Author: Rachel Hamburg

It’s easy to be critical of “Parenthood.” The show is unoriginal, unrealistic, and ambitious in all the wrong ways. It’s also easy to watch “Parenthood” without being critical at all: It’s intriguing, light, and often enough, poignant. “Parenthood” is a generic attempt at the family drama, which, aside from its

If I were to judge a TV show by its premise, plotlines, or protagonist, I’d have never watched “The Middle.”But moment after moment, “The Middle” sparks with quirky, zany comedy. It is the story of the Hecks, a middle-class Indiana family, that is three parts rah, rah, rah, and two

It’s easy to be hard on “Parks and Recreation.”It’s a mockumentary about the day-to-day shenanigans of the Parks and Recreation Department of Pawnee, Indiana, a fictional bastion of bureaucracy and small-town Midwestern life. The show was co-created by “The Office” innovator, writer, and producer Greg Daniels, and is closely modeled

The stadium lights of Dillon High School no longer shine upon Coach Eric Taylor. Gone is the glitz of a state championship, college scouts, and star running backs. On a tattered, neglected field, an untrained band of young men now stands before him.This season on “Friday Night Lights,” the pristine

By day, Jonathan Ames is a neurotic, pot-addicted, alcoholic writer. His girlfriend just dumped him (for being a neurotic, pot-addicted alcoholic). He wrote a successful novel, but is now plagued by writer’s block. He spends his days bored and depressed, sipping white wine, which he tells himself is barely alcohol

Finally, a show with some wiggle room. “Modern Family,” a comedy about three generations of the Pritchett clan, tackles parenthood, childhood, and coupledom with humor, poignancy, and refreshingly little desperation. With charming interpretations of family dynamics and skillful use of stereotypes, “Modern Family” exudes the confidence of a subject matter

It’s hard to be a supermodel. The sex! The vanity! The backstabbing! The crime! The tabloids! Everyone is jealous of you, and sometimes, you need to just snort a few lines of cocaine. Is that the sad sound of the world’s smallest violin? “The Beautiful Life”—or “TBL,” as it likes

Move over, Zac Efron. “Glee,” a glitzy new musical comedy, is taking over the made-for-TV-musical genre, shredding the rulebook in the process. The story of McKinley High School’s rag-tag glee club’s quest for stardom and social acceptance, “Glee” valiantly attempts to package satire, teen angst and musical theater into must-see-TV.