There's a lovely new sitcom on FOX this fall. I previously wrote that I wasn't interested in any pilots, but Raising Hope changed my mind. In the genius time slot following Glee on Tuesday nights at 9, this show tells the story of a lackluster family and it's newest addition. It's like a modern day sitcom version of Raising Arizona (a film by the notorious Cohen brothers,starring Nicholas Cage in his best role) probably because of the obvious title and the hick-ville circumstances - random baby included.
The pilot introduced us to the crazy family and told us how they acquired said baby. The show centers around a dude named Jimmy, who appears to be in his early twenties. He lives with his parents, a distant cousin twice removed (or something like that) and great grandmother (aka Maw Maw) who constantly mistakes Jimmy for his deceased great grandfather and who often runs around the neighborhood topless - it's Cloris Leachman at her finest.
Jimmy hates his life and his job (cleaning pools and landscaping for his dad) and wants to change his life. One night he offers to run an errand picking up bubblegum flavored ice cream for his Maw Maw. On the way home, he picks up the ice cream as well as a young woman who is being chased down the street by some guy. After "rescuing" her, she "thanks" Jimmy in the back of the family van. The next morning she meets his family who falls in love with her instantly. While eating breakfast and watching the morning news, the family learns this young woman isn't so sweet after all. She's a serial killer who murders her boyfriends. Jimmy's mom (Martha Plimpton of The Goonies!) whacks said killer over the head with a frying pan and off to jail she goes.
Jimmy, being such a sweetheart, visits her in prison where he learns she is pregnant with his child. She is given the death sentence and will be electrocuted six months after the baby is born. So six months later Princess Beyonce (as murdering mommy named her) is turned over to her baby daddy, Jimmy. He insists on keeping her despite his parents encouragement to drop Princess Beyonce at the steps of the firehouse. Stubborn Jimmy refuses to leave his daughter at the firehouse for he is convinced this is his purpose in life. He trades in his skateboard and other random dude paraphernalia at the pawn shop for a decades old car seat and other random baby necessities.
In his first day as a father he reconsiders his decision. His first diaper change turns out horrifically when both he and his mother throw up on Princess Beyonce. He doesn't get a wink of sleep until his parents enter his room to save the night with a lullaby which puts PR right to sleep. The next morning they all agree to keep her and to, thankfully, change her name to Hope.
So there you have it. The show was a hoot. It was absolutely the most ridiculous plot line I've ever seen, but something about it charmed me and I'll surely tune in next week. What the heck, right? I'll be watching Glee anyway.
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