Raising Hope – FOX 9pm Pacific
I think FOX may have found the sitcom to fill the void left by Malcolm in the Middle. Raising Hope is centered around Jimmy, a young dummy, spawned from a family of dummies, that through wild and far-fetched circumstances becomes the father of a six month old baby. Rather than “safe-drop it at the fire station” as Jimmy's family suggests, he decides that raising this baby is his chance to do something positive with his life and he takes it. Of all the pilots I've watched so far this week, Raising Hope is easily my favorite. The struggling lower-middle class family is made up of colorful characters, including an immature father who enjoys pushing unsuspecting urinators into the bushes into which they are urinating, a mother who mispronounces a word few sentences, and a grandmother (played by Cloris Leachman) who is prone to Alzheimer's induced toplessness. As corny as it may sound, the thing that sets Raising Hope apart from other sitcoms is the premise: that raising this baby gives a family, who feels worn down by a seemingly never-ending uphill struggle, some hope (hence the show's name) for something beyond the daily grind. Record, Record, Record.
Running Wilde – FOX 9:30pm Pacific
This one is a much tougher sell for me. The story of Running Wilde concerns Steve Wilde, a filthy rich heir to an oil empire who is desperate for a friend he doesn't have to pay for. The show features Will Arnett as Steve Wilde and Keri Russel as Emmy, the one that got away. Oh, and they threw David Cross in there as an “environmental terrorist.” Based on how forced the humor felt at times, I'm thinking that FOX was banking on roping in the Arrested Development devotees by using former cast members instead of good jokes. I'm sorry to say that I could never get into the Bluth family shenanigans, so the token addition of David Cross to a show featuring Will Arnett doesn't do anything for me. I'm not tuning in for the next episode, but maybe an Arrested Development fan has a different opinion?
Anyone else catch these new episodes? What did you think?
-Andrew
I think FOX may have found the sitcom to fill the void left by Malcolm in the Middle. Raising Hope is centered around Jimmy, a young dummy, spawned from a family of dummies, that through wild and far-fetched circumstances becomes the father of a six month old baby. Rather than “safe-drop it at the fire station” as Jimmy's family suggests, he decides that raising this baby is his chance to do something positive with his life and he takes it. Of all the pilots I've watched so far this week, Raising Hope is easily my favorite. The struggling lower-middle class family is made up of colorful characters, including an immature father who enjoys pushing unsuspecting urinators into the bushes into which they are urinating, a mother who mispronounces a word few sentences, and a grandmother (played by Cloris Leachman) who is prone to Alzheimer's induced toplessness. As corny as it may sound, the thing that sets Raising Hope apart from other sitcoms is the premise: that raising this baby gives a family, who feels worn down by a seemingly never-ending uphill struggle, some hope (hence the show's name) for something beyond the daily grind. Record, Record, Record.
Running Wilde – FOX 9:30pm Pacific
This one is a much tougher sell for me. The story of Running Wilde concerns Steve Wilde, a filthy rich heir to an oil empire who is desperate for a friend he doesn't have to pay for. The show features Will Arnett as Steve Wilde and Keri Russel as Emmy, the one that got away. Oh, and they threw David Cross in there as an “environmental terrorist.” Based on how forced the humor felt at times, I'm thinking that FOX was banking on roping in the Arrested Development devotees by using former cast members instead of good jokes. I'm sorry to say that I could never get into the Bluth family shenanigans, so the token addition of David Cross to a show featuring Will Arnett doesn't do anything for me. I'm not tuning in for the next episode, but maybe an Arrested Development fan has a different opinion?
Anyone else catch these new episodes? What did you think?
-Andrew
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