Pilot (Raising Hope)

Last updated
"Pilot"
Raising Hope episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 1
Directed by Michael Fresco
Written by Greg Garcia
Original air dateSeptember 21, 2010 (2010-09-21) [1]
Episode chronology
 Previous
Next 
"Dead Tooth"
List of episodes

"Pilot" is the series premiere of the Fox sitcom Raising Hope . The episode was written by series creator, Greg Garcia and directed by Michael Fresco. The episode premiered September 21, 2010, on the Fox television network.

Contents

Jimmy Chance, going out to get bubble gum ice-cream, has a one-night stand with a serial killer, resulting in an illegitimate daughter that the mother, Lucy Carlyle, names Princess Beyoncé. When Lucy is convicted of murder and executed, he gets custody of their 6-month-old daughter. He is initially convinced he will be able to raise her on his own; but eventually his family helps out, renaming the baby Hope.

According to Nielsen Media Research, came fourth in its timeslot with a 3.1 rating/8% share in the 19-49 demographic the highest rating for the series.

Plot

After having an affair with a girl named Lucy (Bijou Phillips), 23-year-old Jimmy Chance (Lucas Neff) ends up with a baby. They meet when Jimmy is driving near his house and she runs and enters his van, pleading him to drive away from the man chasing her. He drives her to his house, and in gratitude has a one-night stand with him. The next day, while Lucy is in the bathroom, he and his family hear from the news a picture of Lucy and the news reporter saying that Lucy is a serial killer who murders her boyfriends. The report is shifted to the man who was running after Lucy the night before, who claims that he chased Lucy because she tried to strangle him with her shoelace before she ran to another man's car, and wishes Jimmy luck. The news changes and Lucy enters to eat breakfast, but is hit with the TV by Jimmy's mom, who orders him to call the police.

Eight months later, Lucy calls him into prison, where she reveals that she is pregnant. She happily tells him that she won't be electrocuted because of her pregnancy but dies in the electric chair after she gives birth. Jimmy and their baby watch. After, Jimmy's parents do not want him to keep the baby, named Princess Beyonce, as it is a big burden. The bulk of the show continues with Jimmy trying to prove to be a good parent. This almost fails, until his parents volunteer to help.

At the end of the Episode, they name her Hope.

Production

In June 2009, Fox announced it had booked a put pilot commitment with show creator Greg Garcia. [2] [3] Michael Fresco signed on to direct the pilot in September 2009, which was originally titled Keep Hope Alive. [4]

Casting announcements began in November, with Martha Plimpton and Lucas Neff as the first actors cast. [5] [6] Neff will portray the lead role of 23-year old Jimmy, the father to infant Hope, with Plimpton playing his mother, Virginia. [5] Olesya Rulin joined the cast shortly thereafter as Sabrina, the new love interest for Jimmy. [5] Garret Dillahunt came on board in late November to portray Jimmy's father, Burt. [7]

In early December 2009, Kate Micucci was added to the cast as Jimmy's cousin. The role was originally created as a male named Mike. [8] [9] The pilot was filmed in December 2009, with Bijou Phillips as Lucy the serial killer/Hope's mother. [10] [11]

In early spring 2010, reports stated that Cloris Leachman would portray Jimmy's grandmother, Maw Maw. [12] [13] In March, Fox decided to recast two roles from the pilot. Shannon Woodward replaced Olesya Rulin as Sabrina, Jimmy's new love interest. [14] Also recast was the role of Jimmy's cousin, and the role reverted to male with the addition of Skyler Stone as Mike. [11] [15] With this, Kate Micucci's role changed from Jimmy's cousin to become Shelly, the cousin of his love interest Sabrina.

Fox green-lit the pilot to series with an order in mid-May 2010. [16] [17] On May 17, 2010, Fox announced at the upfront presentation that the series, with the new title Raising Hope, was included in its 2010-11 television schedule and set for a fall 2010 premiere. [18] [19]

Cultural references

My Name Is Earl reference: A newscaster in the background reports, "A small-time crook with a long list of wrongs he was making amends for has finally finished, and you'll never guess how it ended." However, the newscast is cut off before we can hear more. This sort of serves as an ending for the series after it was canceled with a To be continued ending.

