History Series / RaisingHope

* FakeGuestStar: Cloris Leachman was credited as a guest star for the first season despite being prominently featured throughout the show, in the opening credits, and in all promotional material because of contractual issues. In later seasons, she gets [[CreditsGag credited]] as "And introducing Cloris Leachman" most likely as a reference to this situation.

* EarWorm : [[{{In-universe}} Discussed]] in season 4, episode 22. "I have to finish playing this, or it's just gonna go around and around in my head."

* HalwayPlotSwitch: A minor subversion occurs in "Sex, Clowns and Videotape": Burt and Virginia head to Virginia's storage unit to get a replacement microwave door, only to become distracted by discovering that the clown doll that is hiding their sex tape is in a unit that is going up for auction. Several scenes later, on the day of the auction, Burt shows up late, revealing to Virginia that he snuck into their unit to steal the microwave door they were originally focused on.

--->'''Jimmy''': Did you see that movie Film/{{Inception}}? It was someone's dream to make that piece of crap.

** Burt's parents, who refuse to adapt to a less lavish lifestyle after spending all their money on luxuries and [[spoiler:they even lied to Burt by telling him that he's Jewish just so they can steal his Bat Mitzvah money.]]

* AscendedExtra: Barney was a minor character that added some flavor to Sabrina's boring job at Howdy's, the grocery store. Once Jimmy starts working there too, Barney becomes a bit of a parental figure, eventually getting credited as main cast since the second season.

%%* RunningGag: A ton, starting with Burt's problem not thinking of the word "think." Also, Dancin' Dan.

** Maw-Maw "going French" for the non-existant swimsuit part of a Grandmother-Granddaughter pageant (which had already been decided) results in Virginia covering her eyes and Burt pouring hot sauce into his.

* FunSize: Many people in the series joke around that Sabrina is actually more shorter than Jimmy, although it's not ''funny'' to her.

** The end of Burt and Virginia's first "date".

* BarrierBustingBlow: Performed by Maw Maw at the end of "The Sniffles".

** Burt is seen as the BlackSheep of his family since he didn't live according to his parents' expectatives, as he got Virginia pregnant when they were teenagers, and they didn't end up as rich as them. His own parents are ''[[KissingCousins third-cousins]]'', and his nephew, Mike, used to live in their house for a while before joining a cult.
** Virginia's side of her family is ''off''. She was lied about what [[DidNotDieThatWay truly happened to her mom]] (who is supposed to be dead), and was [[RaisedByGrandparents raised by Maw Maw]], while the rest of her family (especially her cousin, Delilah) traited her as a ButtMonkey.

** C. Went on to become his wife. While he did technically do the crime his lawyer treats him like he is a stereotypical sex offender.

A series by Greg Garcia, the creator of ''Series/MyNameIsEarl'', that was aired from 2010 to 2014.

** Burt's news report on him clobbering Smokey Floyd is [[AutoTuneTheNews auto-tuned and turned into a viral hit.]] There's also a ShoutOut to ''Series/MyNameIsEarl'' when Smokey Floyd calls Barney "Kenny."

* TheBabyTrap: Inverted ''and'' played sympathetically. [[spoiler: Burt poked a hole in a condom because he wanted to purposely knock Virginia up, since he thought she was out of his league. By the time she finds out, she can't get upset about it because she's pretty happy with the end result.]]

** Virginia's side of her family is ''off''. She was lied about what [[DidNotDieThatWay truly happened to her mom]] (who is supposed to be dead), and was [[RaisedByGrandparents raised by Maw-Maw]], while the rest of her family (especially her cousin, Delilah) traited her as a ButtMonkey.

* CharacterDevelopment: Burt and Virginia get much nicer during later part of the first season.

* ContinuitySnarl: The show couldn't seem to make up its mind on whether or not ''Series/MyNameIsEarl'' was in the same universe or a TV show too. Among other things, there has been a poster of TheMovie in one episode, there has been a TV commercial for the show... but Patty (the Daytime Hooker) has appeared as [[TheCameo a cameo]], and in ThePilot, a news anchor even mentions that "a small-time crook with a long list of wrongs he was making amends for has finally finished".
* CringeComedy: Jimmy's drunk piano performance in "Prodigy"

** With ''Series/MyNameIsEarl'', Patty the Daytime Hooker appeared as a gambling addict counselor in "Gambling Again". And in ThePilot, after the news reported about Lucy being a serial killer, the news anchor begins to do a lighter side story about "a small-time crook with a long list of wrongs he was making amends for has finally finished, and [[LeftHanging you'll never guess how it ended!]]"

* DemotedToExtra: Shelly, Sabrina's cousin. She is an important supporting character in the first season but was reduced to pretty much a named extra in later seasons.

