'Parenthood' Ends Its Run With The Series Finale Tonight

Lauren Graham as Sarah Braverman -- Photo by: Colleen Hayes/NBC

Parenthood ends its run tonight after 6 seasons and 103 episodes (10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC). The episode is called "May God Bless and Keep You Always," the opening line of Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young,” which is reprised throughout the episode.

In the excitement of her wedding day, Sarah (Lauren Graham) surrounds herself with the original Braverman clan. Meanwhile, Hank (Ray Romano) approaches Zeek (Craig T. Nelson) for his blessing and asks Drew (Miles Heizer) for a special favor. Amber (Mae Whitman) adjusts to life as a new mom with a little help from her grandparents. Julia (Erika Christensen) and Joel (Sam Jaeger) get a phone call that forces a life-changing decision. Max (Max Burkholder) gets his first job, while Crosby (Dax Shepard) and Adam (Peter Krause) reach an understanding about the Luncheonette. Kristina (Monica Potter) presents Adam with a new plan for the future of Chambers Academy, and for their family.

Watch a sneak peek below:

Today in Soap Opera History (August 12)

1981: Another World's Cecile and Jamie were held captive.
1986: The Young and the Restless' Sven charmed Katherine.
1994: All My Children's Erica broke down at Mona's grave.
2002: As the World Turns' Barbara interrupted Hal and
Emily's wedding.

"To believe what has not occurred in history will not occur at all, is to argue disbelief in the dignity of man."
- Mahatma Gandhi

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1966: On Dark Shadows, Victoria (Alexandra Moltke) ran into Carolyn (Nancy Barrett) when she returned to Collinwood. Once Victoria explained there she had nothing going on with Burke, Carolyn apologized.

NBC Unveils 2014-15 Primetime Schedule: 'Parenthood' Returns For Final Season (Press Release)

FRESH COMEDIES, CAPTIVATING DRAMAS AND HIGHLY POPULAR RETURNING SERIES HIGHLIGHT NBC’S WELL-BALANCED AND DYNAMIC 2014-15 PRIMETIME SCHEDULE

#1 New Show of the Season “The Blacklist” Moves to Thursdays in February and Earns Post-Super Bowl Timeslot

Emmy Award-Winning Series “The Voice” Returns Monday and Tuesday with New Coaches Pharrell Williams and Gwen Stefani

David Caspe’s New Comedy “Marry Me” Earns Tuesday “Voice” Lead-Out

Light-hearted Detective Drama “The Mysteries of Laura” Leads Off Procedural-Themed Wednesday Line-up

New Comedy Block “Bad Judge” and “A to Z” Move Into Thursday

Popular DC Comics Fan Favorite “Constantine” Comes to Life Friday

Ratings to Rock with Top Notch “Sunday Night Football” Schedule, Concluding with the Most-Watched Program of the Year, Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1

Midseason Moves Include Spy Thriller ‘Allegiance’ in Thursday Post-‘Blacklist’ Timeslot and ‘Bible’ Follow-Up Miniseries ‘A.D.’ to Launch on Easter Sunday

NEW YORK — May 11, 2014 — Coming off a season in which the network catapulted to No. 1 in the 18-49 demo and saw double-digit improvement in many prominent timeslots, NBC has announced a line-up of popular returning series, inventive new comedies, compelling new dramas and season seven of the Emmy Award-winning musical competition series “The Voice.”

NEWS: 'Nashville' and 'Parenthood' in Negotiations for Renewal; Kathleen Gati's 'Willkommen' on iTunes; Jason Thompson, Bradford Anderson, Melissa Claire Egan Talk Emmys

"Willkommen" from Kathleen Gati & the General Hospital Cast now available on iTunes
Gati's Dr. Obrecht interrupted the opening Nurses Ball number on Thursday's episode of GH to sing her own tune.

'General Hospital' star Jason Thompson on his Daytime Emmy nomination
"I submitted the episode where Patrick tells Sabrina that he's going to go back to Robin, and then he goes back to his home and tells Robin he's home. It told its own story within the episode. It represents me and the show well. It's always interesting trying to go through those episodes and find the one to send in... I was very comfortable with the one I chose."

