My So-Called Family Life...

"Parenthood is like Modern Family but not funny." - my 10-year-old brother, Joe

Photo: TheWrap

Joe's right. My favourite new drama is quite a lot like my favourite new comedy.  But it's also a bit of every other family drama I have loved over the years. Namely, My So-called Life, which creator Jason Katims also worked on. In fact, he wrote my favourite episode of MSCL, "Life of Brian", so clearly, he just knows awesome.

Whereas MSCL focused in on one family (the Chases), which centered around introspective teen, Angela Chase (or, as I like to call her, me, with Crimson Glow), Parenthood brings you the stories of several families within one big family.  There's the parents (or grandparents I suppose), their four kids (Lauren Graham, Peter Krause, Erika Christensen and the surprisingly awesome Dax Sheppard) and their kids. We get a peek at each family's unique lives and problems each week. So yes, like Modern Family, but without Al Bundy.

My whole (immediate) family is in love with this show and it's not hard to see why. It deals with real problems in a touching, relatable way. I've recommended it to several people my age and they all say the same thing, "Why would I watch that? It doesn't relate to me at all." But, you don't have to be a parent to get into the show (obviously, I'm not).

If you've ever had to deal with a parent, a sibling, a cousin or an in-law, you can identify with at least one of the story lines in the show. And if you can't, for some reason, then who cares? I mean, who always wants to watch something you know all about. Why do you think people watch fantasy movies and programs? Cause they want to explore something outside their daily lives. Think about it. No one really knows about being stranded on a hellish island and having to fight against the Others, but they still love Lost.

And hey, if my little brother can get into it, so can you.

Mood Music: "Picture to Burn" by Taylor Swift