* FakeGuestStar: Cloris Leachman was credited as a guest star for the first season despite being prominently featured throughout the show, in the opening credits, and in all promotional material because of contractual issues. In later seasons, she gets [[CreditGag credited]] as "And introducing Cloris Leachman" most likely as a reference to this situation.

* FanDisservice: Maw Maw running around topless is a RunningGag.
* ForgottenChildhoodFriend: Sabrina finds herself at the mercy of one (played by Shannon Woodward's [[IWantYouToMeetAnOldFriendOfMine real life best friend]] Music/KatyPerry, no less) when she's arrested. The ending of the episode, however, implies that [[spoiler: Sabrina never knew her and the guard does that with pretty much everybody.]]

* GRatedDrug: As part of getting more sales during the "Candy Wars" episode, Maw-Maw makes custom chocolate candy bars, which are addictive for anyone who eats them. The Chances even set up a "laboratory" to make the reference more ''obvious''.

* IdiotSavant: About half the family. When Maw-Maw is lucid, she's a great mechanic and has many other skills and piercing insight. Burt, who never finished High School, got a 1540 on his SAT. Apparently he's good at filling in bubbles.
** When he was a teenager, Jimmy was a highly skilled piano player and had a beautiful singing voice...until he got nailed in the head with a putter. [[spoiler: That Burt threw.]]

* ItsAWonderfulPlot: Season two's ChristmasEpisode (aptly titled [[LampshadeHanging It's A Hopeful Life]]), in which Jimmy hallucinates what his life would be like if he hadn't had that fateful meeting with Lucy. Turns out it would be pretty bad. Played with when Jimmy realizes that this is very similar to a movie he watched...

* MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate: Lucy's father. He's a psychiatrist, Lucy's mother was a patient of his, and they did kidnap Hope twice but did go to jail for it. [[spoiler: In "Modern Wedding", he's been released on good behavior, but his wife is still in jail and he had to smuggle a still-alive but heavily brain-damaged Lucy home and spends most of his time caring for her. He genuinely loves his psychotic daughter, but has questionable methods of reining her in.]]

* SharedUniverse: Zig-zagged. We have seen a few characters from ''Series/MyNameIsEarl'' (most prominently one appearance from Patty the Daytime Hooker) and there are frequent references to other characters and Camden, but there are a few moments that say [[RecursiveCanon the TV show "My Name Is Earl"]] exists in this world as well. The humor and characters are similar in tone (although this show is slightly more sedated), but it also doesn't help that many of the same actors have [[YouLookFamiliar notable parts in this show]], including a pseudo ReunionShow featuring those characters taking on similar roles to ''Earl''.

* WholeEpisodeFlashback: "Don't Vote for this Episode" showed what the characters were doing five years ago -- the Chances had just been tossed out by Maw-Maw, Jimmy was going through a goth phase, Sabrina was a braces-wearing geek with a huge crush on goth Jimmy, Barney was a fatty, Shelly worked at the market, and Lucy was dating the first of her boyfriends/victims.

** Virginia's side of her family is ''off''. She was lied about what [[DidNotDieThatWay truly happened to her mom]] (who is supposed to be dead) ]]), and was [[RaisedByGrandparents raised by Maw-Maw]], while the rest of her family (especially her cousin, Delilah) traited her as a ButtMonkey.

* CloudCuckooLander:
** Maw Maw, although she is justified because of her dementia. She has lucid moments, but they're ''very'' few and far between.
** Frank, one of the employees at the store Jimmy and Sabrina work at. He tends to stop conversations dead in their place.

* DistinguishingMark: Jimmy has a birthmark on his head that looks like Florida... with ''balls''.

* GeniusDitz: Burt is dumb as a brick in most respects, but he often shows a high degree of emotional intelligence and insight into human nature.

* HypnoFool: Burt is easily entranced by hand gestures.

* InTheBlood: While (probably) not dangerous, Lucy's mother is delusional, while her father is a sociopathic psychiatrist who married a patient that he ''still'' treats.

* ScrewPolitenessImASenior: Maw Maw. Regularly walks around without a shirt.

* {{Tsundere}}: Virginia's an A-type with a capital A. She's simultaneously responsible for half of the show's [[DeadpanSnarker dry]] [[BrutalHonesty humor]], as well as half of its heartwarming moments.

* WrenchWench: During her longer lucid moments, Maw-Maw is a skilled mechanic. And electrician. When not lucid, she's also a skilled exterminator.

