Quick Links What Is 'Raising Hope' About? Why 'Raising Hope' Is Worth Watching
Everyone loves a good family sitcom, right? A feel-good premise, likable characters, and strong humor to balance it all out. Arguably, the biggest family comedy on TV today is Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage. That makes sense, as it's set in the immensely popular Big Bang Theory-universe. But if you're looking for a more underrated family comedy to binge, put this early 2010s Fox sitcom on your radar.
Raising Hope ran for four seasons on Fox from 2010 to 2014. It followed a young, single father trying his best to raise his baby daughter with the help of his family. The Chance family was your average lower middle class bunch just trying their best to get by in day-to-day life. Are they the most stable group of characters? Well, not exactly. But they do love each other, and that's always refreshing to see on TV. During its original run, Raising Hope flew mostly under the radar, though it did receive several award nominations. It's been nearly 15 years since Raising Hope's original run, and it's past time to be rediscovered. So why should you put it on your list?
What Is 'Raising Hope' About? Close
Raising Hope followed the impoverished Chance family living in rural Virginia. Some spoilers to follow. Lucas Neff played the protagonist, 23-year-old Jimmy Chance. After a one-night stand with Lucy, Jimmy and his family discover that she's a wanted serial killer. She's taken away but is later revealed to be pregnant with Jimmy's baby. After giving birth, Lucy receives the electric chair. And by the way, all of this takes place in the first half of the pilot episode. Not exactly the most wholesome setup, but it does soften out as the show progresses.
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Now Jimmy has to raise his daughter, Hope, as a young single father. Jimmy's family consists of mother Virginia (Martha Plimpton) and father Burt (Garret Dillahunt). Virginia and Burt had Jimmy as teenagers, causing them to be grandparents in their late 30s/early 40s. All three members of the immediate Chance family work service jobs and live just above the poverty line. Burt's a pool and lawn care guy, Virginia cleans houses, and Jimmy works at a grocery store. Their dilapidated home is owned by Virginia's grandmother, the 84-year-old highly senile Maw Maw (Cloris Leachman). The Chances are able to live with Maw Maw rent-free because she rarely remembers who they are. Jimmy's co-worker at the local grocery store and initial one-sided love interest Sabrina (Shannon Woodward) rounds out the primary cast.
Why 'Raising Hope' Is Worth Watching Close
Plots often revolve around Jimmy's attempts to raise Hope better than Virginia and Burt raised him. But they did their best, as they were just kids themselves when they became parents. Despite Jimmy's complaints, it's shown that everyone in this family genuinely cares for one another. Were Virginia and Burt the most loving or attentive parents? No, not really. But they did their best to provide for Jimmy, given their less-than-ideal situation. They were always there for him. He turned out OK, as he abandoned his low-stress, slacker lifestyle to take care of his daughter. Against all odds, the Chance family unit is pretty strong. Serious fights are rare, and any problem the family faces is confronted together.
The most mature one in the family is probably Jimmy. His parents still act like kids at heart, since they never had a chance to enjoy their childhood. Their juvenile behavior could be a negative thing if they were neglectful parents. But since they're devoted providers, it's endearing to see that they never lost that joy of life. No one's necessarily happy about their lot in life, but that's the cards they were dealt, and they'll stick together as a family.
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It's also just a hilarious show too. Raising Hope hails from creator Greg Garcia, who previously brought My Name is Earl to life. In addition to what's mentioned above, a good portion of the humor results from Jimmy's good-natured obliviousness to how to properly raise a baby in the modern era. Maw Maw's also good for a laugh, whether she's mistaking Jimmy and Burt for her long-dead husband, hallucinating, or thinking that she's back in World War II. Her dementia is scaled back in the later seasons, possibly to show sensitivity to those who actually have the condition.
The situational-based humor features the Chances regularly making light of people in better financial and societal positions than them. They also poke fun at each other, but it's always good-natured. It's nice to have a show where there's no one to root against. Everyone in the family is trying to be their best, even if they're flawed on some level. It's one of the better family comedies out there and absolutely deserves another look. All episodes of Raising Hope are streaming on Hulu.