'Raising Hope': A newborn comedy worth your time

Back in September, I wrote a Fall TV Preview that included six new shows to check out: “No Ordinary Family,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “Better With You,” “My Generation,” “$#*! My Dad Says and “Raising Hope.”

Welp, after two episodes “My Generation” got cancelled — the 20-year-olds they hoped would tune in, just didn’t; “$#*! My Dad Says” is on the brink of cancellation, as unfortunately the humor of Justin Halpern’s Twitter feed doesn’t translate as well in full-on story lines — it’s best left as quick-witted one-liners; and the former three are just eh! — holding steady. But one show has managed to keep the laughs going throughout the entire season, so far that is, which is exactly what I predicted. Fox’s “Raising Hope” delivers each and every week.

And here’s why.

From the creator of “My Name is Earl,” Greg Garcia, “Raising Hope” follows the Chance family — a family who struggles with money but always manages to get by one way or another. Dad Burt (Garret Dillahunt) runs his own pool/landscaping business with son Jimmy (Lucas Neff). Mom Virginia (Martha Plimpton) is a house cleaner with a secret love of hoarding. And Maw-Maw (Cloris Leachman), Virginia’s grandmother, is there for pure entertainment purposes only. She thinks Jimmy is her dead husband and likes to walk around in just her bra and underwear. She’s as crazy as they come, but every family seems to have one, right? Ok, maybe not someone as senile as Maw-Maw, but Leachman makes it easy to forget the absurdity of it all and just laugh along with her.

In the pilot, 23-year-old Jimmy, who still lives with his parents, finds out that he’s the proud father of a newborn baby from a fling he had with a girl, Lucy, who turned out to be a wanted felon. She gets caught, by Jimmy’s parents nonetheless, and is set to be executed, leaving behind her 6-month-old daughter, Princess Beyonce. In turn, Jimmy must take on the responsibilities of raising a baby amongst his crazy family. First step, changing the baby’s name from Princess Beyonce to Hope. So far so good.

I admit, it sounds like a recipe for dumb comedy, especially with it being aired on Fox — but it’s not just about seeing how many times Jimmy can screw up when it comes to taking care of an infant. There is real heart to the characters.

Burt just wants to be able to take care of his family and have his son appreciate him. Burt can be as dumb as a stump sometimes, but he’s lovable all the same.

Virginia may be selfish as times, but when it comes to taking care of Jimmy and Hope she knows when to step up and be a great grandma (as much as she hates the word.) She had Jimmy at 15, with no mother around to show her the ropes, so she knows how hard it can be without any guidance. She just wants her family to stick together.

Dillahunt, who usually portrays bad-guy characters in such flicks as the remake of “Last House on the Left” and TV shows “Life” and “Criminal Minds,” does a really great job with the dumbfound comedy. And Plimpton, a child actress and vet of the stage, brings her usual sarcastic wit to the role of Virginia. Together they are the perfect comedic duo. They may, in fact, be my new favorite TV parents.

As for Jimmy, he’s just an overly-caring kid who really wants to take responsibility for his new daughter and wants her to have the best life she can. Newcomer Neff is perfect for the role. Jimmy may be a little dumb — which makes the one-liners with a deadpan deliver by Neff all the better — but all Jimmy wants is a normal life for Hope.

In turn, he starts to work at a grocery store to earn some extra cash, along with working for his dad. Here a side story plays out involving Sabrina, a grocery clerk who Jimmy has a crush on, but of course, Sabrina has a boyfriend. It’s a good side plot to take away from the baby aspect so that we’re not always following Jimmy’s shortcomings.

But what holds this show together is no matter how crazy the family is, they always manage to get by, learn from each other and dream big (Burt’s is to win the lottery), as we all should.
With a new crop of TV shows emerging for the spring TV lineup, I hope there are better choices coming along than the five others I thought would pan out for the fall.

For now, “Raising Hope” deserves your attention. You’ll find yourself relating to the characters and their quirks in no time, and you’ll be laughing out loud along with them.