* BigScrewedUpFamily: The Chance family, from both sides of Jimmy's family.
** Burt is seen as the BlackSheep of his family since he didn't live according to his parents' expectatives, as he got Virginia pregnant when they were teenagers and didn't end up as rich as them (although they would eventually lose everything more than 20 years later). His own parents are ''[[KissingCousins third-cousins]]'', and his nephew, Mike, used to live in their house for a while before joining a cult.
** Virginia's side of her family is ''off''. She was lied about what truly happened to her mom (who is supposed to be [[DidNotDieThatWay dead]]), and was [[RaisedByGrandparents raised by Maw-Maw]], while the rest of her family (especially her cousin, Delilah) traited her as a ButtMonkey.

* CreditsGag: "And introducing Cloris Leachman."

* FakeGuestStar: Cloris Leachman was credited as a guest star for the first season despite being prominently featured throughout the show, in the opening credits, and in all promotional material because of contractual issues.

* GilliganCut: Used in the [[BlackComedy darkest]] way possible -- Lucy, pregnant in prison, says to Jimmy, "You know what the best part is? [[KarmaHoudini There's no way they're gonna kill the mother of a six-month old baby.]]"... just to get cut to [[SubvertedTrope Lucy's execution]].

* GRatedDrug: Maw-Maw's custom candy bars from "Candy Wars".

* MamaBear:
** Virginia Chance. Especially when she has a TV at hand.
** Sabrina turns into one to Hope as early as late Season 1, when she [[spoiler: cannonballed through the ceiling to land on a shotgun-toting Maw Maw.]]
--> '''Sabrina:''' [[PreAssKickingOneLiner Hope is not going to be an orphan!]]

* CallBack: After Virginia writes "DORK" across Jimmy's face to deter him from talking with Sabrina, she offers to use make-up to cover it up. He then tells her that he tried make-up before, but that it made him look like a dork. It's later revealed that Jimmy went through a goth phase during his late-teens, and the make-up indeed made him look ridiculous... [[DramaticIrony but he got the attention]] of a younger Sabrina, who was going through an awkward teenager phase, too.

* ParodyEpisode: The WeddingDay DocumentaryEpisode parodied ''Series/ModernFamily''. According to Sabrina, the camera men ''actually'' work for the series, and they were hired by her mom as a wedding gift, because she couldn't make it to the wedding.

* PutOnABus: Cousin Mike was obviously meant to be a main character and Jimmy's best friend, but he is gone in the second episode, mentioned as joining a {{cult}} with a girl he met. Although [[TheBusCameBack he came back]] by "The Cultish Personality".

* RunningGag: A ton, starting with Burt's problem not thinking of the word "think." Also, Dancin' Dan.

* StupidStatementDanceMix: Burt's has an awesome one in "Burt Rocks". He loves it.

* AscendedExtra: Barney was a minor character that added some flavor to Sabrina's boring job at Howdy's, the grocery store. Once Jimmy starts working there too, Barney becomes a bit of a parental figure, eventually getting credited as main cast in the second season.

** This is how kicks off the series, with Jimmy and Lucy having sex in his van and resulting in Hope.

* BigScrewedUpFamily: The Chance family, starting from both Burt's and Virginia's sides .

* BondOneLiner: When Burt realizes that [[BrokenPedestal Smokey Floyd]] was still a {{jerkass}} in front of an audience (and especially when he wanted to shut up Hope's crying), [[PapaWolf he simply]] [[BerserkButton had enough]], and smacked him over the head with his guitar, before expressing "Smoke on that, jerk!"

** "The Saurus"
--> '''Jimmy''': It's like the dictionary's cousin!

* BuffySpeak: Frequently, and mixed a little with {{Malaproper}}. For example, Burt once described a woman doing Yoga as "Slow Motion Karate," and due to the family's general lack of intelligence, winning arguments necessitated them being more "trickerish... trickerish''er''."

* CallBack: After Virginia writes "DORK" across Jimmy's face to deter him from talking with Sabrina, she offers to use makeup to cover it up. Jimmy says that he tried makeup and it makes him look like a dork. During his goth phase (which was shown in a flashback), Jimmy wore heavy makeup. See Unrequited Love Switcheroo for the implications.

** [[Series/YesDear Jimmy and Christine]] appears as [[spoiler: the owners of Burt's and Virginia's sex tape]]. They even mention [[spoiler: Dominic and Logan]]. The previous episode also featured Mr. Savitsky being pitched a script. In another episode [[Series/SonsofAnarchy Filthy Phil]] appears, wearing his kutte.

* CelebrityParadox: Season 2's "Single White Female Role Model" features Barney mentioning a new episode of ''Series/BurnNotice''. One wonders if Simon Escher looks familiar to him.

** Sabrina had a very dry personality for most of the first season, having an understated wit. When she becomes better friends with Jimmy we see her with a bit more spunk. Interestingly, in the second season it's revealed she was taking mood stabilizers, keeping some of her more outlandish quirks under control. Jimmy noted that going off them didn't overtly change her personality, if anything it enhances it.

