History Series / Parenthood

* IdiotBall / IdiotPlot / PlotInducedStupidity Sarah's "This time's different!" claims about Seth's current stint in rehab and the resulting repercussions. Not GenreSavvy at all.
** Unfortunately, this is TruthInTelevision for many addicts' loved ones.

* {{Jerkass}}: Joel and Julia's adopted son Victor has become a serious case of "Small Victories" [[spoiler: By the last few episodes of Season 4 though, he's grown out of it.]]
** SpoiledBrat: And in addition to Victor; Sydney and Haddie are also this (or in the case of Haddie used to be), but all of the kids have elements of this.

** InsufferableGenius: But unfortunately due to being InnocentlyInsensitive, he can sometimes be this as well.

* TookALevelInJerkass: Victor takes quite a few levels in {{Jerkass}} in "Keep on Rowing" and "Small Victories". Ryan also takes a brief but nasty one when drunk [[spoiler: that causes Amber to (at least temporarily) break up with him]]

* YourCheatingHeart: Zeek and Camille have both cheated on each other, Camille more recently.

** And now [[spoiler: Jasmine's cheated on Dr. Joe with Crosby]]
* YourCheatingHeart: At some point or another in the series literally every single couple at some point encounters some form of physical or emotional affair.

* BerserkButton: Do ''not'' call Adam's son a retard.

* BittersweetEnding: A few episodes do end with in rather uncomfortable positions, where the parents have to do what's best for their child even though their kids may not appreciate or understand it at the time, such as when Crosby has to learn to be more strict at disciplining his son.

* ButtMonkey: Amber in the First Season seemed to be treated this way by everyone.

''Parenthood'' is the second television adaptation of the 1989 [[Film/{{Parenthood}} movie of the same name]], and like the first series (which [[ShortRunners lasted just 12 episodes]] in 1990), Creator/RonHoward (who directed the film) is an executive producer, although Jason Katims, executive producer of Series/FridayNightLights, appears to be the main showrunner, and aired on Creator/{{NBC}} for six seasons, ending it's run in January 2015.

** Crosby cheated on Jasmine after a big fight. [[{{Friends}} They were not on a break.]]

* {{Expy}}: [[strike:Lorelai]] Sarah. Just try watching an episode and not thinking of GilmoreGirls.

* ShoutOut: The scene in "Solace" where the TV automatically turns to SpongeBobSquarePants might be a reference to a scene in ''Film/{{Zathura}}'' where one of the brothers was watching sports and one of them changes the channel to Spongebob unexpectedly (Although, unlike Parenthood, the boy changed it during the middle of an episode, not the intro theme like the Parenthood episode).

* ActorAllusion:
** One episode has Haddie and Amber talking about a movie that stars Michael Cera. Guess who played Michael Cera's girlfriend back on ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' (and kicks Cera's ass in ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld''). Mae Whitman's character also wear a banana costume for Halloween, which is a reference to what is worn by the employees on Arrested Development at their Frozen Banana stand.
** Lauren Graham's character Sarah's first (albeit short-lived) love interest is a barista, and later on she dates her daughter's teacher, who is younger than her. In Graham's starring role in Series/GilmoreGirls, her character was a coffee addict who eventually fell in love with the man who served her coffee (He was a diner owner and served her food also, but she came in just for coffee often), and she dated early on-- and got engaged to-- her daughter's young teacher.
** In Season 3 Alex is explaining to Haddie why he doesn't think he should go to a high school party. Max says it's not a good idea because of the underage drinking, which he knows about because he watches FridayNightLights. Max is telling this to Alex, played by Michael B. Jordan who not only was a star on Friday Night Lights for two seasons but who also got his role on Parenthood through Jason Katims' executive producer position at both shows.

* CastIncest: Lauren Graham and Peter Krause, who play siblings Sarah and Adam, are currently dating.

* TheDanza: Max Burkholder as Max Braverman.

* DawsonCasting: Avoided with most of the teen characters, but Max is 12 playing 8 at the start of the series and Mae Whitman is 21 playing a 15-year-old.
** It gets particularly Egregious with Max when the actor's voice gets deeper and the character is suppose to be in 5th grade.

