Raising Hope

Raising Hope is an American sitcom that aired from September 21, 2010 to April 4, 2014, on Fox.[1] 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.

The fourth season premiered Friday, November 15, 2013, at 9:00 pm Eastern/8:00 pm Central with back-to-back episodes.[2] On March 10, 2014, Fox canceled Raising Hope, and the series finale aired April 4, 2014.

James "Jimmy" Chance is a 23-year-old living in the surreal fictional town of Natesville who impregnates a serial killer during a one-night stand. Earning custody of his daughter, Hope, after the mother is sentenced to death, Jimmy relies on his unorthodox but well-intentioned family for support in raising the child.

Cast and characters[edit]

Main article: List of Raising Hope characters

• Lucas Neff as James "Jimmy" Bon Jovi Chance, Hope's father. A good-natured, wide-eyed 23-year-old who is clueless about raising a child and everything else. Jimmy works at Howdy's Market in Natesville, where he meets Sabrina.
• Martha Plimpton as Virginia Slims Chance. Hope's grandmother, Jimmy's mother, and Burt's wife. Virginia became pregnant with Jimmy at age fifteen, delivering him when she was sixteen. Virginia works as a maid, cleaning houses of upper-class people while the Chances appear to live just above the poverty line.
• Garret Dillahunt as "Burt" Jebbidiah Chance. Hope's grandfather, Jimmy's father, and Virginia's husband. Burt conceived Jimmy with Virginia when he was seventeen. He has a lawn care/pool cleaning business with Jimmy as his assistant.
• Shannon Woodward as Sabrina Chance (née Collins), Jimmy's coworker.
• Cloris Leachman as Barbara June "Maw Maw" Thompson (recurring season 1, starring seasons 2-4), Virginia's 84-year-old grandmother, Jimmy's great-grandmother, and Hope's great-great-grandmother. Her dementia is a plot line of several episodes and forces her granddaughter to have to take care of her, while Virginia and Burt live in Maw Maw's house rent free.
• Gregg Binkley as Barney Hughes (recurring season 1, starring seasons 2-4), Manager of the store where Jimmy and Sabrina work.
• Baylie and Rylie Cregut as Hope Chance (born Princess Beyonce Carlyle), Jimmy and Lucy's daughter, Virginia and Burt's granddaughter and Maw Maw's great-great-granddaughter.

Actress Olesya Rulin was originally cast as Sabrina, the love interest for Jimmy, and Kate Micucci was added to the cast as Jimmy's cousin. The pilot was filmed in December 2009.[5][6] In March 2010, Fox decided to recast two roles from the pilot. Shannon Woodward replaced Rulin as Sabrina.[7] Also recast was the role of Jimmy's cousin, changing from Micucci to male actor Skyler Stone as Mike.[6] With this, Micucci's role changed from Jimmy's cousin to become Shelley, Sabrina's cousin.[8]

Fox green-lit the pilot to series with an order in mid-May 2010 for a fall premiere in its 2010–11 television schedule.[9][10]

On January 10, 2011, Fox renewed Raising Hope for a second season.[11] On April 9, 2012, Raising Hope was renewed for a third season.[12] On March 4, 2013, Raising Hope was renewed for a fourth season.[13] On March 10, 2014, Fox announced the cancellation of the show after four seasons.