** In "Thrilla in Natesvilla", Barney tells Burt that he had a bad experience while fixing his air conditioner, remembering that the next thing he knew was "crying in a bubble-bath, listening to Linda Ronstadt, trying to forget the image of your cousin tongue-kissing your now-ex-wife". Which Burt replies that while it sounds ''awful'', "he doesn't want to listen to Linda Ronstadt".

* TheDiaperChange: Jimmy and Virginia end up throwing up all over Hope while changing her diaper, for the first time.

* EpunymousTitle: ''Raising Hope'' is about raising a baby named "Hope". The original title was ''Keep Hope Alive'' but ''Raising Hope'' was ultimately decided to have more positive upbeat connotations.

* FunSize: Sabrina is very short and this is frequently played for comedy.

* GagBoobs: Sabrina sported these in the ItsAWonderfulPlot episode, described as 30 pounds of silicone. It is the only thing Jimmy misses when taken back to reality.

* {{Gasshole}}: Basically every main character.

* GilliganCut: Used in the [[BlackComedy darkest]] way possible -- Lucy, pregnant in prison, says to Jimmy, "You know what the best part is? [[KarmaHoudini There's no way they're gonna kill the mother of a six-month old baby.]]" ''Cut to'': [[SubvertedTrope Lucy's execution]].

* MrFanservice: ''Burt''. Lampshaded when he gives grace in the ThanksgivingEpisode:

* MundaneMadeAwesome: Splinter removal in "Squeak Means Squeak"

* ParodyEpisode: The WeddingDay DocumentaryEpisode parodied ''Series/ModernFamily''.

** "Throw Maw Maw from the House Part 2" has Maw Maw recapping the events of the previous episode to the audience... [[FourthWallPsych by which we mean the wall she was in front of]].

** "Candy Wars" is pretty much an entire-episode shout out to mob movies, particularly ''Film/TheGodfather'' and ''Film/{{Scarface 1983}}''. Complete with the horse head in bed scene (''Godfather'') and the chainsaw shower scene (''Scarface'').

* ShowWithinAShow [=/=] Parody Names: Oftentimes, real-world shows are parodied through the use of these two tropes. Examples include "Inside Probe" (parody of ''Inside Edition'') and "[[Series/YoGabbaGabba Yo Zappa Do]]".
* SignatureLaugh: Vali, the genie neighbor.

* TrueCompanions: Shelley, Barney, Sabrina, [[ThoseTwoGuys Javier and Marcus]] [[spoiler:seem to make one with the Chances going by the end of "Meet the Grandparents"]].
** As of the first season finale, one can count in Frank and cousin Mike as well.

* TwoScenesOneDialogue: Used in "Romeo and Romeo". And then just when you think the joke is over, it keeps going and gets to the real punchline of the scene.

* WouldHitAGirl: [[spoiler: His former bully now being a woman]] doesn't stop Frank from clocking her good.
** CrossesTheLineTwice [[spoiler: when said transgender bully]] proceeds to kick the hell out of both Frank and Jimmy.

* ZanyScheme. Every. Episode.

A series by Greg Garcia, the creator of ''Series/MyNameIsEarl''.

Started in 2010; ended after 4 seasons in 2014.

* ArtisticLicenseLaw: Since it's generally recognized that an adult prison is HarmfulToMinors, Lucy wouldn't have been able to keep the baby with her in prison in RealLife. Instead, "Princess Beyonce" would have been given to Lucy's parents, or to her biological father, within a couple of days of birth, while Lucy returned to prison. (And if for some reason that wasn't possible, placed into foster care.)
* AscendedExtra: Barney was a minor character just adding some flavor to Sabrina's boredom working in the grocery store. Once Jimmy starts working there too he becomes a bit of a parental figure, eventually becoming part of the main cast in season two.
* AutoErotica: The end of Burt and Virginia's first "date".
** And of course Jimmy and Lucy, resulting in Hope and kicking off the series.
* BabyTrap: [[spoiler: Inverted ''and'' played sympathetically. Burt poked a hole in a condom, as to purposely knock Virginia up, since he thought she was out of his league. By the time she finds out, she can't get upset about it because she's pretty happy with the end result.]]
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Lucy]].
** BackForTheDead: Considering the end of the Season 2 finale... [[spoiler: Subverted in the wedding special, where we find out she's STILL alive.]]

* BigScrewedUpFamily: The Chances.

* BondOneLiner: "Smoke on that, jerk."
* BookDumb: The Chance family is very impressed when Lucy is able to correctly pronounce Mahmoud Ahmedija...ahmejid...that guy from Iran's name. This probably applies to everyone in the family except Maw Maw, whose lucid moments strongly suggest she's read more books than the rest of the family combined.

