I LOOOOVE EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS. I was an avid viewer during the 1st season in 2005, and I would watch it every week. I recently started to watch again, so you can imagine how I feel knowing that the show recently underwent cancellation. To take something so PERFECT off of television fills me with sadness and frustration! So, let me put my emotions aside for a bit to explain one of the greatest shows to ever hit the airwaves!
The show revolves around the everyday life of Chris, who is a 12-year-old seventh grade student in the series' first episode. Chris is one of the few "normal" characters on the show, surrounded by a collection of interesting characters that, in his point of view, act as if they dislike him. Chris lives in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, a low-income community and attends an all-white school, where students and teachers alike pick on him. If things go well for Chris throughout an episode, half of the time they will backfire on him by the end. If a situation isn't going Chris' way, it always manages to get even worse for him, whether or not he tries to change the course of events. Chris Rock (a true genius and one of my all-time favorite Comedians) narrates the show and takes us through the up's and downs of his years living in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn during the early-mid 1980's. Tyler James Williams (who plays young Chris Rock) never fails to make you laugh with his bland, but funny jokes. Chris has wit and charm! You find yourself caring about his character, wanting him to see things through with a happy ending.
Mr. Rocks' narration ALONE will have you ROFL, and the actors hit you with just the same! Julius (Terry Crews) is the perfect example of a good Father! He holds down his household and always shows love and affection..this man adooores his family! Rochelle (Tichina Arnold), in my eyes, is a legend. She is one of my all-time favorite actresses. This beautiful, smart, intelligent actress has made me laugh ever since her days on the '90s sitcom "Martin," and she's back and BETTER THAN EVER! She will, without a doubt, make your entire face ache and your cheeks tense up with laughter! Drew (Tequan Richmond) and Tanya (Imani Hakim) are so adorable. They always argue but they also like working together, especially when it comes to getting what they want from their parents. Chris' best friend Greg (Vincent Martella) will make you laugh as well, as he shows that he can stand beside his fellow actors and rise to the occasion of true comedy.
One thing that stands out, probably the most, in the show is the array of '80s music that you will hear in the beginning of almost every episode. Artists such as Run DMC, Janet Jackson, Lisa Lisa and The Cult Jam, Howard Jones, LL Cool J, Culture Club, Madonna, Duran Duran, and Kool Moe Dee lend their '80s hits to the show...as well as many other '80s musicians...the list goes on.
WARNING: I will say this much, there are MANY episodes in this box set that have alternate music per episode (particularly Season 1). The original music soundtrack has suffered the "cut/uncut" treatment by Paramount (The Kings & Queens of destroying perfectly fine movies and television shows, converting them to cut DVD format). Certain episodes have different and, at times, absolutely no original music to support the episode. My guess is that Paramount was too lazy, and too cheap, to conjure up a deal with the artists and their music. Oh, but don't worry though. If you want to watch all episodes in their full-original-music-soundtrack-glory, you will have to catch them as they air on BET or Nick @ Nite. Personally, embarking on a full-fledge television search for the original soundtrack episodes (when owning the box set should be more than enough) is ridiculous, so, in this case, it's better to have alternate music on selective episodes rather than nothing at all.
On a lighter note, you will witness several familiar faces from the 1970's & '80s era of television. The entire series is blessed with a reunion of seasoned vet actors and comedians, all whom play permanent roles throughout various episodes. Talented professionals such as, Jackée Harry, Wayne Brady, Whoppi Goldberg, Antonio Fargas, Tisha Cambell-Martin, Ricky Harris, Ernest Thomas, Robin Givens, and Mike Estime all shine..as well as a few new faces who all bring life to their characters!
*Here are some of the DVD perks of the series: 1st, The DVD has tons of options. Commentary on certain episodes, Webisodes on almost every episode, and deleted scenes, which are so funny, you can't help but wonder why they weren't left in the original show.
It's very hard for me to even sit and watch the last season on DVD, because while watching it, you just know that it's the end, it's final! And let's face it, there are not a lot of African American television shows out there nowadays that tend to make it past 4 or 5 seasons, and that is due to fans tuning in for a bit, then suddenly tuning out, which sends ratings in decline. I feel that we, the viewers, should make it our duty to keep our shows on the air and support them. This way they will be able to arrive at the 10 year mark! Otherwise, this will continue to plague our genuine African American comedies, dramas, and sitcoms. So this is my plea to the Caucasian, the African American, and everybody in between, all who, like me, love and enjoy outstanding African American comedy such as "Everybody Hates Chris," "Tyler Perry's House Of Payne," "The Game" ect..let's make this happen, and let's share the happiness that will follow as we succeed. As I said before, I watch every episode, and I usually have EHC DVD marathons, but when that last DVD rolls around, what was once fun, slowly becomes tragic. EHC is now off the air and will not return anytime soon. I had hopes that BET would pick it up, but I don't know of any new news stating that this will happen. In a post I came across a few days after hearing about the cancellation, and in that post Chris Rock announced that the end of season 4 matched up with his own past -- dropping out of high school to become a comedian -- and that basically, it was time to end the show. So my only point is this - they are the entertainers, and we are the viewing public (fans). They do their part, now lets accomplish ours and save our authentic comedy..ultimately, it's up to us! - These DVD's are a must buy!