Bradford Anderson on earning an Emmy nomination with his most dramatic moment
"I submitted the day Ellie told Spinelli that he was the father of the baby outside the nursery. It's not every day that you get a circumstance like that. One show does not a year make. Some years you don't get those heightened scenarios. You take the best work that you can think of. I think the Emmy shows that win have to be a combination of a good actor doing good work with heightened material; what sets this day apart from every other day? That was the most dramatic moment I had."

'Nashville' Renewal Focus On Tax Credit Issues
The co-producers, Lionsgate TV and ABC Studios, are working on making the numbers work, according to Deadline. That is focusing on state tax credit issues (the series films in Nashville), which have to be worked out for the series to get a formal renewal. The goal is to get to 22 episodes.

35th Annual Young Artist Awards Winners Include Haley Pullos, Jimmy Deshler, Max Burkholder

The 35th Annual Young Artist Awards were handed out on Sunday, May 4 in the Empire Ballroom of the Sportsmen's Lodge Hotel in Studio City, California. Longtime General Hospital star Kimberly McCullough presented the Daytime TV Series awards to Jimmy Deshler and Haley Pullos.

Below is a complete list of winners:

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A DAYTIME TV SERIES
Young Actor
Jimmy Deshler, General Hospital

Young Actress
Haley Pullos, General Hospital

18th Annual PRISM Awards Winners Include 'Days of our Lives', 'Scandal', 'Parenthood' and 'Grey's Anatomy'

Jen Lilley accepted the Days of our Lives award along
with co-star Eric Martsolf.

The Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. (EIC) announced the winners for the 18th Annual PRISM Awards on Monday night at a star-studded ceremony in Los Angeles. The PRISM Awards honor TV, movie, music, online, and comic book entertainment that accurately depicts drug, alcohol and tobacco use and addiction, as well as mental health issues. The awards are in partnership with FX Network.

In the Feature Film categories, winners were Home (Entertainment One) in the Mental Health category and The Spectacular Now (A24) in the Substance Use category. The feature film performance award went to Julia Roberts for her role in August: Osage County.

For Comedy Series, the winner was Nurse Jackie: Season 5 (Showtime). In the category of Performance in a Comedy Series, Allison Janney was honored for her role in Mom (CBS).

NEWS: Colin Egglesfield, Monica Potter, Columbus Short, Jenji Kohan, Jason Katims, Carlton Cuse

'Unforgettable' Collars Colin Egglesfield for Guest Spot
Egglesfield will appear in the fifth episode of Season 3 as Charles Sewell, a hard-charging agent with the Coast Guard Investigative Services who helps Carrie (Poppy Montgomery) and Al (Dylan Walsh) in their investigation of a boat explosion in New York Harbor. And yes, sparks will fly — but not between who you're thinking. Charles and Al will have a bromance over their mutual love of boats, leaving Carrie hung out to dry, figuratively.

Monica Potter Believes It’s About Time 'Parenthood' Featured A Gay Character
Parenthood had gone five years without introducing an LGBT character, but that all changed with the show’s fifth season finale, when Haddie Braverman (Sarah Ramos) returned home from college with her “super-awesome best friend” Lauren (Tavi Gevinson).

Like many fans, Monica Potter — who plays Kristina Braverman on the NBC drama — was excited to finally have this storyline included in the show. “Thank god we did,” she told BuzzFeed. “I’m like, ‘We live in Berkeley!’ Even if we didn’t live in Berkeley, I’m like, ‘C’mon, lets go!’”


Professor Suspended Over "Threatening" 'Game of Thrones' T-Shirt
A popular community college professor was suspended after posting a photo of his daughter wearing an oversized T-shirt bearing a tagline from this season of 'Game of Thrones'—Daenerys Targaryen's "I will take what is mine with fire and blood."

Francis Schmidt, who teaches art and animation at Bergen Community College in New Jersey, shared the photo on Google+, where it was seen by several of his work contacts. One of them, a dean, decided the shirt was a veiled threat of some kind.