* BookEnds: "Danny's Song"

-->'''Burt:''' Live with that image the rest of your life, big mouth!\\
'''Jimmy:''' ''(throws up)''
* BuffySpeak: Frequently, and mixed a little with {{Malaproper}}. Burt once described a woman doing Yoga as "Slow Motion Karate," and due to the family's general lack of intelligence, winning arguments necessitated them being more "trickerish... trickerish''er''."

* TheCameo: [[Series/YesDear Jimmy and Christine]] appears as [[spoiler: owners of Burt's and Virginia's sex tape]]. They even mention [[spoiler: Dominic and Logan]]. The previous episode also featured Mr. Savitsky being pitched a script. In another episode [[Series/SonsofAnarchy Filthy Phil]] appears, wearing his kutte.
** Also [[spoiler: Kenny Loggins]] in the series finale.
* CampStraight: Barney.

* CharacterizationMarchesOn: Maw Maw in the first few episodes was a lot more impossible to reason with, oblivious to everything else and her lucid moments being a very rare thing. Afterwards she is more of a straight forward CloudCuckoolander, being able to hold a conversation and going in and out of awareness on a regular basis.

* ChekhovsSkill: In episode three, Maw Maw plays Jenga really well while listening to "[[TheyMightBeGiants Istanbul (Not Constantinople)]]" and later in the episode is able to use that to [[spoiler:rescue Hope from a garage full of stuff Virginia hoarded.]]
** Jimmy's talents in art were shown in the first episode. The first season also has Sabrina taking a creative writing class and really enjoying it. [[spoiler: In the fourth season they get the idea to work on a children's book together, Jimmy drawing the pictures for the story Sabrina writes]].
* ChristmasEpisode: "Toy Story," "Last Christmas," "It's a Hopeful Life" and "The Chance Who Stole Christmas."
* CloudCuckooLander: Maw Maw, justified because of her dementia. She has lucid moments, but they're ''very'' few and far between.
** Frank, one of the employees at the store Jimmy and Sabrina work at.

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Their President's Day celebration includes crowning Jimmy as King of President's Day.
** In "Thrilla in Natesvilla":
--> '''Barney''': You know, if you don't clear the air every once in a while, stuff builds until it ''explodes''. Next thing you know, you're crying in a bubble-bath, listening to Linda Ronstadt, trying to forget the image of your cousin tongue-kissing your now-ex-wife.
--> '''Burt''': That sounds ''awful''. I don't want to listen to Linda Ronstadt.
* ContinuityNod: "Sex, Clown and Videotape" had Burt and Virginia go searching for the sex tape they had mentioned losing in "If A Ham Falls in the Woods".
** In "Sleep Training", a flashback reveals that Jimmy was once approached by door-to-door Mormon missionaries. In "It's a Hopeful Life" Jimmy signs away the rights to the story of how Hope was born for a beach ball, to which Virginia scolds him for answering the door.
--> '''Virginia''': Dammit, Jimmy! We told you not to answer the door anymore after what happened with those Mormons.
** This happens quite a bit. For example, in the pilot episode, Jimmy's cousin joins a cult, and a later episode deals with his polygamous cult marriage. Jimmy mentions being allergic to fruit and in a later episode they reveal he's not (a plot point). And Virginia's rich cousin is mentioned many episodes before she appears. And so on.
* ContinuitySnarl: The show couldn't seem to make up its' mind on whether or not ''My Name is Earl'' was in the same universe or a TV show too- it went back and forth in the same episode!
* CreditsGag: "and introducing Cloris Leachman."

* {{Crossover}}: [[Series/MyNameIsEarl Patty the Daytime Hooker]] appears as a gambling addict counselor in "Gambling Again".
** [[YouLookFamiliar Which brings up quite a few questions]] because Jason Lee, Jaime Pressly, Eddie Steeples, Ethan Suplee, and Gregg Brinkley have all appeared in both shows playing different characters.
*** There has been a poster for a ''My Name is Earl'' movie in one episode. The penultimate episode of season 2 also had a commercial appear for the TV show. Also, in the first episode, after the news report about Lucy being a serial killer, the news anchor begins to do a lighter side story about how "A small-time crook with a long list of wrongs he was making amends for has finally finished, and [[LeftHanging you'll never guess how it ended!]]"
** One with [[spoiler: Series/YesDear]] in the episode "Sex, Clown, and Videotape", where Burt and Virginia find out their sex tape was bought by [[spoiler:Jimmy and Christine]].
* CuteAndPsycho: Lucy.
* DeadpanSnarker: Sabrina, in spades. Virginia falls in there, too.
-->'''Sabrina:''' Nice car seat.
-->'''Jimmy:''' Oh yeah, thanks, it's a used one.
-->'''Sabrina:''' I can see that. Who used it, baby Jesus?
** When lucid, Maw Maw is the biggest one in the show.

