“Parenthood” airs tonight on NBC

On tonight’s episode of “Parenthood” (January 4, 2011/10:00 P.M. PST/EST) – DAMAGE CONTROL (TV-PG) CROSBY DEALS WITH PARENTING ISSUES AS DREW FACES A DILEMMA OF HIS OWN; ADAM AND KRISTINA MEET ALEX, WHILE JOEL AND JULIA TEACH SYDNEY A LESSON.

Crosby (Dax Shepard) has trouble teaching Jabbar (Tyree Brown) to clean his room. Meanwhile, Zeke (Craig T. Nelson) finds Drew (Miles Heizer) drinking beer with guys from school. Adam (Peter Krause) and Kristina (Monica Potter) get to know Alex (guest star Michael B. Jordan) at dinner with Haddie (Sarah Ramos) and Max (Max Burkholder). Joel (Sam Jaeger) and Julia (Erika Christensen) explain death to Sydney (Savannah Paige Rae). Lauren Graham, Mae Whitman, Joy Bryant and Bonnie Bedelia also star.

“Parenthood” is a one-hour drama inspired by the box-office hit of the same name. This re-imagined and updated Universal Media Studios/Imagine Television production follows the trials and tribulations of the very large, very colorful and imperfect Braverman family.

Sarah Braverman (Lauren Graham, “Gilmore Girls”) is a financially-strapped single mother trying to raise two teenaged kids, the bright but rebellious Amber (Mae Whitman, “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”) and sullen and sensitive Drew (Miles Heizer, “ER.”)

What is “Parenthood”?

On the home front, Sarah and her kids live with Sarah’s larger-than-life, headstrong father, Zeek (Craig T. Nelson, “Family Stone,” “Coach”), and pillar-of-strength mother Camille, (Bonnie Bedelia, “Heart Like a Wheel”), who are continuously dealing with their own marital issues.

Meanwhile, Sarah’s sister and complete antithesis, Julia (Erika Christensen, “Traffic”) is a successful corporate attorney trying to juggle work and motherhood, alongside her loving but increasingly restless stay-at-home husband, Joel (Sam Jaeger, “Eli Stone”).

Commitment-phobe Crosby (Dax Shepard, “Baby Mama”), Sarah’s younger brother, is helping raise a five-year-old son he had out-of-wedlock with former flame Jasmine (Joy Bryant “Antwone Fisher”).

However, it’s Adam (Peter Krause, “Six Feet Under”), the oldest Braverman sibling, who has had to relinquish his expectations about what constitutes a “normal” family as he, his quietly forceful wife Kristina (Monica Potter, “Trust Me”) and independent-minded teenage daughter, Haddie (Sarah Ramos, “American Dreams”), struggle to cope with their eccentric son and Haddie’s little brother, Max (Max Burkholder, “Brother and Sisters”), who has Asperger’s Syndrome.

Although each sibling and family has its own share of life and everyday challenges to grapple with, they still manage to be there for each other in their hours of need.

Serving as executive producers are Oscar winners Ron Howard and Brian Grazer (“A Beautiful Mind,” “Frost/Nixon”), Jason Katims (“Friday Night Lights”) – who wrote the pilot episode — and David Nevins (“Friday Night Lights,” “Arrested Development”).

NBC TEAMS UP WITH IVILLAGE FOR ‘PARENTHOOD’ CONTEST TO PROMOTE SEASON TWO OF THE NBC HIT SERIES

Winner Will Receive a Trip For Two to Los Angeles and A Visit to the Set of ‘Parenthood’

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – September 14, 2010 – NBC is teaming up with iVillage, the essential digital brand for women, for a special “Parenthood” contest in anticipation of the second season of the hit series.  NBC and iVillage are calling for users to share their thoughts about parenthood by writing a blog post on one of three topics including, “Have I become my mother/father?,” “Do parents really know best?” or “Friend or mom?” One contest winner will win a trip for two to Los Angeles and an exclusive visit to the set of “Parenthood,” premiering tonight Tuesday, September 14 (10-11 p.m. ET) on NBC.  The winning post will be featured on iVillage.

Contestants can submit entries at iVillage.com/parenthood or theparenthoodcontest.com.  After entering a post, fans of the series can also share the entry on Facebook, Twitter, or personal blogs, encouraging readers to vote for them in the contest.  A panel of judges from iVillage and “Parenthood” will choose their favorite entry from those posts that received the most votes.  For contest rules go to http://www.theparenthoodcontest.com/rules.

In addition, NBC.com will gather video posts in support of the contest via mobile truck in New York on Tuesday, September 14.  Participants will answer one of the three topics and all videos will be posted to http://www.nbc.com/parenthood/your-stories/.

“We are once again excited to bring people together to talk about such a relatable and universally important topic,” said Adam Stotsky, President, NBC Entertainment Marketing. “This contest gives online users a forum to share their personal stories relating to the many facets of family life.”

