Parenthood: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Parenthood: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 20, 2023

TV's Parenthood aired on NBC for six seasons spanning nearly five years, from March 2010 to January 2015. The ensemble show about the extended Braverman family was loosely based on the 1989 feature film of the same name starring Steve Martin. The show was met with critical acclaim but was saddled by low and fledgling ratings. Still, a six-season run is certainly respectable, and the excellent ensemble cast and sprawling yet intimately interconnected storylines make for usually satisfying and occasionally compelling TV comedy and drama that, even approaching a decade since its final airing, still holds as an example of modern family life.

Official synopsis: Family always comes first with the Braverman's in this stunning collection that captures every wise, warm and witty moment from the critically lauded series. From executive producers Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Jason Katims comes all six seasons of Parenthood, the dramatic series that touches on all the rewarding and real aspects of being a parent, child or sibling. Join an all-star cast, including Peter Krause, Lauren Graham, Dax Shepard and Erika Christensen, as they take on raising babies, toddlers, tweens, teens and even older parents in this gratifying collection guaranteed to make you nostalgic for memories that aren't even your own (Tierney Bricker, E! Online). It's 103 episodes that prove every family is perfect in its own imperfect way.

Parenthood has its moments of humor, and it has its moments of high drama. In other words, it tries its best to recreate a typical extended family life cycle. The show excels for concept, taking audiences into the world of a family that is very familiar, not necessarily by name or face, but by action and deed. The Bravermans could be the family down the street, or they could be the family sharing the same dinner table and living room with the audience. There's a lot of self- and life-reflection here. The show does not push boundaries or present unbelievable situations and scenarios, instead choosing to hunker down in the realm of reality and finds its voice, place, and purpose in recreating life. Maybe that's why, despite all that's going for it, the show struggled to really connect with audiences, at least very broadly: there's no escapism here. Rather, it's a look into a very familiar world. That's not a bad thing; it's just doesn't necessarily fully fit "the mold" or "the model" for using TV as a medium for experiencing something different rather than something that is the same.

The characters are certainly at the epicenter of the show, and they are all exceptionally well-acted. Parenthood features one of the better ensembles anyone is going to find on TV in the last couple of decades, and there's a believable physical and emotional connection amongst the cast. The sense of reality in the relationships and the various goings-on is difficult to top in family drama TV. Audiences will cheer and love with the characters, and they will weep with the characters. The show is balanced in reality, not pushing too much humor or too much drama, but rather presenting a tangible ebb-and-flow of life. The cast is all-in on the structure, and their devotion to building the individual singularly and as part of the larger unit is the show's greatest strength.

Parenthood: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Universal brings Parenthood to Blu-ray with a solid-looking 1080p transfer. The presentation maintains the original broadcast ratio of 1.78.1. The picture reaches a fairly high level of clarity, especially for a digitally shot TV series. Viewers will appreciate the core level of depth and clarity to faces and clothes, not to mention various odds and ends around locations, including homes and the luncheonette. While not reaching to epically high yield definition, the core elements look perfectly good throughout the six-season run. There are some issues to note, however, including some source noise and a fair bit of macroblocking. Neither rate as "excessive," but they are in enough abundance to keep videophiles from ranking the picture extremely high. Casually speaking, though, the picture is every bit as good as any broadcast run, if not better for clearly superior compression here. Colors are satisfying for core neutrality. Contrast never wavers to any strange push and temperatures are likewise stable. There's plenty of nice pop and depth to tones. Black levels and white balance both satisfy while skin tones are impressively accurate and full.

Parenthood: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS-HD Master Audo 5.1 lossless soundtrack serves from the first episode of season one to the final episode of season six. The presentation is unremarkable, but effective. Overall clarity and spatial awareness are solid, with the track opening up to various interior and exterior atmosphere throughout the show; listeners will never feel at all detached from the audio experience. There's a nice foundational clarity to music and effects. The track is straightforward and mostly holds along the front for music, but some surround wrap is present. Dialogue is grounded in the center, it is well prioritized, and it is naturally defined. The track lacks any big dynamics, but it is full and satisfying within its natural structural parameters.

Parenthood: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Parenthood contains most of its extras on the first three season collections and then offers nothing until a retrospective on the final season six disc. No DVD or digital copies are included. Each season ships in its own Amaray case with discs on their own hubs (no disc stacking). All of the cases ship inside a slip box.

Season One, Disc One:

• Audio Commentary: For "Pilot:" Executive Producer Jason Katims.

Season One, Disc Two:

• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Scenes from "The Big 'O'" (9:05), "What's Going On Down There?" (3:04), and "Perchance to Dream" (1:53).

Season One, Disc Three:

• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Scenes from "Namaste No More" (1:33), "Team Braverman" (4:06), and "Lost and Found" (1:48).
• Getting to Know Your Parents (1080p, 13:07): Exploring the show's structure and themes, real depictions of real families, writing, cast and characters, photography, improvisation, favorite moments, why the show resonates with audiences, and more.

Season Two, Disc One:

• Deleted Scene (1080p, 1:43): For "The Booth Job".

Season Two, Disc Two:

• Audio Commentary: For "If the Boat Is a Rockin:'" Peter Krause and Allison Liddi-Brown.

Season Two, Disc Three:

• Deleted Scene (1080p, 1:54): For "A House Divided".

Season Two, Disc Four:

• Audio Commentaries: For "Just Go Home:" Lauren Graham and Lawrence Trillin. For "Do Not Sleep with Your Autistic Nephew's Therapist:" Jason Katims.
• Deleted Scene (1080p, 2:05): For "Do Not Sleep with Your Autistic Nephew's Therapist".

Season Two, Disc Five:

• Deleted Scene (1080p, 1:15): For "New Plan".
• From Page to Screen (1080p, 14:20): Looking inside the writing room dynamics with emphasis on the episode "The New Plan."

Season Three, Disc One:

• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Scenes from "I Don't Want to Do This Without You" (3:14).

Season Three, Disc Two:

• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Scenes from "Tales from the Lunchonette" (1:05) and "Mr. Honesty" (2:18).
• Deleted Storyline (1080p): For "Mr. Honesty" (7:40).

Season Three, Disc Three:

• Deleted Scene (1080p, 1:09): For "Missing".

Season Three, Disc Four:

• Audio Commentaries: For "Remember Me, I'm the One Who Loves You:" Director/Executive Producer Jason Katims. For "My Brother's Wedding:" Director/Executive Producer Lawrence Trilling and Actress Mae Whitman.
• Deleted Scene (1080p, 0:58): For "Tough Love".

Season Six, Disc Three:

• Farewell: A Parenthood Retrospective (1080p, 13:56): Looking back at cast and characters, story lines and character arcs, cast and performances, and more.

Parenthood: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Parenthood fell into that unfortunate place of good content and fine reviews but not a significant audience. The show has a lot to offer viewers who can look past some of the flaws and find an often heartfelt story of the family complexities that follow a group of interconnected, but so often also disconnected, individuals. The show's legacy is probably one that will not be remembered as a classic, but for those who enjoy it, here is a full series release with excellent video and audio presentation and a nice helping of extra content, primarily in the form of a few commentaries and deleted scenes, paired with a few featurettes. Recommended.