You have plenty of time to catch up, as new episodes of “Raising Hope” won’t be returning until February (due to “American Idol” and other new shows getting the test run by Fox), so take the time to check it out now. Princess Beyonce says so.

* “Raising Hope” normally airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Fox. New episodes return Feb. 8, 2011. *

"A Diva's Christmas Carol": a hip, unique spin on a Christmas classic

We all have our favorite holiday movies and TV specials. The standards: “A Christmas Story“; “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The funny/unique: “Elf“; “A Nightmare Before Christmas“; “Scrooged.” Old-school animated classics: Rudolph; Frosty; the Grinch; Charlie Brown. You can never go wrong with any of the above.

On the other hand, there are made-for-TV-movies where you can go very, very wrong. December is the month where regularly scheduled TV takes a holiday for the overabundance of cutesy, romantic, moral-learning movies that are sometimes so bad they’re good. You just have to look deep in your heart and lower your standards a bit to enjoy what they have to offer.

My favorite, “A Diva’s Christmas Carol,” isn’t the worst made-for-TV-movie out there, but it does have that cheese factor to it, and it follows in the footsteps of many before who have attempted to put a spin on the classic “Christmas Carol” story. But at least this one has great music: “Heartquake,” “Sleigh Bells,” and “Heart of Christmas.” You’ll be humming along in no time without even knowing it.

“A Diva’s Christmas Carol” — which premiered in 2000 on VH1 — stars none other than Ms. Vanessa Williams as Ebony, a cheap diva singer with an attitude who treats everyone around her like slaves. Ebony got her start in a group called Desire, popular in the ‘80s, with her two friends Marli Jacob (Chili, of TLC fame) and Terry Freeman (Stephanie Biddle). After Marli got in a car accident and died, Ebony went solo, taking all the rights to Desire’s music with her and leaving Terry to fend for herself.

Now in present day (2000) Ebony decides to hold a Christmas concert to benefit the homeless, while really just benefiting Ebony and her accountant, Ernie. And of course, this leaves all her crew upset, as well as her manager and former boyfriend, Bob Cratchett (Brian McNamara), who’s son Tim is very sick. Ebony, of course, could care less. As she states “Family is an accident at birth.” How touching.

And so begins the familiar pattern of three spirits come to visit her in the night to make Ebony realize that there is more to life than money.

The Ghost of Christmas Past, played wonderfully by Kathy Griffin — pre-numerous nose jobs and face lifts — who brings her sassy humor to the mix and doesn’t take crap from Ebony.

The Ghost of Christmas Present, aka Steve, is played by Duran Duran bassist John Taylor. He’s a drunken mess of a fool who loves his women, but all in good fun. He brings Ebony to her senses about what people think of her and how even she is getting scammed, by her accountant, just as she is scamming others. How does it feel now, Ebony?

And the Ghost of Christmas Future is a clever take on the word Future: a VH1 “Behind the Music” special, showing Ebony’s destructive path, which lead to her demise. Her gravestone is marked with “She Was the Wind Beneath Our Wings.” In which Ebony screams, “Not, Bette Midler!” Even then, all she can think about is herself.

We all know how things turn out. Ebony realizes how awful she is and makes a 180-degree turn for the better. She has the concert actually benefit the homeless. She brings Bob’s family to him to enjoy the concert and pays for Tim’s hospital expenses. She cleans up former bandmate Terry and they reunite on stage for a rendition of their ‘80s hit to a full-house crowd. And all is good.

What makes this a great take is the variety of actors who were so well cast and the witty dialogue that goes with it. From Williams — who brings out the classic mean-girl act, foreshadowing her later roles in “Ugly Betty” and “Desperate Housewives” — to Chili, who shows us she’s more than just a pop singer; she can be a heartfelt actress too.

It’s a fun, very unique spin on a Christmas classic, and you can view it on Christmas night at 9 p.m. on Lifetime. Give it a chance; like I said, you’ll be singing in no time.

Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays!

