'Parenthood' is back — 19 years later

NBC's new motto might be: If at first you don't succeed, try, try again — 19 years later.

The network has announced that it has picked up the series "Parenthood," based on the 1989 movie of the same name. Which has been done before. By NBC.

(Don't get "Parenthood" confused with "The Parent 'Hood," the 1995-99 sitcom that aired on The WB.)

Way back in 1990, the Peacock network picked up a series titled "Parenthood," based on the 1989 movie of the same name. And a certain newly minted TV critic at the Deseret News was enthusiastic about it:

"The only four-star pilot on the fall schedule, this television show is much better than the movie on which it's based. The casting is excellent (Ed Begley Jr. for Steve Martin, William Windom for Jason Robards, Maryedith Burrell for Dianne Weist) so you don't miss any of the film actors. It's funny, relatively realistic in a rather odd way, touching and lighter in tone than the theatrical version."

Wow. I liked it. I really liked it.

Which was not the case with viewers. I thought it would be at least a moderate success, but I worried that it was "on too early and on the wrong night."

It was scheduled on Saturday nights at 7.

(Yes, children, way back in 1990 networks actually aired something other than reruns on Saturday nights. I know it's absolutely unheard of today, but they all did it back in the last millennium.)

There were a lot of things I remembered about that first "Parenthood" show. Much of the cast. (Although I forgot that Leonardo DiCaprio, then 16, played 13-year-old Garry Buckman on the show).

I can even recall the press conference (featuring "Parenthood" movie director/TV series executive producer Ron Howard) on NBC's portion of the Television Critics Association press tour.

I totally forgot, however, that a young Joss Whedon was a producer/writer on the show. That would be the same Joss Whedon who went on to create and produce "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Angel," "Firefly"/"Serenity" and "Dollhouse." Not to mention writing the movie "Toy Story." Or "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog."

Maybe the new "Parenthood" TV series will work better than the first. It's an hourlong drama/comedy, as opposed to a half-hour comedy/drama.

We haven't seen it yet, but while the first show was pretty much a character-for-character continuation of the movie, the second series is about a different family with different characters — albeit some of them seemingly quite similar to the originals.