If your family drama cannot be "Modern Family" or "Brothers and Sisters," then what can it be? It almost inevitably will be NBC's "Parenthood," a mid-season, post-Olympic experiment boldly launched in February, 2010. The "Parenthood" experiment tests the hypothesis that good writers and actors can find the middle ground between "Modern Family's" understated but outrageous satire and "Brothers and Sisters'" intensity. Producers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer are re-working the basic premise of Parenthood, the 1989 movie starring Steve Martin as a frazzled father trying with all his might to do the right thing for everyone he loves. The New York Times accurately observes, "'Parenthood,' with its polished scripts and beautifully shot exteriors, seems like a last gasp of television past," big-big production values and a cast of small-screen all-stars including Craig T. Nelson, Bonnie Bedelia, and Lauren Graham. "Parenthood's" plots and dialogue exploit the irony in everyday family life, winning empathetic laughs and wry smiles where other teams might push too hard for punchlines. Some of the dialogue has the same brilliant serrated edge that distinguished "Gilmore Girls," but, as Lauren Graham points out, "I do not have to talk so fast." Like all good comedy, the teasing and quirkiness are fundamentally good-natured, and every episode features at least one weep-worthy segment. Because "Parenthood" is not "Modern Family" or "Brothers and Sisters," it has become the rarest of rare productions at NBC"”a hit.

Sketches are a comics best format for television and Nick Swardson has a show that's loaded with them. Each episode displays some sort of rank and raunchy humorous ingredients that will make 7th graders giggle and adults cover their heads. But along the way some of it is actually funny even if rather dark. Skits about cats in wheelchairs, snipers who masturbate, and incestual dreams involving the Nightmare on Elm Street movies are unusual fare for family television nights and when the show's main character sits and tells us about what we are about to see we begin to wonder what world this is. Nick's dead cat, Fitzgerald, is fair game for another episode as are a fatherly bucket list for a dying son, urine powered cars, and even a Gay Robot. Never one to be short on "off the wall" ideas, Nick Swardson's Pretend Time will give viewers a peek into a rather weird place, the mind of Swardson. Imagine, if you will, recovering a time capsule full of sex objects, or following Gay Robot as he buys airplane tickets to visit the alien probe site (area 51 come to mind?), or maybe learn how a forest ranger steps in to break up intimate moments between homosexuals. All this and more can be found on the Nick Swardson's Pretend Time show.

Starring Edie Falco, Showtime's "Nurse Jackie" stands out as arguably the best medical drama on television, because the premium cable network allows writers and producers plenty of latitude for developing all of Jackie's passions"”the quality of her patients' care, the unbearable arrogance of vaguely sociopathic physicians, and the delicious relief of good orgasms and Oxycontin. "Nurse Jackie," both the character and the show, have some issues: The character suffers excruciating pain from a bad back and therefore has developed an addiction to painkillers. Yes, you have seen this dangerous dilemma recently on both "House" and "Southland," where the admirable characters continue doing their wonderworks despite their addictions. "Nurse Jackie," the show, suffers a subtle but unmistakable identity crisis, suggesting opportunities for some of the most brilliant black humor known to American medical drama; but, like a pensive and pretentious nineteen-year-old, it insists on taking itself much too seriously. One critic aptly observes, "'Nurse Jackie' doesn't look like the average network medical drama, but it does follow the formula of many premium cable shows, taking a knowing and at times dark, sardonic look at the classic themes of love, life and work." The critic, however, forgets to mention that nowhere does "sardonic" appear as a synonym for either "funny" or "engaging."

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is a popular American sitcom that aired on NBC from 1990 to 1996. The show revolves around a young man named Will Smith who, after getting into trouble in his hometown of Philadelphia, is sent to live with his wealthy relatives, the Banks family, in their Bel-Air mansion.

"The Other Two" is an American comedy series that premiered on Comedy Central in 2019. It follows the lives of two siblings, Brooke and Cary, whose younger brother becomes an overnight sensation thanks to a viral music video. The series depicts the siblings' attempts to navigate their own lives while also dealing with the newfound fame of their brother, Chase.

NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly features musical performers, interviews with well known celebrities, plus some topical documentary style programming, all within a half hour format. It has been delegated to super late night (actually early early morning viewing) and follows after a strong lineup which includes The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. This is Daly's 11th season of late night entertainment and some recent guests include Make Believe The Black Angels, Adam Blackstone, Adam Pally, and Ben Schwartz. While Leno and O'Brien have switched their time slots Carson Daly has been solidly in place and earning even more ratings points thanks to discourse between other late night hosts. The documentary segments take Daly out of the studio and on the road to places like Tom Green's home in the Hollywood Hills or on a motorcycle road trip along historic Route 66. Musically and documentary style is a visit to the famous Whiskey Bar and visit with Kings of Leon (Grammy award winning band).