The outlasting appeal of 'Survivor'

I don’t watch many reality shows… at least, anymore. There was a point in college where my roommates and I would gather every Sunday night to watch the latest installment of “Flavor of Love,” “I Love New York,” or “Rock of Love.” Or we’d ignore the call of undone homework and watch marathons of “America’s Next Top Model.” Despite how ridiculous and absurd the shows were, it was hard to look away.

I thought I had cleansed so-called ‘dumb-TV’ from my life when I graduated, but then “Jersey Shore” came along and sucked me right back in. Hey, it happens.

Throughout the years though, there has always been one consistent reality show in my life. The show that started it all: “Survivor.” Some of you may be saying, “That show’s still on?” Yup. It’s been 10 years since the show first premiered in 2000, 21 seasons have passed (2 each year) and it still is one of the most-viewed reality shows on TV today.

I can’t really justify why I continue to watch “Survivor.” But for some reason, I always come back to it. I’ve seen every episode of every season (except the first), and I enjoy every minute of it.

Maybe it’s the challenges the show dreams up for its participants. The work that goes into building these contraptions and obstacles — all in the middle of some foreign land — is more than just impressive. The challenges are where people surprise you, too. For instance, this season, Jane, the oldest women out there, has beaten out physically strong, young men to win at least two very physical, enduring challenges. It’s all about the state of mind and the challenges show who’s really in it to win it.

Or maybe it’s the locations that draw me in – the scenery and culture of such locations as Africa, Nicaragua, Thailand or Fiji are breathtaking and insightful.

It could also be that you never know the outcome. That’s true of most reality shows, but they usually have some sort of formula to them. With “Survivor” there is no right or wrong way to play. You could be as sweet as candy and win; or you could be the biggest backstabbing, loud-mouth person out there and take home the million bucks. It’s all in the eye of the beholders — the jury — and you just never know.

Or maybe it’s just the concept of “Survivor.” Let’s throw 20 people on an island and make them fend for themselves — that’s what really makes it a reality show as compared to something like “The Bachelor” or “Real Housewives.” These people are really suffering out in the wild — dehydrated, starving, sleep-deprived — all to stick it out for 39 days and win a million dollars. Kudos to them.

Or maybe it’s just the host, Jeff Probst, who never seems to age and is the most likable host out there. Even when he gets mad, as in when players NaOnka and Kelly both decided to quit this season with 11 days left — he tried to be mean and upset, but you couldn’t really take him seriously — which isn’t a bad thing.

This season takes place in Nicaragua and has, to be honest, been a little slow. But it’s following a season that paired off previous “Survivor” players into Heroes vs. Villains — one of the best, if not the best, seasons of the show. This season also included a celebrity in the mix, legendary Super Bowl- winning coach Jimmy Johnson. He only last eight days, but it was fun while it lasted. And dear Jane showed us her true colors last night before getting voted out, which added some amusement to the mix.

But, the end to another season of “Survivor” has arrived yet again. The finale airs Sunday at 8 p.m. on CBS in its usual 3-hour run (2 hours of show, 1 hour of reunion show). Here’s my take on the final five and who I think will take home the million bucks.

* Sash: The real estate agent with the sly demeanor. He’s smart, but he lost out on his King/Queen alliance when Brenda was blindsided. Still, he’s managed to sneak his way into another alliance without stepping on too many toes. He knows what he’s doing and he has a lot of friends on the jury, so that could easily cement his win.

* Holly: I like Holly. On day five she wanted to quit, but good ol’ Jimmy Johnson talked her out of it. She pushed through the initial pain and just look how far she’s come. She’s a great strategic player, very motherly and not bad in the challenges. She’s sweet and has made it much further than I ever expected… and not by riding on someone’s coattails either. She may have been called out by Jane last night, but she’s smart and she’s made enough of the right moves to make her my pick for the win.

* Dan: How Dan has gotten this far, I don’t know. Well I do know — he’s awful at physical challenges, but he has always been there for the numbers. He’s wanted to quit on numerous occasions due to his bad knees, but he may just make it to the final three simply for the fact that he is easily the least-likely person a jury would vote for in the end. But I’m hoping he’s the next one out.

