Feels familiar. Dax Shepard didn’t hesitate to answer a question about NBC’sThis Is UsAnd its striking similarities to Parenthood.
“She just asked is anyone mad at This is Us for trying to do the exact same thing?” Shepard, 47, explained while on stage at ATX Television Festival in Austin, Texas, on Friday, June 3, via Deadline. The “Armchair Expert” podcast host was tickled by the audience question.
“Why is it that NBC made the exact same show after killing our show?” he pondered. “We don’t think about it and we don’t care.”
ParenthoodThe series aired on NBC between 2010 and 2015. It followed the Braverman family which consisted of four adult siblings, their children, and their aging parents. The tearjerker aired six seasons with 103 episodes. NBC aired six seasons. This is UsThe series aired 106 episodes, starting in 2016 and ending May 2022. The Emmy-winning drama had more mysteries than simple timelines. ParenthoodHowever, both were about the differences in family relationships and featured honest, sentimental stories.
Shepard joked about the similarities, noting, “It’s like if AMC cancels Breaking Bad& brought out Santa Fe Meth Lab. Euphoria‘s has been axed — Ecstasy on HBO.”
It’s a comparison the actor has been hearing for years now.
“Well I’m of the understanding that people love This is Us, so it’s cool if they’re comparing it to a show that they love,” he shared during a March 2017 appearance on Andy Cohen Live on Camera: Watch What Happens. “I have not seen it, so I don’t personally have an opinion on it. But it seems that when people say that, they like both. So that’s really nice.”
Crosby was played by the actor. Parenthood, reunited to former cast mates Erika Christensen, Joy Bryant, Monica PotterFriday. They joined series creators Jason KatimsExecutive producer Lawrence TrillingDiscuss the beloved drama on stage
Katims, aged 61, stated that ParenthoodAnother NBC show influenced me. “I was very much inspired by Friday Night Lights in thinking about what the show could be,” the writer, who executive produced the football show, which ran from 2006 to 2011, explained to the audience. “One thing I was enjoying about Friday Night Lights was the big ensemble cast — many, many people with different points of view. So I thought, ‘What if I did a show like that focusing on family and extended family?’ That’s how it started.”
