Product Details

• Actors: Martha Plimpton, Lucas Neff, Cloris Leachman, Garret Dillahunt, Shannon Woodward
• Format: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Fox
• DVD Release Date: September 20, 2011
• Run Time: 486 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B003UD7JDA
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,165 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Raising Hope: The Complete First Season" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Sweet but dim Jimmy Chance (Lucas Neff) finds himself a father after a cute one-night stand turns out to be a serial killer. Jimmy brings their daughter Hope home, to the dismay of his parents--Virginia (Martha Plimpton), a surly housecleaner, and Burt (Garret Dillahunt), owner of a rag-tag pool-cleaning business--who already have their hands full taking care of their addled Maw Maw (Cloris Leachman), who's prone to running around topless. Can this cantankerous household, perhaps with the help of clever grocery store clerk Sabrina (Shannon Woodward), take care of Hope? From the zippy pilot to the sublimely ridiculous final episode, Raising Hope: The Complete First Season is a white trash delight. The description of the basic setup doesn't capture the tone, which is an unlikely mixture of caustic gags (when Jimmy doesn't strap down the baby seat, the seat--with the baby in it--goes tumbling across the car's back seat) and multilayered character humor (on Halloween, Burt routinely terrifies Jimmy with a scary mask… but he does it because he wants Jimmy to run home and hug him). Some critics have attacked the show's arguably cruel edge, but it's the balance of the sweet and the acidic that gives Raising Hope its unique and, if you get in its groove, delicious flavor. Plots range from baby-themed (trying to find Hope daycare, training her to sleep through the night) to pure off-the-wall (a cousin joins a polygamous cult, a faded rock star comes to town), but the interplay among the cast is always strong. Plimpton has been nominated for awards, but Neff, Dillahunt, and Woodward are all as solid, maintaining a cheerful yet sardonic tone to the proceedings. The only character who feels flat is Maw Maw; Leachman is an old pro, but the writers just use the crazy old person as an easy crutch for non sequiturs. Her infrequent moments of lucidity suggest much more interesting possibilities that, with any luck, creator Greg Garcia (who previously created My Name Is Earl) will start to pursue. The Complete First Season has only a handful of extras, but the deleted scenes are excellent and comparing the original pilot episode with the one that finally made it on the air is a study in honing a show's sensibility. All in all, an excellent first season. --Bret Fetzer

Product Description

Emmy® Award-winning creator Greg Garcia (My Name is Earl) brings you this hilarious and endearing comedy about the joys – and pains – of parenthood and a dysfunctional family. A one night stand becomes a life-long commitment when twenty-three-year-old Jimmy Chance inadvertently impregnates a wanted felon and decides to raise Hope (aka Princess Beyonce) on his own. Jimmy, together with his family, face play dates, family photo shoots, rock star dreams, vasectomies and more in the uproariously irreverent, critically acclaimed first season of Raising Hope.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Modern Family--Working Class Slapstick With Surprising Heart March 24, 2011

By K. Harris HALL OF FAMETOP 10 REVIEWER

Format:DVD

With the initiation of the 2010 television season, FOX was pinning its hopes and its largest advertising dollars on a couple of shows that ended up failing to strike a chord with the public. The promising serialized drama "Lone Star" was gone in two episodes and the high profile sitcom "Running Wilde" never gathered sufficient viewers and was dismissed by mid-season. Flying under the proverbial radar, however, was the wacky family of "Raising Hope." Created by the same team who made "My Name Is Earl" such a surprising success (remember how fresh Earl's early seasons were?), "Raising Hope" also balances an eccentric clan of working class heroes with clever slapstick shenanigans. But in a sitcom world populated with snappy one-liners and superficial partnerships, this program defies expectations by having a real heart. Aside from ABC's "The Middle," no other current television family seems to face the economic trials and tribulations inherent in much of America--and it is in providing recognizable moments (albeit very heightened) that "Raising Hope" stands as a true original.

