Lauren Graham stars in “Parenthood”

Family-centric shows are everywhere on television, in every conceivable genre, but new ideas and methods of portraying family life bring a fresh take with each new imagining. The long-running series "The Simpsons" tosses reality to the curb to bring us a dysfunctional and deeply flawed but still loving family. Another iconic series, much shorter-lived and featuring a different shade of imperfection, is "Parenthood." The sixth and final season premieres Thursday, Sept. 25, on NBC -- and it looks like everyone is in for a rough ride.

"Parenthood" centers around the Braverman family, led by patriarch Zeek (Craig T. Nelson, "Coach"). Zeek and his wife, Camille (Bonnie Bedelia, "The Division"), have four children who are all around middle age and each has at least two children of their own. Each character has their own concerns and problems, and the show can feel sort of "soapy" at times as each storyline interacts with the others.

The show-runners do a good job of keeping the plot lines and character development moving along in the midst of all the potential drama. Each episode leaves you feeling as if you learned something along with the on-screen family members. Going into the final season, executive producer Jason Katims says he has always had a clear vision for the upcoming episodes.

"One of the things I wanted to do for the season was to find one larger story that influences everybody on the show," he said at the Television Critics Association Press Tour in July. "The story is going to be introduced in the first episode and play throughout the season. It's a huge new challenge for the family and one that we didn't see before… I feel like I want to do something that starts at the beginning of the season -- by the way there will be as many story lines going on as usual -- but this will be something that tracks us throughout the year."

Some have taken Katims' statements and tied them to the fact that Zeek has a heart condition. There has been some buzz in the blogosphere that showrunners might have the patriarch's health take a turn for the worse. "Parenthood" has always made a point of confronting difficult topics head on, so watching the family pick themselves back up after a world-shattering loss might not be out of the picture.

Early in the series, Adam (Peter Krause, "Six Feet Under"), the eldest of Zeek and Camille's children, has a child, Max (Max Burkholder, "Family Guy"), who was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. Also in the first season, their second eldest, Sarah (Lauren Graham, "Gilmore Girls"), moved back to her parents' home along with her two children due to financial troubles.

The season 5 finale of "Parenthood" didn't back down from its straightforward treatment of difficult situations. Among other important goings on, Haddie (Sarah Ramos, "Runaway") came out to her mother, Kristina (Monica Potter, "Boston Legal"), after Max walked in on Haddie kissing her girlfriend. Amber (Mae Whitman, "Arrested Development"), Sarah's eldest, buys a pregnancy test in the finale, raising questions about the next generation of the Braverman clan.

Craig T. Nelson and Bonnie Bedelia as seen in “Parenthood”

"Parenthood's" real strength lies in the cast and the emotion they convey on screen. Watching Kristina approach Haddie with an opaque "we love and support you" statement thinly veiling the question she really wanted to ask, you feel as though you are really watching an awkward first admittance. In all of the varied circumstances they encounter, there is a sense that the Braverman family is a cohesive and supportive unit.

Along with Haddie and Max, Adam and Kristina are the parents of young Nora (Mia and Ella Allan). The next branch of the Braverman tree consists of Sarah, her musician ex-husband of 12 years Seth Holt (John Corrbett, "Lucky") and their two children, Amber and Drew (Miles Heizer, "ER"), both of whom have taken their father's surname.

Crosby (Dax Shepard, "Idiocracy," 2006) is introduced as a bachelor in his 30s, resisting his girlfriend's idea of settling down. Suddenly, his ex Jasmine Trussell (Joy Bryant, "Bobby," 2006) shows up along with his five-year-old son, Jabbar (Tyree Brown, "The First Family"), who Crosby was unaware of until that point. Over the course of three seasons, Crosby and Jasmine went through a roller-coaster relationship culminating in their marriage in the third season finale. In season 5, their daughter Aida was born.

Zeek and Camille's youngest child, Julia (Erika Christensen, "Flightplan," 2005), married Joel Graham (Sam Jaeger, "Eli Stone"), who took on stay-at-home dad duties while Julia pursued a career as a lawyer. The couple have a young daughter named Sydney (Savannah Paige Rae, "Date Night," 2010) and adopted an older boy, Victor (Xolo Maridueña, "Major Crimes"), after being informed their attempts to conceive again were unlikely to succeed. The couple has been through a rough patch recently, although they seemed to mend it at the end of last season.

An era is coming to an end, and showrunners are determined to do justice to the characters and their stories. The upcoming sixth season of "Parenthood" will undoubtedly test each and every member of the Braverman family, but viewers can be confident they will come through it in signature fashion. Love will keep this family together in the final season premiere of "Parenthood" airing Thursday, Sept. 25, on NBC.