Reception

In its original American broadcast, "Pilot" was viewed by an estimated 7.48 million viewers with a 3.1 rating/8% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. The episode came fourth in its time slot and was the second highest rated show on Fox Broadcasting after Glee episode, "Audition". [20]

Maureen Ryan of TV Squad gave the episode a mixed review saying "Nothing about it is funny and it strands two outstanding actors in a vehicle that fails to harness their many talents." [21] John Kubicek of BuddyTV called the show a "fun little off-beat comedy". [22] Mary McNamara of The Los Angeles Times praised the casting, comparing Martha Plimpton to Rosalind Russell and Eve Arden. [23] Emily VanDerWerff gave a less positive review. She felt that one problem was the casting of Lucas Neff saying "Lucas Neff is such a dozey-eyed and non-essential presence here that every other actor steals the scenes they're in with him". [24] She ultimately rated the episode with a D+. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessica Lucas</span> Canadian actress (born 1985)

Jessica Lucas is a Canadian actress. She is known for her roles in television, such as Edgemont, Melrose Place, Cult, and Gotham, and in the films The Covenant, Cloverfield and the 2013 Evil Dead. She also starred in the music video for Coldplay's 2014 single "True Love".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Micucci</span> American actress

Kate Micucci is an American actress, comedian and musician who is half of the musical comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates. Some of her roles include Stephanie Gooch in Scrubs, Ally in 'Til Death, Shelley in Raising Hope, Lucy in The Big Bang Theory, Sadie Miller in Steven Universe, Sara Murphy in Milo Murphy's Law, Daisy in Nature Cat, Clayface in The Lego Batman Movie, Velma Dinkley in Scooby-Doo since 2015, Webby Vanderquack in DuckTales, and Dr. Fox in Unikitty!

<i>No Ordinary Family</i> American television series

No Ordinary Family is an American television series that aired on ABC in the United States and CTV in Canada. The one hour science fiction comedy drama was produced by ABC Studios for the 2010–2011 television season. The series ran from September 28, 2010, to April 5, 2011, on Tuesdays at 8:00pm ET/PT. The show centers on the Powells, a typical American family living in fictional Pacific Bay, California, whose members gain special powers after their plane crashes in the Amazon, Brazil.

<i>Hellcats</i> American comedy-drama television series

Hellcats is an American cheerleading comedy-drama television series that originally aired on The CW in the United States from September 8, 2010, to May 17, 2011. Based on the book Cheer: Inside the Secret World of College Cheerleaders by journalist Kate Torgovnick, the series focuses in the lives of college cheerleaders, mainly Marti Perkins, a pre-law college student who has to join the cheerleading team, the Hellcats, in order to get the athletic scholarship she needs. The main cast also includes Ashley Tisdale, Robbie Jones, Heather Hemmens, Matt Barr, Gail O'Grady, and Sharon Leal.

<i>The Gates</i> (TV series) American TV series or program

The Gates is an American supernatural crime drama television series that aired on the ABC network from June 20, 2010 to September 19, 2010. The show was cancelled after its first season due to low ratings.

<i>Raising Hope</i> American sitcom

Raising Hope is an American sitcom that aired from September 21, 2010, to April 4, 2014, on Fox. Following its first season, the show received two nominations at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards. Martha Plimpton was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, and Cloris Leachman was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. Plimpton also won the 2011 Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series.

<i>Lone Star</i> (TV series) American TV series or program

Lone Star is an American drama television series which originally ran on Fox from September 20, 2010 to September 27, 2010, airing Monday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

<i>Chase</i> (2010 TV series) American TV series or program

Chase is an American police procedural drama television series created by Jennifer Johnson for NBC. The series follows a U.S. Marshals fugitive-apprehension team, based out of Houston, Texas. Jerry Bruckheimer and Johnson serve as executive producers for the one-hour drama. The series originally aired on Mondays at 10:00 pm ET/9:00 pm CT and premiered on September 20, 2010. After the mid-season break, Chase returned on Wednesdays at 9:00 pm ET/8:00 pm CT. On October 19, 2010, the network ordered a full season consisting of 22 episodes, but this order was cut to 18 in December. On February 3, 2011, the show was put on "a hiatus" with no plan regarding the remaining episodes. On April 6, 2011, NBC announced the remaining five episodes would be broadcast on Saturday nights beginning on April 23 and ended the series on May 21, 2011. Later the show was replaced by Harry's Law.

<i>Outlaw</i> (TV series) American legal drama television series

Outlaw is an American legal drama television series that aired on NBC. The one-hour courtroom drama stars Jimmy Smits as a Supreme Court Justice, Cyrus Garza, who resigns from the bench and returns to private practice in an elite law firm where Claire Sax, love interest to Garza, is a powerful senior partner. As part of the deal, the firm has an ex–Supreme Court Justice on their staff of lawyers and Garza is allowed to pick his team and the cases he works.

<i>Breaking In</i> (TV series) American sitcom television series

Breaking In is an American sitcom television series, which ran on Fox from April 6, 2011 to August 22, 2012. The series debuted as a mid-season replacement following American Idol.

<i>Raising Hope</i> (season 1) Season of television series

The first season of the American television series Raising Hope premiered on September 21, 2010 and concluded on May 17, 2011 on the Fox Television Network. The show aired on Tuesday at 9:00 pm ET. The season consisted of 22 episodes and averaged 6.40 million viewers.