“This contest combines two elements that iVillage is very passionate about – community and parenting,” said Catherine Balsam-Schwaber, Senior Vice President of Marketing, iVillage. “iVillage is a one-of-kind  digital destination where millions of women go to share their experiences with others just like them. The contest is a natural extension of that.”

“Parenthood” is a one-hour drama inspired by the box-office hit of the same name.  This re-imagined and updated Universal Media Studios/Imagine Television production follows the trials and tribulations of the very large, very colorful and imperfect Braverman family.Sarah Braverman (Lauren Graham, “Gilmore Girls”) is a financially-strapped single mother trying to raise two teenaged kids, the bright but rebellious Amber (Mae Whitman, “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”) and sullen and sensitive Drew (Miles Heizer, “ER.”)

On the home front, Sarah and her kids live with Sarah’s larger-than-life, headstrong father, Zeek (Craig T. Nelson, “Family Stone,” “Coach”), and pillar-of-strength mother Camille, (Bonnie Bedelia, “Heart Like a Wheel”), who are continuously dealing with their own marital issues.

Meanwhile, Sarah’s sister and complete antithesis, Julia (Erika Christensen, “Traffic”) is a successful corporate attorney trying to juggle work and motherhood, alongside her loving but increasingly restless stay-at-home husband, Joel (Sam Jaeger, “Eli Stone”).

Commitment-phobe Crosby (Dax Shepard, “Baby Mama”), Sarah’s younger brother, is helping raise a five-year-old son he had out-of-wedlock with former flame Jasmine (Joy Bryant “Antwone Fisher”).

However, it’s Adam (Peter Krause, “Six Feet Under”), the oldest Braverman sibling, who has had to relinquish his expectations about what constitutes a “normal” family as he, his quietly forceful wife Kristina (Monica Potter, “Trust Me”) and independent-minded teenage daughter, Haddie (Sarah Ramos, “American Dreams”), struggle to cope with their eccentric son and Haddie’s little brother, Max (Max Burkholder, “Brother and Sisters”), who has Asperger’s Syndrome.

Although each sibling and family has its own share of life and everyday challenges to grapple with, they still manage to be there for each other in their hours of need.

Serving as executive producers are Oscar winners Ron Howard and Brian Grazer (“A Beautiful Mind,” “Frost/Nixon”), Jason Katims (“Friday Night Lights”) – who wrote the pilot episode — and David Nevins (“Friday Night Lights,” “Arrested Development”).

For more information, visit: http://www.nbc.com/parenthood/

NBC Entertainment develops and schedules programming for the network’s primetime, late-night, and daytime schedules. NBC’s quality programs and balanced lineup have earned the network critical acclaim, numerous awards, and ratings success. The network has earned more Emmy Awards than any network in television history.

NBC’s roster of popular scripted series includes critically acclaimed comedies like Emmy winners “The Office,” starring Steve Carell, and “30 Rock,” starring Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey. Veteran, award-winning dramas on NBC include the “Law & Order” brand, and “Chuck.” Unscripted series for NBC include the hits “The Biggest Loser,” “The Celebrity Apprentice” and “America’s Got Talent.”  NBC is #1 in late night’s key ratings races with “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” “Last Call with Carson Daly” and “Saturday Night Live.” NBC Daytime’s “Days of our Lives” consistently finishes among daytime’s top programs in the valuable women 18-34 category. Saturday mornings the network broadcasts Qubo on NBC, a three-hour block that features fun, entertaining, and educational programming for kids, including the award-winning, 3-D animated series “Veggie Tales.”  For more information visit www.nbc.com.

About iVillage:

iVillage is the largest content-driven community for women online reaching 30 + million unique visitors per month (comScore July 2010).  With over four million plus conversations annually and thousands of specific brands talked about weekly, iVillage is at the center of her digital routine.  Everyday women come to iVillage to connect, share advice, find life tools and engage in conversations that matter most to them in areas of Pregnancy & Parenting, Health, Food, Entertainment and Beauty & Style. Additional businesses and brand extensions within iVillage include iVillage UK, NBC Digital Health Network, Astrology.com and GardenWeb.  iVillage Inc., is based in New York City, and is part of the NBC Universal Women & Lifestyle Entertainment Networks Group. Join iVillage’s Facebook group at www.facebook.com/ivillage and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ivillage.

NBC AIRS SEASON FINALES OF HIT SUMMER SHOWS “AMERICA’S GOT TALENT” AND “MINUTE TO WIN IT” THIS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14-15 — LEADING INTO THE PREMIERES OF “PARENTHOOD” AND NEW DRAMA “OUTLAW”

TWO-PART SEASON FINALE OF ‘AMERICA’S GOT TALENT’ FEATURES PERFORMANCES BY THE FINAL FOUR ACTS AS WELL AS SPECIAL GUEST STARS DAVID COPPERFIELD, DONNA SUMMER, GOO GOO DOLLS, JEWEL, LIONEL RICHIE, THE BEATLES LOVE BY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, SARAH BRIGHTMAN, USHER — AND OTHER SURPRISE GUESTS — ON SEPTEMBER 14-15

On September 14 the Season Finale of Hit Competition Show “Minute To Win It,” Celebrates U.S. Armed Forces as Iraqi War Veterans Compete to Win the $1 Million Prize for Their Families

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – September 13, 2009 – The season finales of NBC’s hit summer shows “America’s Got Talent” on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 14-15 as well as “Minute To Win It” on Tuesday, September 14, will lead in to the premieres of the critically acclaimed drama “Parenthood” (10-11 p.m. ET) and the highly anticipated new drama “Outlaw” (10-11 p.m. ET) starring Jimmy Smits.