'Scandal' star Columbus Short Responds To Allegations He Threatened His Wife
“As you all know, lately my personal life has been subjected to a lot of press. As much as I would like to provide my side of events, my counsel has instructed me that a Court of law is the only and proper venue to deal with such matters. Accordingly, I must refrain from making any comments even though that is very difficult for me under the circumstances. Thank you to my fans for your continued support during this difficult time.”

'Orange Is the New Black's' Jenji Kohan Details Her Frustrating Negotiations to Get Actors Naked
The showrunner talks about deviating from source material, side-boob riders and the limitations for sexuality on Netflix: "We have some male frontal nudity this season, but I don't think it's going to be erect."

'Friday Night Lights' showrunner Jason Katims does a deep dive on the series finale
"The one thing that I did always feel would be right about the ending of the show was the idea of Coach and Tami leaving Dillon. That’s what I always sort of imagined, that it would be them leaving. I did have an image in mind for what the last shot of the series was which didn’t wind up being the last shot, but the image that I had was the image of them driving in a car, leaving town."

'Lost' exec producer Carlton Cuse looks back at plotting the finale -- and picks TV's best goodbye
"The finale is like a hedge. You plant it, but then over time it grows bigger and thicker, and as we went down the stream with the show, we kept getting additional ideas. While some of the basic ideas remained from early on, it was made much richer just by going through the creative process of making the 119 episodes that preceded it."

'Scandal' Finale Draws Show's Second Largest Audience Ever

Photo Credit: ABC

With a repeat Grey's Anatomy at 8 p.m., an original Grey's at 9 p.m. and Scandal at 10 p.m. with its best-ever season finale numbers, ABC won Thursday for the 2nd week in a row among Adults 18-49 (2.2/7). Scandal was Thursday's #1 TV show in Adults 18-49.

Spiking over its lead-in at 10 p.m. (+36%), ABC's season finale of Scandal (3.4/10) dominated its hour, beating NBC's season finale of Parenthood by 162% (1.3/4). It was also the most-watched TV show overall in the hour. Scandal was up by double digits week to week in Total Viewers (+14%) and Adults 18-49 (+13%), drawing its 2nd-largest-ever audience and tying its 2nd-highest young adult number. Scandal equaled the highest Adult 18-49 number for any 10 p.m. drama telecast on any net since October – since 10/3/13.

'Parenthood' Season Finale Preview: A Fresh Start For The Bravermans

Craig T. Nelson as Zeek, Bonnie Bedelia as Camille, Miles Heizer
as Drew — Photo Credit: Ben Cohen/NBC

The fifth season finale of Parenthood ("The Pontiac") airs on Thursday, April 17 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

Haddie (Sarah Ramos) comes home for the summer, while Adam (Peter Krause) and Crosby (Dax Shepard) reminisce about their childhood and also reenact some childish antics. Amber (Mae Whitman) reunites with Ryan (Matt Lauria) and struggles to let him go, meanwhile Sarah (Lauren Graham) finally addresses Hank's (Ray Romano) request. Victor (Xolo Mariduena) conquers his fears and Julia (Erika Christensen) and Joel (Sam Jaeger) are there to support him, while Zeek (Craig T, Nelson) surprises him with a driving lesson. Drew (Miles Heizer) realizes a mistake and goes after what he wants.

Watch a sneak peek video below:

PARENTHOOD Preview: When Tough Times Hit The Bravermans Stick Together

Joy Bryant as Jasmine, Dax Shepard as Crosby.
Photo Credit: Colleen Hayes/NBC

The fifth season of PARENTHOOD continues with a new episode ("I'm Still Here") on Thursday, April 10 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

Crosby (Dax Shepard) finds himself in a tough housing situation and reaches out to Joel (Sam Jaeger) for help. Julia (Erika Christensen) musters up the courage to talk with Sarah (Lauren Graham) about her current situation. Kristina (Monica Potter) receives some devastating news and puts all her energy into fighting for the charter school, meanwhile Amber (Mae Whitman) also hears of unsettling news and Hank (Ray Romano) steps up to the plate.

