Raising Hope

Hope is all about chaotic charm: The nutty comedy revolves around the down-on-their-luck Chance family — Virginia (Martha Plimpton) and Burt (Garret Dillahunt); their son, Jimmy (Lucas Neff); Maw Maw (Cloris Leachman); and Jimmy’s 18-month-old daughter, Hope (played by 18-month-old twins Baylie and Rylie Cregut). ”Somebody said it’s twisted,” says Leachman of Hope‘s humor, which she affectionately refers to as ”so stupid” repeatedly. ”But I find the show has a true, honest sincerity, a realness that touches you. [It’s] as funny and cuckoo and twisted as it can be.” The focus of season 2 will be on ”expanding the universe,” says Neff. ”We’re going to Vegas!” Adds Shannon Woodward, who plays Jimmy’s love interest, grocery-store clerk Sabrina: ”Yeah, everybody else goes to Hawaii; naturally we go to Vegas. I thought it was going to be Orlando, but they really stepped it up.” The Sin City episode will be filmed on location and centers on the wedding of guest star Amy Sedaris, who reprises her role as Cousin Delilah. Also ahead: Burt will be kidnapped; some ”pretty massive secrets” about Sabrina will come to light, says Woodward; and YouTube sensation Greyson Chance will play young Jimmy in three flashback episodes. Speaking of flashbacks, creator Greg Garcia plans to use even more of the technique to offer up characters’ backstories — especially Maw Maw’s. ”We really enjoy having Maw Maw lucid in the flashbacks, so we want to do more of that,” says Garcia. “We found later in the season with her character that we don’t have to have her bats— crazy. We can use Cloris in a better way.” (Sept. 20)

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