Family TV drama
I was recently flying back from Australia and had a good long time to appraise the genre of Family TV, by watching The Middle , Parenthood , Suburgatory , and Modern Families between halal chicken dinners (we flew via Abu Dhabi). I was surprised to find out how different each series was, even though they were all part of (ahem) one big family. The Middle is a sitcom that looks at the 'squeezed middle' from the perspective of the harrassed mother and father who can't afford what most of their peers seem able to give their children. They have obligations to both the older and the younger generation. They worry incessantly about the impact their own lack of material success will have on their children. They love and resent their choices. Obviously, the answer is that a loving family conquers all, despite problems along the way, pretty much because the alternatives (divorce, adoption) appear to them to be so bleak. Parenthood is a family saga drama, featuring a patriar...