* Fabio: There’s not much going on in Fabio’s head, but he’s managed to stick it out. He’s a physical threat in challenges, and although sometimes annoying with his Cali-eske surfer-dude demeanor, for the most part he’s just a goofy, likable guy who people don’t mind having around to lift their spirits. He could be the underdog to sweep the win.

* Chase: Until last night, I thought Chase was your typical mama’s boy. He’s from the Carolinas, so he’s got that southern charm thing going for him, but he was a snitch. He’d run off to the women he had aligned himself with and tell them everything. But as last night proved, he went against his fellow Carolina buddy Jane, and voted her out. His best move yet, because she would have easily won had it come down to her versus anyone. Chase has won many a challenges due to his physical build, but in the end I don’t think he’ll win the vote.

Who would I like to see win? Fabio, if not Holly. Who will probably win? Sash. He’s just that sneaky, creepy guy and people fall easily into his traps. I’m sure the jury will do the same and he’ll be the sole survivor to take home the money.

What the newsroom is listening to - A sampling of Eagle Times music

I don’t know what I set out to find when I asked the staff of the Eagle Times to give me a CD of one of their favorite bands/artists for me to listen to. All I knew was that everyone had different tastes, and I wanted to see, or hear for that matter, why they thought so-and-so was such a great listen. I guess in a way you could also say that I wanted to expand my horizons a bit.

I mean, don’t get me wrong. I have a decent repertoire of music, but most of it is geared towards the rock/alternative side. My dad brought me up well with a slew of classic rock — Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Van Halen. From there I headed over to the likings of pop-punk at 13 (after my boy band phase that is — every girl had one), and soon moved on to heavier alternative-screamo music in my late-teens. Now I incorporate a mix of all of the above, plus some low-key indie bands and experimental-electronica, respectively — a little mish-mash of everything.

I also worked at a record store for a while before I arrived here at the Eagle (Shout out to Bull Moose Music), and I worked with an eclectic group of people, all with various tastes in music. There was the hardcore metal kid, the Beatles chick, the Zappa fanatic, the diva pop lover, among others, and at times I would come across a new artist that I had heard of, but never actually heard, and come to love them. So I guess that’s what I was trying to do here. Rather than just dismiss a type of music (ahemcountry), I shall give it a full chance and see it where it takes me.

Not sure how it really benefits you, the readers, except that maybe it’ll get you to give other’s choice of music a chance before saying you don’t like it. Just give it a chance.

The following is what some of the staff of the Eagle Times listens to and my honest take on it. My say is by no means the final say. It’s all in the interpretation. It’s just Me, My Thoughts and I.

Modest Mouse — Moon & Antarctica (2000)

I won’t lie; I didn’t remember much of this album after I listened to it. I was expecting so much more from it. I know Modest Mouse from their "Float On" fame, which came out on Good News for People Who Love Bad News, released just after Moon & Antarctic. "Float On" is such a bold, in-your-face, hard-not-to-sing-along-to song. It’s quirky and different and that’s what I loved about it. Songs on Moon & Antarctica are more on the instrumental/artsy side, which I’m sure some would argue makes for a better CD, but it’s not for me. To me every song just ran into one, and it was just a bit too mellow — almost so that it put me to sleep.

Zac Brown Band — You Get What You Give (2010)

As stated in my intro, I was always one to dismiss country music right off the bat. Just ask my college roommate. Country music was always just too twangy, too preachy and too annoying for my tastes. For instance, Rascal Flatts... can’t stand them, but everyone else seems to adore them. But I must say, I did enjoy the Zac Brown Band, quite a bit actually.

Some might say the ZBB leans over the line of pop/country, so I’m not really hearing country for what it is. I say, so what. The ZBB is the calm to the storm of music I typically listen to. Right away, it just puts me in such a good mood. It was easy to sing along to, the lyrics were amusing at times and it was lively. Plus, the ZBB has some great instrumental skills, showcased well on the 10-minute track "Who Knows."

At times it was a bit preachy, but that seems to be an automatic requirement for country music, and it balances out all the songs about drinking too much whiskey. So, fair trade I guess.