Watch a sneak peek video below:

PARENTHOOD Preview: While Some Bravermans Celebrate, Others Struggle To Keep Spirits High

Peter Krause as Adam Braverman, Max Burkholder as Max Braverman.
Photo Credit: Colleen Hayes/NBC

The fifth season of PARENTHOOD continues with a new episode ("Fraud Alert") on Thursday, March 27 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

Joel (Sam Jaeger) and Sarah (Lauren Graham) celebrate the completion of their work projects, but Max (Max Burkholder) has low morale after his school field trip ended with some bitter feelings so Adam (Peter Krause) takes him on an adventure to clear his head. Sydney (Savannah Paige Rae) and Victor (Xolo Mariduena) are also struggling to stay positive, so Amber (Mae Whitman) tries to surprise them with a new activity.

Watch a sneak peek video below:

Thursday Night Ratings: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, SCANDAL Up

ABC won Thursday in Adults 18-49 (2.0/6), with SCANDAL (2.9/9) and GREY'S ANATOMY (2.4/7) finishing as the night’s Top 2 TV shows, as both shows were up week to week. Check out ratings reports from ABC, NBC and The CW below:

From ABC:
ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND (8-9 p.m. – 3.5 million and 0.8/3 in AD18-49): During the 8 o’clock hour, ABC’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND was up 9% in Total Viewers and retained 100% of its week-ago Adult 18-49 number. It was the show’s most-watched telecast since November – since 11/21/13. From 8-9pm, the ABC freshman drama topped NBC’s comedies by 6% in Total Viewers (3.5 million vs. 3.3 million for COMMUNITY/PARKS AND RECREATION).

GREY'S ANATOMY (9-10 p.m. – 8.0 million and 2.4/7 in AD18-49): Tripling its Adult 18-49 lead-in at 9 p.m. (+200%), ABC’s GREY'S ANATOMY (2.4/7) once again won its hour, increasing its winning advantage over Fox’s AMERICAN IDOL (1.9/6) to 26% (up from a 5% advantage the prior week). In fact falling below a 2.0 Adult 18-49 rating for the first time ever, AMERICAN IDOL delivered another all-time low. Grey’s was up week to week in Total Viewers (+8%) and Adults 18-49 (+4%).

PARENTHOOD Preview: The Bravermans Learn That Communication Is Key

Bonnie Bedelia, Craig T. Nelson, Alexandra Barreto.  Photo
Credit: Danny Field/NBC

The fifth season of PARENTHOOD continues with a new episode ("The Offer") on Thursday, March 20 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

Joel (Sam Jaeger) misunderstands where to pick up Victor (Xolo Mariduena) from baseball and old feelings of abandonment overtake his thoughts. Sarah (Lauren Graham) is anxiously awaiting a response from the ad agency on her final project. Amber (Mae Whitman) tries to talk Drew (Miles Heizer) into taking his life back. Max (Max Burkholder) goes on a class trip and struggles to understand his classmates.

Watch a sneak peek video below:

Thursday Night Ratings: PARENTHOOD UP; SCANDAL #1 Social Series

SCANDAL topped the Nielsen Twitter TV Ratings Daily Top Five as the most social program for Thursday, March 13. Below is a roundup of ratings reports.

From NBC:
At 10, PARENTHOOD (1.2/4) matched last week’s rating and was up 2% in total viewers (3.866 million vs. 3.800 million), to its biggest overall audience since before the Olympics on Jan. 23.

PARENTHOOD grew from half-hour to half-hour by +9% in adults 18-49 (to a 1.2 rating from a 1.1), +7% in adults 25-54 (1.6 vs. 1.5) and +11% in women 25-54 (2.1 vs. 1.9), despite the 10 p.m. hour.

PARENTHOOD "Limbo" Preview: Family Values Collide and Tempers Flare

Miles Heizer as Drew Holt, Mae Whitman as Amber Holt, Lauren
Graham as Sarah, Joy Bryant as Jasmine.
Photo Credit: Jordin Althaus/NBC

The fifth season of PARENTHOOD continues with a new episode ("Limbo") on Thursday, March 13 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

Jasmine (Joy Bryant) and Crosby (Dax Shepard) disagree over a crucial point in Aida’s upbringing. Julia (Erika Christensen) finds out some unsettling news about Joel (Sam Jaeger), but then is pleasantly surprised by his final decision. Sarah (Lauren Graham) and Hank (Ray Romano) continue to work together, but Max (Max Burkholder) is interrupting their flow, which causes Kristina (Monica Potter) and Adam (Peter Krause) to intervene.

