5 Reasons ‘Parenthood’ Is The Best Show On Television

I’m a bit of a DVR snob. I’ll watch almost anything in real time, but to actually hit record, especially for an entire series, requires a level of commitment reserved for few shows. For the past 6 seasons, Parenthood has held highest honors on that chart. While I’ve religiously tuned in each week, I’ve also felt personally compelled to recruit other followers: my husband, my boss, my best friends. Essentially, I became president of the Braverman Fan Club. And I’m not even embarrassed to claim that title, because Parenthood is the best show on TV. Here’s why…

1. Isak Dinesen once said that “The cure for anything is salt water. Sweat, tears or the ocean,” and according to his philosophy, Parenthood heals the soul a little more each week. I cry because I’m sad, and then because I’m happy, and then because I’m moved, and then, at some point, I don’t even know why I’m crying anymore. Regardless, it’s free therapy and I’ll take it.

2. Amidst the crying and pulling the last Kleenex from the Costco box, I simultaneously find myself laughing. And it’s not because I’m just some crazy lady who sits in front of the TV and laughs and cries. It’s because the characters and the writing are incredible enough to draw out all the emotions, seemingly with ease.

3. It acknowledges important, legitimate issues. Its realistic story lines surrounding divorce, PTSD, Aspberger’s, single parenting, cancer, and sexuality, remind us of the complexities embedded in our daily lives.

4. It serves as a conversation starter for “what if that happened to me/you/us?” In a world where gray area exists in all personal and professional spheres, it provides a context to times that right and wrong aren’t easy or simple to identify.

5. It makes you remember what’s really important in life. It’s the show that prompts me to call my sister just to say ‘I love you’ and reinforces sitting at the dinner table and hosting family game night.

So, with only 3 episodes left, grab your tissues, and let’s all take a bow to the beauty that is the Bravermans.