You Get What You Give holds a solid hour of music, and I’d give it another listen any day.

Lou Reed — New York (1989)

I see the appeal — former Velvet Underground member, great solid rock musician — but I just couldn’t get into it at all. So much that I don’t even know what to write about it. I even gave it a repeat listen, but it just wasn’t there for me. To me it was background bar music — which I know will offend quite a few, I’m sure, but that’s what I got out of it, and I’m sticking to it.

Buddy Holly — Greatest Hits (Released 1996; originally recorded from 1957 to 1958)

Buddy Holly was the only artist I really knew somewhat well going in to this project of mine. I knew right off the bat that I would love it, so maybe I should have asked for another CD, but the truth was I only knew of maybe three or four songs out of the 18 on this Greatest Hits album, my personal favorite being "Everyday."

Holly keeps it simple and it works. Less is more, judging by the fact that the entire album of 18 songs lasted only 40 minutes, with songs averaging 2 minutes in length (the only downfall). It’s an easy listen and one that never disappoints. I just wish Holly could have experienced how wonderful his music was, and how great his contribution to Rock n’ Roll was, for more than a year-and-a-half before his untimely death.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds — Murder Ballads (1996)

I didn’t even have the remotest idea as to who Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds were — which I guess is reasonable as they are an Australian rock band, most famous from the mid-80s to 1990s. Murder Ballads was their ninth and most popular album, and it is just what it says it is... ballads, sung, or somewhat spoken for that matter, in a storytelling manor about various murders or crimes of passion. Bleak huh? But it doesn’t come across in a harsh way — the songs are somewhat poetic in a sense. Particular likes include "Stagger Lee," "The Curse of Millhaven," "Henry Lee" and "Death is Not the End" (originally written and recorded by Bob Dylan). The most famous song on the album, "Where the Wild Roses Grow," features fellow Ausssie Kylie Minogue.

Frank Zappa — Apostrophe (1974)

Everyone knows, or has heard of, Frank Zappa. Even if you don’t know his music, you’ve heard his name. As I stated earlier, I worked with a full-on Zappa head. He had many of his albums (Zappa made 89 in total) and went to every Zappa Plays Zappa concert (a Frank Zappa tribute band). So I learned a little along the way about Zappa during my time at Bull Moose. And it turns out I had heard Apostrophe before.

Once the opener "Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow" came on, it all kind of came back. Zappa is a very avant-garde type of a performer — random, very performance-arty, and he makes it work. It’s bizarre, but it’s Zappa. You must give the man credit for experimenting and putting out as many albums as he did, while still garnering such a devoted and large fan base.

Apostrophe is something I wouldn’t listen to on a daily basis, but it’s intriguing, and for that I give it credit.

The Band — The Band (1969)

Such a generic band name, such a generic album name, you would think the music would just be as generic. And in some ways it is for that time period. The album is all rockabilly, and for some people that may be all and good — for me, eh, not so much. There are the standards, "Up On Cripple Creak" and opener "Across the Great Divide" that are good, decent songs. But then there are the sleepers such as "Whispering Pines" and "Rockin’ Chair." I understand the musicianship behind it all, but The Band is not the band for me. But I wouldn’t throw it in the trash either.

Misc.

One person of the Eagle staff gave me a sampling of music that included some wonderful film scores, which you wouldn’t think to listen outside of the movie, but they are quite moving. John Barry’s "That Fatal Kiss" from Bond film "A View to Kill," and Ennio Morricone’s "Once Upon a Time in the West" are very moving, very beautiful music.

On the other hand, this staff member also gave me a bunch of satire music from the likes of Arrogant Worms and Austin Lounge Lizards, which according to this person are ‘the best bands on the continent.’ I wholeheartedly disagree. Both just don’t do it for me. I enjoy Weird Al on occasion, but the former bands have nothing on him.

MY RANKING
Buddy Holly – Greatest Hits
Zac Brown Band – You Get What You Give
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Murder Ballads
Frank Zappa - Apostrophe
The Band – The Band
Modest Mouse – Moon & Antarctica
Lou Reed – New York