PILOT REVIEW: Raising Hope

RAISING HOPE

Starring: Lucas Neff, Martha Plimpton, Garret Dillahunt, Shannon Woodward, Skyler Stone
Created by Greg Garcia
Written by Greg Garcia, Directed by Michael Fresco

Raising Hope is a bizarre new sitcom from Greg Garcia that is reminiscent of Garcia's My Name is Earl. The oddity of this new offering is apparent right from the premise - when Jimmy Chance (Lucas Neff) has a one night stand with a double murderer and she ends up pregnant, he is left to care for the baby when she is executed. Helping him are the members of his trailer trash family - his mother Virginia (Martha Plimpton), father Burt (Garret Dillahunt), and cousin Mike (Skyler Stone). After the pilot gets past the execution (that Jimmy and the baby watch), it focuses of Jimmy's inexperience in raising a child who they end up naming Hope, hence the title.

Raising Hope is certainly not for everyone. With its offbeat humor and grotesque sight gags (Jimmy and his mother vomit on the baby), it will be an immediate turnoff for some. Still despite all the weirdness, it actually showed some promise particularly as the episode went on and it moved past the strange introduction. There were some funny lines such as Jimmy saying that the baby liked the bath so much it would be a weekly thing or his question about baby food in the Supermarket. Neff is likable but unremarkable in the title role, he'll need to beef up his character seeing as he's the center of the show. Martha Plimpton and Garret Dillahunt are solid as Jimmy's parents and Guest Star (I'm thinking it will be a recurring role) Cloris Leachman was a hoot as the deranged grandmother.

Truly, the show isn't really my cup of tea but I appreciate it for making me chuckle a couple times. It has some promise but it also could end up disappointing as the episodes go on. The writers would be wise to stay away from grotesque humor and sight gags and focus more on the bizarre but still loving family dynamics. It needs a little nurturing but Raising Hope shows promise, I just won't be personally watching it.

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