It's been 17 years since Everwood premiered on The WB, and Treat Williams looks back fondly on the family drama.

"I was a big fan of all the Frank Capra movies — It's a Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town — and I thought Greg Berlanti wrote a Capra-esque show," he told TV Insider. "It was just so full of love and good people and surprises and dealing with real life stuff that hadn't been dealt with on the networks before. I was really, really grateful that Greg hired me."

"I have extraordinarily warm feelings about it," he continued, adding that it doesn't "feel dated" and that's why it's so easy for new fans to enjoy it now. "I'm glad other people are discovering it because I think it's probably the best television series I was ever on."

Looking at Williams' roles, he has been in quite a few series — Everwood, Chicago Fire, Chesapeake Shores — with complicated family relationships. "If you don't have fires or people coming in almost dying on a gurney or a murder to solve, if you're doing a dramatic series — I like a series that's dramatic and comedic, which Everwood was — you've got to find some kind of drama," he explained. "There's probably more drama in the family dynamic than just about anywhere else you can look."

That was very true for his character, Dr. Andy Brown, as he raised his two children, Ephram (Gregory Smith) and Delia (Vivien Cardone), in a small town, going from a successful brain surgeon in New York to a doctor who opened a free clinic. "That was fodder for a lot of wonderful stuff and surprising stuff," Williams said. "I loved it. I would support that show anywhere anytime."

He also recalled the "extraordinary" bond the cast developed. "We all got along very well. it was just a great group of people," he said, adding that when they reunited in Los Angeles, "there were tears flowing everywhere and it was all very real. Everybody was very, very grateful to have been in the show."

"I had a wonderful 10 years with my family in Park City, Utah. I raised my children during the show and became good friends with all of my castmates with whom I stay in touch," he said. "We unfortunately had a great loss with Stephanie Niznik's passing this year, which was a great heartbreak to us all. We miss her."

Everwood, Streaming now, Hulu