The 2016–17 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers prime time hours from September 2016 to August 2017. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2015–16 season.

The 2017–18 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers prime time hours from September 2017 to August 2018. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2016–17 season.

The 2018–19 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the prime time hours from September 2018 to August 2019. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2017–18 season.

<i>L.A.s Finest</i> American police procedural drama television series

L.A.'s Finest is an American action comedy crime television series created by Brandon Margolis and Brandon Sonnier; and produced by Sony Pictures Television. It is a spinoff of the Bad Boys franchise created by George Gallo. The series premiered on Spectrum on May 13, 2019. L.A.'s Finest is the first premium content show made for the cable provider and the debut of its Spectrum Originals banner of exclusive programming. The second season premiered on September 9, 2020. The first season of the series had its American broadcast television premiere on Fox on September 21, 2020. In October 2020, the series was cancelled by Spectrum after two seasons.

The 2019–20 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the prime time hours from September 2019 to August 2020. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2018–19 season.

For extended information about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the American television industry, see Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television in the United States.

The 2020–21 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the prime time hours from September 2020 to August 2021. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2019–20 television season.

The 2022–23 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States covers the prime time hours from September 2022 to August 2023. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series canceled after the 2021–22 television season.

References

  1. "**SERIES PREMIERE**—"RAISING HOPE"—(9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT) CC-HDTV 720p-Dolby Digital 5.1". Fox Flash. Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2010-09-21.
  2. "Development Update: Tuesday, June 30". The Futon Critic. June 30, 2009. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
  3. Schneider, Michael (October 19, 2009). "Networks burst out laughing". Variety . Archived from the original on June 4, 2010. Retrieved June 3, 2010.
  4. "Development Update: Monday, September 21". The Futon Critic. September 21, 2009. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
  5. 1 2 3 Andreeva, Nellie (November 11, 2009). "Pair gives new 'Hope' to Fox pilot". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on January 10, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
  6. Nguyen, Hanh (November 12, 2009). "Casting Call: Martha Plimpton, 'HSM' alum give FOX 'Hope'; ABC Family adds to 'Liars'". Zap2it. Tribune Media Services. Archived from the original on January 16, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
  7. Andreeva, Nellie (November 29, 2009). "Lucas Black, Cary Elwes join Epix pilot". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 9, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
  8. Andreeva, Nellie (December 9, 2009). "Fox's 'Hope' pilot switches it up with lead". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 13, 2009. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  9. Nguyen, Hanh (December 10, 2009). "TV Bites: 'The Deep End' gets January debut, Alfre Woodard has 'Delta Blues'". Zap2it. Tribune Media Services. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  10. Andreeva, Nellie (January 5, 2010). "Fox, CBS pick up pilots". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 29, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  11. 1 2 Andreeva, Nellie (March 17, 2010). "Josh Cooke cast as male lead in comedy pilot". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 22, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  12. Rice, Lynette (February 19, 2010). "Pilot Intel: Fox working on five new dramas, nine comedies". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on February 23, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  13. "Development Update: Thursday, March 11". The Futon Critic. March 11, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
  14. Andreeva, Nellie (March 10, 2010). "Several pilots expand casts". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 14, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  15. "Development Update: Thursday, March 18". The Futon Critic. March 18, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
  16. "Fox Renews 'Lie to Me,' Human Target,' Orders Quartet". The Futon Critic. May 12, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
  17. Schneider, Michael (May 13, 2010). "Fox, NBC, ABC pick up more shows for fall". Variety. Archived from the original on June 4, 2010. Retrieved June 3, 2010.
  18. "Fox Announces Primetime Slate for 2010-2011 Season". The Futon Critic. May 17, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
  19. Porter, Rick (May 17, 2010). "'Glee' goes early as FOX announces 2010-11 schedule". Zap2it. Tribune Media Services. Archived from the original on May 20, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  20. Seidman, Robert (September 22, 2010). "TV Ratings Tuesday: 'Glee' Sings; Modest Starts for 'Running Wilde,' 'Raising Hope,' 'Detroit 1-8-7?; 'Parenthood' Down". TVbythenumbers. Retrieved 2010-09-22.
  21. Ryan. Maureen (September 21, 2010). "Raising Hope' Premiere Review: Infantile Antics Waste Good Actors". TV Squad . Retrieved 2010-09-21.
  22. Kubicek, John (September 21, 2010). "'Raising Hope' Review: Sophisticated White Trash". BuddyTV . Retrieved 2010-09-21.
  23. McNamara, Mary (September 21, 2010). "Television reviews: 'Raising Hope' and 'Running Wilde'". The Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2010-09-21.
  24. 1 2 VanDerWerff, Emily (September 21, 2010). "Raising Hope - "Pilot"". The A.V. Club . Retrieved August 2, 2019.