Watch a sneak peek video below:

Thursday Night Ratings: PARENTHOOD Up, SCANDAL #1 Most Social TV Program

Kerry Washington and Bellamy Young.  Photo Credit: ABC/Eric McCandless

SCANDAL won the Adults 18-49 demo on Thursday night (March 6) and was the #1 most social TV program for the night. Check out a roundup of Thursday ratings reports below including the Nielsen Twitter TV Ratings Daily Top 5:

From ABC:
ABC Thursday Prime (8-11 p.m. – 6.6 million and 2.1/6 in AD18-49): ABC finished a strong second on Thursday night in Adults 18-49 (2.1/6), outdelivering Fox by 40% (1.5/4) and NBC by 91% (1.1/3). For the 2nd week in a row, the Net ranked #1 on the night in Adults 18-34 and key Women (W18-34/W18-49).

PARENTHOOD "The Enchanting Mr. Knight" Preview: Moving On Can Be Hard To Do

Lauren Graham as Sarah Braverman, Ray Romano as Hank Rizzoli.
Photo Credit: Colleen Hayes/NBC

The fifth season of PARENTHOOD continues with a new episode ("The Enchanting Mr. Knight") on Thursday, March 6 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

Kristina (Monica Potter) goes in for a checkup, but that doesn't stop her from starting a new adventure. Amber (Mae Whitman) encourages Drew (Miles Heizer) to move on from his past, while Julia (Erika Christensen) struggles to let go of hers. Sarah (Lauren Graham) gets an appealing offer from Carl (Josh Stamberg), but decides her work is more important. Hank (Ray Romano) admits that feelings are still lingering for an old relationship.

Watch a sneak peek video below:

Thursday Night Ratings: SCANDAL and GREY'S ANATOMY Up, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES Steacy

Below is a roundup of preliminary ratings reports for Thursday, February 27, 2014.

From The CW:
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES returned from its two-week hiatus even with its last original episode in A18-49 (0.9/3).

In its time period, TVD outrated both ABC and NBC in W18-34 (1.3/4). It outrated ABC in A18-34 (0.9/3), and was only one tenth behind NBC in both A18-34 and A18-49.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS Lives in PARENTHOOD Digital Series; Jesse Plemons & Derek Phillips Reprise FNL Roles

To help viewers remain engaged with their favorite programs during the Feb. 6-23 Sochi Olympics, NBC is offering original digital series for four of its popular series — CHICAGO FIRE, PARKS AND RECREATION, GRIMM and PARENTHOOD. PARENTHOOD's digitial series is titled “Friday Night at the Luncheonette.”

Amber (Mae Whitman) is tasked with keeping an eye on her cousin Max (Max Burkholder), while also working after hours at the Luncheonette. When the band Crucifictorious shows up, Amber desperately tries to keep things under control while Max documents events with his phone. Guest stars Jesse Plemons and Derek Phillips reprise their FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS roles of Landry Clarke and Billy Riggins, respectively. The four-part digital series debuted today.

Watch the "Friday Night at the Luncheonette" Part 1 below:

Thursday Night Ratings: PARENTHOOD, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES and REIGN Up

Ratings rose on Thursday night (January 23) for PARENTHOOD, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES and REIGN. Check out ratings reports from NBC and The CW below:

From NBC:
PARENTHOOD (1.3/4 in 18-49, 4.3 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m.) finished #1 among ABC, CBS and NBC in the 10 p.m. hour in adults 18-49, as well as women 18-49 and adults, men and women 18-34. PARENTHOOD grew 8% week to week (1.3 vs. 1.2), to equal its highest 18-49 rating since Oct. 3 (1.5), during the second week of the season. In total viewers, PARENTHOOD was up 7% week to week (4.252 million vs. 3.981 million) and is currently reporting the show's second-best total viewership since premiere week (virtually tying its 4.256 million of Jan. 9 and otherwise highest since 5.056 million on Sept. 26, pending updates).