Top 10 TV Premieres in 2010: Parenthood

NBC's family drama comes in at No. 8 on our countdown of most-anticipated series of the new year

All this week, we're counting down the most anticipated series of the new year and telling you what to watch and what highlights to expect from 2010's top TV. Coming in at No. 8 is a new family drama from the folks who brought you Friday Night Lights...

Parenthood (NBC)

Premieres: March 1, 9 p.m.
Starring: Bonnie Bedelia, Erika Christensen, Lauren Graham, Peter Krause, Craig T. Nelson, Monica Potter, Dax Shepard, Mae Whitman
Status: New series

Should you give this movie remake a chance? The cast is crackerjack, but does the production live up to its promise? Here's what we can tell you:

Based on the 1989 film starring Steve Martin, this version of Parenthood aims to make a continuing series out of the adventures of the Braverman family of Northern California. Turning Parenthood into a TV show was tried once before—the 1990 attempt starred young comers Leonardo DiCaprio and David Arquette, among others—but this version comes with the added bonus of being squeezed from the mind grapes of executive producer Jason Katims, the man behind Friday Night Lights.

(This version of Parenthood was originally intended to premiere in the fall, but production was halted to allow Maura Tierney time for her breast-cancer treatments, and her role of ne'er-do-well daughter Sarah Braverman was eventually recast with one-time Gilmore Girl Lauren Graham taking over the part.)

We've seen the original pilot (the one with Tierney, rather than Graham) and it's a high-quality production that sets the stage for many extended-family hijinks to come. Standouts include Dax Shepard as Crosby Braverman, the family's freewheeling younger son, and Monica Potter, whose character, Kristina, married into the family but now finds herself perhaps the most authentic Braverman of all.

But don't take our word for it. Peter Krause (you know you love him!) tells us, "This is a show about family and people you recognize—the same way that Roseanne was, or The Simpsons is. One thing that Jason Katims really wants to do is tell the truth about family, about relationships, about parents and kids, and because of that it's both funny and dramatic. Because life is funny—and tragic sometimes."

And where the likes of Krause and Graham go, we shall follow...