Talking to Fox: Raising Hope

by Kelly Bedard

Up next in our 4-part "Talking to Fox" conference call series is Lucas Neff and Greg Garcia from the quirky family comedy Raising Hope.

Executive producer Garcia gives the scoop on the creation of Hope- one of our favourite shows and the first live action sitcom to make it to a second season on FOX since 2007. Lucas Neff, who stars as Jimmy Chance, joins his boss for one of the more entertaining conference interviews of the series.

Here are the highlights:

Obsessions of Right Now

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True Love: Other Stuff Edition

It's Valentine's time and TV is in full romantic bloom. Here are our favourite romantic episodes of the week:

1) Glee 
(We've covered this already. Twice)

2) Community
(This too. Just once)

3) Modern Family
The reprisal of Clyve and Juliana, Gloria turning Valentine's day into a competition, Manny's quest for Hayley's love, Cam and Mitchell's jealous search for attention, the triumphant return of Dylan! Brilliant.

4) Raising Hope
It wasn't romance, it was bromance, but it was awesome. "Romeo and Romeo" was the hilarious story of two star-crossed single dads in desperate need of a friend. Hilarity ensued.

5) 30 Rock
Not overtly Valentines-themed but based almost completely on couples when the show almost never is, this week's 30 Rock saw the return (and dismissal) of my (and everyone else's) beloved Matt Damon (seriously, who doesn't love this guy?!).

6) The Office
An awkward (but cheeky) Pam and Jim plot and a sweet but strange one for Michael and Holly made this episode of the office slightly above average. What made it significantly above average (at least for the current season) was Erin's Valentines treasure hunt. It was designed for her by the wonderfully deadpan new character Gabe and followed by my favourite character in the office, Erin, and her endearing ex Andy. It was sweet, it was melancholy, and it disrupted the office wonderfully (the scene with Darryl is classic).

Thoughts on The New Fall Sitcoms

We're two weeks into the new television season, just far enough to start really forming opinions about the new shows. This season has 6 new network sitcoms on the docket and their quality to junk ratio is sadly low so far. Here's the low down on all 6, including a surprise hit and a whole lot of misses.


The Surprisingly Good
Raising Hope (FOX). This quirky offering is the last thing I thought I would like. I wanted to turn it off 10 minutes into the pilot but I didn't, and it grew on me. The characters are engaging and well-meaning, even if they are crazy urban hillbilly-like folk; the problems are relatable, even if the premise is outlandish; and though shrouded in hipster shock-value crassness, the show is ultimately very sweet. I'm shocked that this is true but Raising Hope may be the best new sitcom of the fall.


The Merely Mediocre
Better With You (ABC). This sweet and silly sitcom isn't as clever as its company on ABC Wednesdays (Cougar Town shout out!), but it's got an interesting premise and a promising cast. It will never be groundbreaking but it could be a little bit funnier.


The Depressingly Bad
Mike & Molly (CBS). Mike & Molly is a whole lot of not-funny wrapped in cliche with all the tact surgically removed. Seeing Melissa McCarthy suffer at the hands of such bad writing just makes me want to cry.

Running Wilde (FOX). This has all the ingredients for greatness (a showrunner and star from Arrested Development, just for starters) but is really pretty terrible. The potentially adorable Keri Russell brings back that holier-than-thou attitude that made me hate Felicity and uses it as a premise for an entire sitcom. The whole thing is aggravating.

$#*! My Dad Says (CBS). The crime of $#*! is not that developing an entire sitcom out of a twitter feed is idiotic (thank you Community, for pointing that out in your season premiere), it's that it's just not very funny. Unlike some of the others, it's not offensive or annoying, it's just not funny, at all. But also unlike some of the others, that's not surprising or upsetting, just predictable.

Outsourced (NBC). The show that bumped Parks & Rec from the fall schedule (NBC, you need a new brain), however, IS offensive AND annoying. I've already written about it so I will refrain from ranting here. But MAN, this show is everything that's wrong with everything. It's ignorant, showy and boring all in one.