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.
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. *
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