* TheDiaperChange: Jimmy and Virginia end up throwing up all over Hope while changing her diaper.
* DidNotDieThatWay: Virginia was raised by her grandmother, Maw Maw. Maw Maw told Virginia that her mother had died doing something with a plastic bag on her head, was attacked by bees, and as a result fell over, hitting her head on a lawn ornament and suffocating. Virginia believed this until she was an adult, when she learned that [[spoiler:her mother simply had not wanted to raise a baby and had left her]].
* DistinguishingMark: Jimmy has a birthmark on his head that looks like Florida... with balls.

* DotingParent: Jimmy.

* DumbBlonde: Lucy. She thought being seven months pregnant would let her get out of being executed[[note]]It didn't.[[/note]]. [[spoiler: And in the season 2 final, after gaining full custody of Hope and Jimmy, she chased Sabrina with a knife, intend on killing her and getting run over by Smoky Floyd's bus[[note]]And even if she hadn't, she might have gotten arrested for attempted murder and lost custody of Hope[[/note]].]]

* EnfantTerrible: In "Killer Hope", the Chances fear Hope [[ItRunsInTheFamily following in]] [[SerialKiller her mother's footsteps]] once she starts retaliating against other kids. Most of the first half of the episode features shots of her venturing into CreepyChild territory.
* EpunymousTitle: ''Raising Hope'' is about raising a baby... named Hope. The original title was ''Keep Hope Alive'' but ''Raising Hope'' was ultimately decided to have more positive upbeat connotations.

* FakingTheDead: [[spoiler: Lucy is revealed to still be alive near the end of season two.]]

* ForgottenChildhoodFriend: Sabrina finds herself at the mercy of one (played by Shannon Woodward's [[IWantYouToMeetAnOldFriendOfMine real life best friend]] KatyPerry, no less) when she's arrested.
** The ending, though, implies [[spoiler: Sabrina never knew her and the guard does that with pretty much everybody.]]
* FriendsRentControl: Justified before the set became a regular location. Jimmy and Sabrina's spacious house was left to Sabrina by her departed grandmother, with the stipulation that she has to be married to live there. This, in turn, sped up their relationship timetable to get married because they would get that bonus, plus much better schools for Hope. It's not quite a mansion but it is much better than two grocery store clerks would be able to afford otherwise. [[note]] Although realistically there is still property tax and inheritance tax they would need to pay, which is why donating such things for poor people to maintain is not always the best thing in the long run.[[/note]]
** Averted by the Chances home, where it's depicted as fairly small, old and run down. The family also works hard to barely have enough to scrape by. It's actually Maw Maw's house and they mooched off her for years before she went senile, so that also eliminates issues like rent (although property tax is still an issue). It's suggested in the first season finale that if they didn't stick around to take care of her they might be able to afford someplace ''better.''
* FunnyBackgroundEvent: Twice in the season three premiere. First, Maw Maw removes the dress off the corpse of Sabrina's granny (played by Tippi Hedren). Later, when it's revealed that Sabrina's mom (Melanie Griffith) had her breast implants made into one of the artworks on the kitchen wall (the one that has two scrambled eggs), Burt starts fondling the artwork, and even puts his face on it.
** The show is actually quite fond of these. In the first season, one episode features this twice.

-->'''Jimmy:''' You're not that short.\\
'''Sabrina:''' Jimmy, I'm wearing five inch heels.\\
'''Jimmy:''' (looks down in surprise) I ''thought'' you looked strangely normal sized.

-->'''Sabrina:'''Wait, do you have some popcorn?\\
'''Virginia:''' Yeah, on the top of that cupboard.\\
(Sabrina starts jumping to try and pick the popcorn bag).\\
'''Virginia:''' (loud) Jimmy, that tall girl you dated in high-school, how was she called?\\
'''Jimmy:''' (after a significant pause, loud) Rachel.\\
'''Virginia:''' (loud) Oh, yeah. Rachel.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Burt's "I'd rather be in Virginia" t-shirt.
** And this exchange:
--> '''Bully''': I got what I really wanted, what I needed the most... a vagina.
*** Yes, the everlonging pervert gets a gender change.

---> ''A Little Beaver marches without fear\\

* GilliganCut: Used in the [[BlackComedy darkest]] way possible: Lucy, pregnant in prison, says to Jimmy, "You know what the best part is? [[KarmaHoudini There's no way they're gonna kill the mother of a six-month old baby.]]" ''Cut to'': [[SubvertedTrope Lucy's execution]].

