'Parenthood' dad Krause tries to keep the family together

Minnesota native Peter Krause is tall, handsome, wildly successful and dates Lauren Graham. In other words, we're nothing alike -- except for one thing: We're both desperate to save "Parenthood."

The NBC series has teetered on the verge of cancellation since its debut last March, but it continues to stay on the air, great news for those of us who crave a family dramedy that doesn't feel like an after-school special.

To promote the show, Krause stopped in the Twin Cities last week and talked about the state of his woefully underappreciated series.

Q How's the save-the-show campaign going?

A I don't know if I'd call it that. But I can tell you why it's happening: [executive producer] Ron Howard. When he was doing "Happy Days," the cast would visit smaller markets. So our cast is going to Tampa, Atlanta, Philadelphia.

Q Do you think you'll get cancelled?

A I don't think so. Just last week we were the number one drama on NBC.

A Hey, come on. Internally, we're doing very well. The other reason is that we have a lot of product tie-ins. Clorox is in the show a lot. Nissan sponsored our first episode this season and I drive a Nissan on the show. We mentioned Target the other day.

Q Some actors may balk at doing product placement.

A Oh, yeah. For years, I was holding up the cross against it. But now, if corporations are willing to pay for their labels appearing, I think it's pretty innocuous. Look at "American Idol." It's a giant Coke ad playing behind anything going on.

Q If "Parenthood" doesn't get picked up, will you vow to never again do network TV?

A No. I like the idea of reaching the greatest audience possible with a great product. There was a time when I was doing "Dirty Sexy Money" that someone asked me what it was like to be struggling when "Dexter" [starring his former "Six Feet Under" co-star Michael C. Hall] was doing so well. But that show has different standards. They're jumping up and down if they get 2 million viewers and we're struggling if we get 6 million. I loved my time on "Six Feet Under." I'd go back to cable in the future, but while network TV still has a heartbeat in terms of scripted material, I want to be a part of it.

A I'm now certainly prepared to push against the network or anyone on the creative side that doesn't want to stick to the original plan. We gave up some ground to ABC on "Dirty" and once you give in a little, you're in trouble. They wanted a softer show and what we ended up with was a true soap opera with ridiculous scenarios.

Q What did you think about the Jay Leno experiment?

A That was about money. If money becomes too important, you end up with what we had during my "Sports Night" days. At that time, they decided to do "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" five times a week. But if you give people too much at one time, whether it's Jay or "Millionaire," people get tired of the same old thing.

Q Sure, but I know people who love to watch a show like "Parenthood" during the summer when it's on DVD. They just watch one episode after another, and next thing you know, it's 3 a.m.

A After "Six Feet Under," I met several people who said they have a circle of friends who shared a box set and would circulate it among themselves. I was thinking, "Why is this person basically telling me that they're stealing?"