Raising Hope season 1

The first season of the American television series Raising Hope premiered on September 21, 2010 and concluded on May 17, 2011 on the Fox Television Network. The show aired on Tuesday at 9:00 pm ET. The season consisted of 22 episodes and averaged 6.40 million viewers.

Main cast

 * Lucas Neff as Jimmy Chance
 * Martha Plimpton as Virginia Chance
 * Garret Dillahunt as Burt Chance
 * Shannon Woodward as Sabrina Collins

Recurring cast

 * Baylie and Rylie Cregut as Hope Chance (born Princess Beyonce Carlyle)
 * Cloris Leachman as Barbara June "Maw Maw" Thompson
 * Gregg Binkley as Barney Hughes
 * Kate Micucci as Shelley
 * Todd Giebenhain as Frank Marolla
 * Ray Santiago as Javier
 * Jermaine Williams as Marcus
 * Bijou Phillips as Lucy Carlyle
 * Dan Coscino as Dancin' Dan
 * Carla Jimenez as Rosa Flores
 * Ryan Doom as Wyatt Gill
 * Lou Wagner as Wally Phipps
 * Skyler Stone as Mike Chance
 * Eddie Steeples as Tyler, the Gas Man
 * Tichina Arnold as Sylvia

Recurring cast in flashback

 * Kelly Heyer as teenage Virginia
 * Cameron Moulene as teenage Burt
 * Laura Avey as teenage Delilah
 * Trace Garcia as 3-year-old Jimmy (credited as Trace!)
 * Mason Cook as 8-year-old Jimmy
 * Desiree Cooper as 8-year-old Virginia

Guest cast

 * Linda Gehringer as Louise Thompson
 * Greg Germann as Dale Carlyle
 * Valerie Mahaffey as Margine Carlyle
 * Jason Lee as Smokey Floyd
 * Brandon T. Jackson as Justin
 * Phill Lewis as Donovan
 * Amy Sedaris as Delilah
 * J.K. Simmons as Bruce Chance
 * Jerry Van Dyke as Mel
 * Ethan Suplee as Andrew
 * Jaime Pressly as Donna
 * Malcolm Barrett as Howdy's west manager

Production
In June 2009, FOX announced it had booked a put pilot commitment with show creator Greg Garcia. Michael Fresco signed on to direct the pilot in September 2009, which was originally titled Keep Hope Alive.

Fox green-lit the pilot to series with an order in mid-May 2010. On May 17, 2010, Fox announced at the upfront presentation that the series, with the new title Raising Hope, was included in its 2010-11 television schedule and set for a fall 2010 premiere.

On October 6, 2010, Fox ordered 9 more episodes of the first season, bringing the first season to 22 episodes.

DVD release
The complete first season of Raising Hope was released on DVD in region 1 on September 20, 2011, in region 2 on February 20, 2012 and in region 4 on September 21, 2011. The DVD set includes all 22 episodes of season one. Special features include Commentary Track on the Pilot episode, the Unaired Network Pilot, "Adorable Stars: Meet the Hopes", "Moments with Mrs. Chance", "Taking Chances: Shooting the Season Finale", Gag Reel, and Deleted and Extended Scenes.

The extended cut of the season finale, "Don't Vote for This Episode", includes a cliffhanger that was ultimately removed - Lucy returning, having not actually died in the pilot episode, to take Hope away. The character would have then been killed for good in the second season premiere. This plot was later used for the final two episodes of the second season.