* GoodParents: Despite all the heckling Virginia and Burt do to Jimmy, they genuinely love him and a few times even they are surprised that they raised a decent son and flashbacks show that they did everything they could to provide Jimmy with a happy loving home. [[spoiler: They also do everything they can to make sure Jimmy's wedding day goes perfectly. Which also means incapacitating a still-alive Lucy.]]
** Jimmy does the same for Hope and Sabrina later joins in to create loving blended family for her.

* GRatedDrug: Maw-Maw's custom candy bars from "Candy Wars"
* GroinAttack: The result of Sabrina catching Wyatt making out with another girl.

* HalloweenEpisode: "Happy Halloween".
* HappilyAdopted: Invoked by Jimmy; after finding out that his parents gave him up for adoption when they were younger, he figures he would have had a better life with them after finding out how successful his former adopted brother live since his adopted parents "tried harder" in parent raising.[[spoiler: Too bad that if he was raised by them, he be just as racist as them]].

* HasTwoMommies: Barney.

* HomePornMovie: Burt and Virginia made one.

* InTheBlood: While (probably) not dangerous, Lucy's mother is delusional, while her father is a sociopathic psychiatrist who married a patient and still treats her.

--> "[[ComicallyMissingThePoint This is just like that movie]] Film/{{Inception}}! I have ''no'' idea what's going on!"

* {{Jerkass}}: Has-been rock star Smokey Floyd. At least until Burt knocks him out and he goes on a celebrity rehab show.
** Virginia's biological father, who made the Chances believe he wasn't around because the people of Natesville were homophobic. Maw-Maw later reveals it had nothing to do with him being gay, but the fact he was egotistical, narcissistic, and generally unpleasant to be around.
** Burt's parents, who refuse to adapt to a less lavish lifestyle after spending all their money on luxuries and [[spoiler: Lie to Burt by telling Burt him he's Jewish just so they can steal his Bat Mitzvah money.]]
* ImStandingRightHere: Burt and Virginia are not at all afraid to talk to other people about Jimmy while he's right there in the room:
--->'''Burt''': We know what it's like to have an ungrateful child.
--->'''Virginia''': And an uncoordinated child. And an underachieving child, but we stuck around.
--->'''Jimmy''': Mom, I'm right here.
--->'''Virginia''': ''And'' a child with an annoying voice.

* KitschyLocalCommercial: The gang has to film a commercial for the store where they work. All of the sample commercials they film have elements of this.

* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: The show is exceptionally self-aware of its own conventions. When Jimmy and Sabrina finally get together in the second season Burt and Virginia discuss [[ShippingBedDeath whether or not their relationship]] will be as interesting as [[DoggedNiceGuy when he was hopelessly pursuing her]], while another has Burt [[spoiler:lamenting Hope's supposedly-excecuted biological mom coming back each year "in some crazy way and messes up our lives again"]] as "getting old."
** When Virginia is showing Natalie some photos in "Poking Holes in the Story" (specifically one from when she gave birth to Jimmy during her prom[[note]]which uses the teenage actors for them[[/note]] and one from four years later[[note]][[DawsonCasting using the actual actors]][[/note]]), this happens:
-->'''Natalie''': [[LampshadeHanging Whoa, you guys aged like, 20 years.]]