On September 14 (9-10 p.m. ET), the final four acts of the summer’s #1 series, “America’s Got Talent,” are Fighting Gravity, Jackie Evancho, Michael Grimm and Prince Poppycock. They will perform live one last time for the $1 million prize and a chance at a headlining show in Las Vegas. In the series’ season finale on September 15 (NEW TIME: 8-10 p.m. ET), special guest stars David Copperfield, Donna Summer, Goo Goo Dolls, Jewel, Lionel Richie, The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil, Sarah Brightman, Usher and many more surprise guests will appear before this season’s winner of “America’s Got Talent” is revealed live by host Nick Cannon.

Hip-hop sensation Usher will be singing his chart-topping single “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love Again.” The Goo Goo Dolls will perform a medley of   the band’s first single “Home” from their new album — “Something for the Rest of Us” along with their #1 hit song “Slide.” David Copperfield will perform two exciting illusions from his Las Vegas show and the cast of The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil will feature performances from the Beatles-inspired show. Jewel will perform a duet with finalist Michael Grimm, Richie will perform with finalists Fighting Gravity, Sarah Brightman will sing with finalist Jackie Evancho and Donna Summer will perform with finalist Prince Poppycock.

The season finale of hit competition show “Minute To Win It” on September 14 (8-9 p.m. ET) is a celebration of the men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces and will feature injured Iraqi War veterans Ed Salau and Andy Butterworth as the team up together to win the $1 million for their families. In front of an Armed Forces audience, they must first take on the “Sticky Balls” challenge in which they roll marbles and stick them to a piece of double-sided tape laid across the end of the table. Guy Fieri (“Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives”) hosts the competition show which features competitors participating in a series of simple, yet nerve-wracking challenges with household items.

Looking forward to next season, “America’s Got Talent” has also announced the first three audition cities for next season: Los Angeles, Denver and Chicago. The open auditions begin in October and in early 2011 the series will hold auditions in New York, Atlanta, Seattle and Houston. Prospective candidates can go to www.AGTauditions.com to pre-register and get more information.

NBC PICKS UP NEW MID-SEASON DRAMA ‘PARENTHOOD’ FOR 2010-11 SEASON

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – April 20, 2010 – NBC has renewed its new mid-season drama “Parenthood” (Tuesdays, 10-11 p.m. ET) for the 2010-11 season.  The announcement was made today by Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.

“We are so happy to welcome back this multi-layered and compelling series about an extended American family for another season,” said Bromstad.  “It’s gratifying that ‘Parenthood’ continues to garner critical acclaim and is generating highly positive reaction from viewers, thanks to the fearless creativity of its producers and the extraordinary performances delivered by its ensemble cast.”

“Parenthood” has averaged a 3.2 rating 9 share in adults 18-49 and 7.8 million viewers overall since its March 2 premiere in the Tuesday (10-11 p.m. ET) slot, according to “most current” data from Nielsen Media Research.  “Parenthood” ranks #1 in the time period in adults 18-49 versus regular competition and was the first regular in the slot this season to out-rate an original of CBS’s “The Good Wife” in adults 18-49.

In addition, “Parenthood” is one of the most upscale series on primetime broadcast television, ranking in the top 10 in terms of the concentration of homes with incomes of $100,000 or more in its adult 18-49 audience.   It’s also a highly time-shifted show, adding an average 32 percent to its adult 18-49 rating when going from “live plus same day” to “live plus seven day” Nielsen results, and adding an average 26 percent or 1.8 million persons in total viewers.
“Parenthood” is a one-hour drama inspired by the box-office comedy hit of the same name that premiered Tuesday, March 2 (10-11 p.m. ET).  The re-imagined and updated production introduces audiences to the large and colorful yet imperfect Braverman family, and features an all-star cast that includes Lauren Graham, Peter Krause, Monica Potter, Craig T. Nelson, Bonnie Bedelia, Erika Christensen, Dax Shepard, Joy Bryant, Sam Jaeger, Sarah Ramos, Mae Whitman, Miles Heizer, Savannah Rae and Max Burkholder.

Serving as executive producers are Oscar winners Ron Howard and Brian Grazer (“A Beautiful Mind,” “Frost/Nixon”), Peabody Award winner Jason Katims (“Friday Night Lights”) and David Nevins (“Friday Night Lights,” “Arrested Development”).

“Parenthood” is from Imagine Television and Universal Media Studios.