEP IT!!!! It is the first show I have actually enjoyed since the finale of Gilmore Girls!!!

Darin June 2, 2010 at 11:16 am

I had a feeling this show would be one and done. Why would I think that? Because networks tend to kill shows that I think are winners — it’s been quite a few years now since NBC prematurely canceled “Hidden Hills” and it still chaps me.

After its debut season, I’d already put Parenthood as one of my favorite all-time shows. Superb casting, writing and storylines. I’m a 40-year old guy and that show manages to get a few tears out of me in nearly every episode. Sometimes tears of sorrow and sometimes tears of joy. I’m not a whackjob; this is just a powerful show. Hopefully it will stick around a few seasons…I’d really like to see where they’re going to take this thing.

Kelly June 2, 2010 at 1:18 pm

Yeah Darin!!!!!!! Great comment – - I agree wholeheartedly 100% !!!!!

Monica June 2, 2010 at 8:15 pm

We love the show!

Kelly June 4, 2010 at 5:20 am

Keep it definately!!!!!! I am absolutely hooked on this show, and I love all the characters!!! Please Do not cancel this one!!!! It would be a huge mistake. I previously got hooked on Eastwick, as did other members of my family, and it was really upsetting, not to mention maddening when the network chose to skip over episode 11, and air 12, and then never air the final one. I am still enraged by this. In any event, Parenthood needs to continue!!!

Anonymous June 6, 2010 at 5:48 am

KEEP IT!

Alicia June 8, 2010 at 9:26 pm

No worries, everone. According to the Los Angeles Times on April 20th, NBC has decided to pick-up Parenthood for their 2nd season. It will be resuming in the Fall and remaining at its current time slot. All is good in the world again!!

Nena June 15, 2010 at 7:03 am