Fall TV Crush: NBC’s Parenthood 

Wow. It’s a little hard to believe Fall TV has started. If I’m totally honest about it, I’m really excited. My DVR might be mad at me by the end of the month but I’m smiling ear to ear. One (fun) way to talk about my favorite shows are to drool over the hot guys in the cast. Now, this is just my opinion and I won’t argue with you if you feel I’ve left someone off the list. In fact, feel free to add your crushes to the comments. In the meantime, here’s my brief list of hotness.

Peter Krause‘s Adam Braverman

My first introduction to Peter Krause happened during Sports Night. He and Josh Charles (who I still love very much and happen to get a very healthy dose of every week on The Good Wife), caught my eye. I mean, I loved everything about that show. I didn’t watch Six Feet Under, but Peter Krause came back on my radar for Dirty Sexy Money. And when I heard he was cast in Parenthood, I knew I’d have to watch at least the pilot. And although I almost gave up after one episode the name Jason Katims (you’ve heard of a little show called Friday Night Lights) made me think things would get better. And they did. I like Adam Braverman because I think I identify with him in a lot of ways. I’m the oldest in my family and I tend to take on a lot of responsibility. I don’t think I’m nearly as rigid as he can be – with his siblings, his kids, his wife – but I know he’s got a big heart and is only trying to do the right thing. I’m about to say something extremely shallow, so prepare yourselves: I think he lost weight between the first and second seasons and I liked it. He’s always looked great but now he looks even better. I guess Lauren Graham is good for him. I approve.

Sam Jaeger‘s Joel Graham

The first thing I remember Sam Jaeger in is Catch and Release. He played such a good guy, who came across as a bit pathetic. When I saw him on Eli Stone in such a different role, I was hooked. I loved that he played such a shark of a lawyer and was pretty upset when that show got canceled. I got a few brief glances of him when he guested on Drop Dead Diva and Friday Night Lights, but was very happy to hear he’d been cast in Parenthood. Now, I could be wrong but he’s shirtless in a lot of his scenes right? I can’t say I minded the baby-making plotline for him and Julia because a) it’s funny to see Julia take charge of their sex life that way and b) it’s always nice to see him shirtless. I do like that he’s gotten a bit more screen time recently and we’ve seen him be more than just a stay-at-home dad, not that there’s anything wrong with that because it’s great. But it’s also nice to see him outside the house doing his own thing. I hope his contracting business continues to go well. Maybe it’s time for Julia to take a break and let Joel be the primary breadwinner. I think I just made myself laugh. I literally can’t even picture that. I really like Julia, but she’s not the stay at home type.

Jason Ritter‘s Mark Cyr

I can’t be the only one who loved Jason Ritter on Joan of Arcadia. I mean, the first season was the best and I hung in there until the end, but you’ve got to admit Jason Ritter’s Kevin Girardi was great throughout. I kept track of him through some of the movies he did but he didn’t fully register on my radar again until Parenthood. And, boy, was I disappointed when he left to do The Event. He’s great in everything he does but I feel like he has a calming effect on Sarah that tones down her spaz and makes her think about the future. I love their age difference and I love the way he was introduced. It’s got to be difficult to think of your mom as a romantic rival, but that’s what Amber had to do when Sarah was introduced to her favorite English teacher. It’s too bad Sarah throws guys away like she’s throwing out the trash. (Clearly I have issues with the way she treats guys; maybe I’ll talk about that in a different column) but I will say this: I’m glad Mark’s helping Sarah with her budding career as a playwright. I hope he sticks around for more than just a few episodes this season.

Season 3 of Parenthood premieres tonight at 10/9 c on NBC.