Helen Hunt

When news broke months ago that Parenthood, the new NBC drama remaking the 1980's movie by Ron Howard, would be moving to midseason I was very sad. Then to find out it was because Maura Tierney (ER, Newsradio), one of the shows start has breast cancer and they needed to postpone production, I was terribly sad. Then last week, Maura could not report back to work in time, so she was forced to depart the steller cast that is Parenthood. The cast includes Craig T. Nelson, Bonnie Bedalia, Peter Krause, and Dax Shepard.

Now the Hollywood Reporter is reporting that award winning actress Helen Hunt, who has gone back to feature films after doing seven years on NBC's Mad About You, is pondering the idea after producers asked her to join the cast. Helen is a terrific actreess that defiently brings another "name" actor to the show.

I have seen the Parenthood pilot which will now air Wednesdays at 8/7c in March, and it is by far the best thing NBC has to offer out of the new offerings (I have yet to see 100 Questions or Day One). It has a heart and a purpose, it is shot is such a way that makes it feel with great writing you are watching a real family. The cast cannot get any better with each one of the four siblings having a differnet problem in their lives. Peter Krause's (Dirty Sexy Money) character along with his wife played by Monica Potter (Trust Me) have a son that is having a difficult in school that maybe from something they do not want to hear. The youngest brother (Dax Sheperad) is not ready for kids but his girlfriend is and is not sure what to do. Then the youngest girl (Erika Christensen) is a powerful lawyer who's husband is home with the kid. But the pilot focuses on Sarah who is returning home with two rebellious teenagers. The character is so real and powerful, that is needs a strong actress like Maura Tierney was and Helen Hunt could be.

Whoever takes over for Maura will have tough shoes to fill, but I for one will be watching with anybody in the role.