* HeyItsThatGuy: [[GilmoreGirls Lorelai Gilmore]] is [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Katara's]] mother!

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Maura Tierney was originally cast as Sarah, but she developed breast cancer during production of the first season, which led to the role being recast with Lauren Graham and the series premiere being pushed back from September 2009 to March 2010.

** One episode has Haddie and Amber talking about a movie that stars Michael Cera. Guess who played Michael Cera's girlfriend back on ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' (and kicks Cera's ass in ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld). Mae Whitman's character also wear a banana costume for Halloween, which is a reference to what is worn by the employees on Arrested Development at their Frozen Banana stand.

* WhyDoYouKeepChangingJobs: Amber changes her job once a season or more to whatever would be more convenient for interacting with the other family members.
** Sarah also has a pretty fluctuating resume throughout the series, including bartending, graphic design, playwriting, photography, and being a landlord.

* HappilyAdopted: Victor by Joel and Julia.

* WeirdFriendship: In season 5 Max picks up an interest in photography and makes a very strange little bond with Hank, as they both can relate in their discomfort for social interaction.

* RealSongThemeTune: Music/BobDylan's "Forever Young" from ''Music/AnotherSideOfBobDylan''.

* RealSongThemeTune: BobDylan's "Forever Young".

* BrainyBrunette: Haddie

* IvyLeagueForEveryone: Haddie gets into Cornell.

** Zeek bought an RV! ... must have sold it offscreen because they never mention it again

** One episode has Haddie and Amber talking about a moviethat stars Michael Cera. Guess who played Michael Cera's girlfriend back on ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' (and kick Cera's ass in ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld). Mae Whitman's character also wear a banana costume for Halloween, which is a reference to what is worn by the employees on Arrested Development at their Frozen Banana stand.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: When a clerk at the grocery store calls Max a retard, Adam punches him in the face.

* CoolOldGuy Zeek is ''always'' right, even when it seems like he's being belligerent and meddling.

* DistantFinale: The final scene of the show shows flashes foward to what happens to each of the Bravermans a few years into the future.

* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: In season one Hattie dyes her hair black to try and be more like Amber. In season 3 Amber starts dying her hair blonde once she's decided to live on her own and stay out of trouble. Sure enough in season 5 when she starts making similar bad choices Sarah did at her age, Amber's hair is long and dark again like her mom's.
* FragileFlower Kristina handles nothing well, though it's a 50/50 chance as to whether she'll cry or become comically irrational. Worse now that she's given birth to the latest Braverman.

** SpoiledBrat: And in addition to Victor Sydney and Haddie are also this (or in the case of Haddie used to be), but all of the kids have elements of this.

* StatusQuoIsGod: Amber and Sarah will continue to live in the same town, looking for serious relationships, and no matter how often their own passion and promising abiility in a career path may be, they will still keep small working-clas jobs.

* TeensAreShort: Amber is pretty tiny, although during season 3, Max's actor has a pretty significant growth spirt, and already is competing height at age eleven with his 17 year old sister.

''Parenthood'' is the second television adaptation of the 1989 [[Film/{{Parenthood}} movie of the same name]], and like the first series (which [[ShortRunners lasted just 12 episodes]] in 1990), Creator/RonHoward (who directed the film) is an executive producer, although Jason Katims, executive producer of Series/FridayNightLights, appears to be the main showrunner, and airs on Creator/{{NBC}}.

** The Series Finale: [[spoiler: Sarah gets married to Hank early so Zeek can walk her down the aisle. Zeek dies in his favorite chair, then we have a time jump and we see Amber HappilyMarried, Max graduating and Julia and Joel happy together with four kids]].

** The Series Finale: [[spoiler: Sarah gets married to Ray early so Zeek can walk her down the aisle. Zeek dies in his favorite chair, then we have a time jump and we see Amber HappilyMarried, Max graduating and Julia and Joel happy together with four kids]].

** One episode has Lauren Graham and Mae Whitman's characters talking about a movie they'd just seen that stars Michael Cera. Funny, I almost forgot who played Michael Cera's girlfriend back on ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' (and kick Cera's ass in ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld). Mae Whitman's character also wear a banana costume for Halloween, which is a reference to what is worn by the employees on Arrested Development at their Frozen Banana stand.