There are plenty of peripheral characters on "Raising Hope"--some more successful than others--but the core family at the center of the show is its true soul. Lucas Neff plays the lead character with a gawky and understated charm and stands as a perfect centerpiece to ground the show's more lunatic aspects. In my opinion, he's a star! A single dad (to Hope), Neff still lives with his parents and is a stock boy at the local grocery store. His parents, Martha Plimpton and Garret Dillahunt, are doing the best that they can but have failed to realize the dreams of their youth. As if the house weren't crowded enough, Plimpton's sporadically lucid mother (Cloris Leachman) also meanders through the action. This quartet of performers play off one another wonderfully and through all the silliness and all the annoyances, they stand as a remarkably believable and loving family unit. "Raising Hope" is a wildly successful domestic comedy employing slapstick, ludicrous sight gags, and clever verbal interplay. I love these guys--Plimpton and Dillahunt are at the top of their game!

The show does, however, straddle numerous side plots and additional characters--and the show can lose its way a bit in juggling the extraneous material. Neff's supermarket girlfriend (Shannon Woodward) is a nice, if somewhat inconsistent, role. Her presence at family gatherings seems a bit mystifying at times--like the producers need to work her into the plot but don't know how to fully incorporate her into the action. One episode has the family deciding that she should inherit Hope should something happen to them. Huh? Really? Other supermarket employees provide the requisite wacky without any particular depth. Neff also has two friends that we see every 6-7 episodes for no apparent reason. And there are plenty of guest stars, many playing extended family members--Amy Sedaris and J.K. Simmons are particularly noteworthy. And the wonderful Kate Micucci pops up randomly as Shelly--as a romantic interest, or a babysitter, or to provide a random song. I love her, but again, it seems to be completely arbitrary when she materializes.

I haven't mentioned Leachman, a grand dame of comedy, that seems somewhat underutilized here. Some episodes, she doesn't even speak--she's just around for a visual punchline or two. I think the producers realized this and begin to make her more lucid and less crazy in alternate episodes. A fearlessly over-the-top performance, though, she's great. Along with Neff, Dillahunt, and Plimpton--this is easily one of my favorite television families. And the affection for one another is infectious. With heart and humor, you might identify aspects of your own upbringing in the eccentricities of "Raising Hope." I know I do. 4 1/2 stars, the show is still gaining traction and needs a little more evenness. If everything here were as solid as the main family unit, this could be classic. KGHarris, 3/11.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't wait for season 2 May 22, 2011

By Zephyr_37

Format:DVD

I just watched the season finale of "Raising Hope," and I was struck by how much it seems like this show is old beyond its one year. The main cast is endearing, and the supporting characters are a delight. Well-written and funny, "Raising Hope" has the wackiness of "The Simpsons" mixed with the heart of "The Wonder Years." I'd guess that everyone on this show loves going to work. Kudos to the cast and crew on an amazing first season! I look forward to many more to come. :)

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Can change your outlook on life! October 26, 2011

By Kathy Copeland

Format:DVD

I started to watch Raising Hope right after I was notified of an impending layoff at work. I watched the entire first season this week through Netflix- during lunch hour, workout routines and right before bed- on an ipad. I've told everybody I know about it and now several family members are hooked and watching the 1st season. I also let them all know when the next show airs so they won't miss any more episodes. I hadn't even heard of it until last week (Oct 2011) since we only watch what TV we record to avoid commercials and hadn't seen any ads for this show.

I laugh out loud not only watching but at memories of the silly things that the characters do and say. I love it that Jimmy is a little naive but with the determination and love that make the most essential parts of a really great parent. He's always worried that he's not good enough and trying to do better and better for his little girl. I also love that his parents, Virginis and Bert don't think much of themselves yet stay entirely true to eachother and love eachother and Jimmy and Hope in such a warm, loving way.

Maw Maw is in a class by herself. She is so fun and so unexpected but yet her actions are probably pretty realistic for an alzheimers/dementia patient. Virginia is a loving patient caregiver and they all do a great job patiently loving Maw Maw through the uncomfortable times even when she comes at them with a shot gun blast which happens more than once.

Anyway, with a layoff coming and a house that I have to fix up and sell pretty quickly it was certainly great to have something to laugh about. Thanks to the writers and the actors for bringing the joy and warmth of this show to the masses!