** When the excitement of a new baby starts to wear off for Jimmy, Burt remarks that:
-->'''Burt''': Babies are cool till you've done everything there is to do with them, then you get bored. That's why TV shows about babies never last more than a year.
** After revealing that they [[spoiler:temporarily adopted Jimmy out to another family, before having the adoption undone]]:
-->'''Burt''': He took that really well. Should we tell him some of the bigger stuff?
-->'''Virginia''': You mean, like when I realized I'd never have a daughter so I dressed him like a girl for a month? I miss Jamie.
-->'''Burt''': Or when he ate a whole pack of your cigarettes and his heart stopped for a while?
-->''(They share a guilty look.)''
-->'''Virginia''': Nah. Let's not tell him. There's usually a couple of good laughs when he figures these things out on his own.
** When Virginia and Burt go undercover in Amalgamated Kazoo:
-->'''Virginia''': Our ticket into this elite circle is knowing what's goin' on with this [[{{Malaproper}} crystal math]] teacher.
-->'''Burt''': Which one's [[Series/BreakingBad Walt, which one's Jesse]]?
-->'''Maw Maw''': Walt is the school teacher-slash-meth cook, and Jesse is his stoner assistant.
-->''(Everyone gives her a look.)''
-->'''Maw Maw''': What? While you guys are running around town doing silly crap every week, ''I'm'' watching quality television.
** In "Thrilla in Natesvilla":
-->'''Jimmy''': You know who would love to go on a double date? My parents. They're totally free on Tuesdays because their favorite TV show moved to Fridays.
** The entirety of "Dinner With Tropes" plays around with several tropes, including DeadPetSketch (Jimmy and Sabrina), LockedInAFreezer (Virginia) and HappyEnding (Burt). At the end of the episode is the following exchange:
-->'''Virginia''': So, what's everybody up to next week?
-->'''Jimmy''': Not much. [[TheBeard I'm gonna pretend to be Barney's girlfriend while his moms come to visit town]].
-->'''Sabrina''': I gotta go [[BornInAnElevator meet my pregnant friend in an elevator]].
-->'''Virginia''': We couldn't think of anything new to do, so we're just gonna make a family video.
-->'''Burt''': You know, [[ClipShow clip together some of our favorite moments from over the years]].
-->'''Sabrina''': That sounds boring.
-->'''Virginia''': Oh, no, [[VoiceOverClipShow we're gonna talk in between the clips, spice it up a little]].
-->'''Sabrina''': Oh.
-->''(Everyone leaves.)''
-->'''Virginia''': ''(voice over)'' Raising Hope was ''not'' filmed in front a live studio audience.
* {{Malaproper}}: The Chance family use these OnceAnEpisode. Virginia will make a mistake on a word, such as "illusional" when she meant "delusional." Even Burt will join in sometimes, one example: "repulsive shopper."
-->'''Virginia''': Oh no! She's got old-timer's disease!
-->'''Virginia''': Burt, why are you infusiating yourself in other people's lives?
-->'''Virginia''': They never found the Limberger baby, you know.
-->'''Virginia''': Quit your procrasterbating and go talk to him.
-->'''Virginia''': Raising a baby will dramastically change your life.
-->'''Virginia''': If you want to be pigheaded, that's your preroxative.
-->'''Virginia''': That evilness has to be hermeditary
-->'''Virginia''': Our ticket into this elite circle is knowing what's goin' on with this [[Series/BreakingBad crystal math teacher]].
** Lamp-shaded by Sabrina:

* MamaBear: Virginia Chance. Especially when she has a TV at hand.

* MoodWhiplash: And '''HOW'''.
* MoralityChain: [[MeaningfulName There is a reason they called her Hope]]. Having a baby around forced everyone to clean up their act in order to be good parents and grandparents. In the ItsAWonderfulPlot episode Jimmy finds that if he never encountered Lucy ''everything'' is worse, especially that Burt and Virginia are separated.

* MrFanservice: ''Burt.''
** Lampshaded when he gives grace in the ThanksgivingEpisode:

** Abused in "Everybody Flirts...Sometimes" where it's revealed that he uses his good looks and pool boy status to get bonuses

* MusicalEpisode
* MythologyGag: After the news report about Lucy being a boyfriend-killer, the news anchor begins to do a lighter side story about [[Series/MyNameIsEarl "a small-time crook with a long list of wrongs he was making amends for]] has finally finished, and [[LeftHanging you'll never guess how it ended!"]]

** In the season finale, in a flashback, Jim watches one of Ernie Belcher's fetish videos (the one where Joy repeatedly kicks a guy in the groin) from the two-parter "Inside Probe" of ''Series/MyNameIsEarl''.

* NeverMyFault: Jimmy. He blames his parents' for not having a higher education, having a successful career or making his own decision in life. While yes Virginia and Burt's parenting were questionable, they are not entirely at fault for Jimmy current life.

* PapaWolf : Don't insult Burt's family in front of him. Smokey Floyd did, and got a guitar to the back of his head.
* ParentalFavoritism: Burt's family preferred his brother Bruce over him. In a flashback to their childhood, their parents gave Bruce twenty dollars for getting an 'A' on his report card. When Burt says that he got two 'A's, Bruce calls him a jackass "because it also has two 'A's in it", and their parents laugh before dismissively telling Burt to play outside.

* PreviouslyOn: "Deja Vu Man" has the previous 3 seasons recapped by way of a memory jogging song for Maw Maw.
** Something similar was done in "Prodigy" when Shelley sang a song that recapped Season 1 (after she announces that in honor of one the seniors she was looking after dying over the summer, [[ContrivedCoincidence that liked to recap things in song]], she was going to sing a song about everyone there that day).

* PromotionToOpeningTitles: Gregg Brinkley was added to the picture-book opening and the final 'group' drawing with the Chance family and Sabrina starting from the second season. An unusual case occurs with Cloris Leachman, as she appears in the picture-book, both the "See Maw Maw run" page and group drawing at the end, but is uncredited until the season two addition of her "...and introducing Cloris Leachman as Maw Maw" credit. She was always intended to be in the main cast but spent the first season as a Special Guest Star, credited at the ''end'' of the episode, due to contractual issues.
* PutOnABus: Cousin Mike was obviously meant to be a main character and Jimmy's best friend, but he is gone in the second episode, mentioned as joining a {{cult}} with a girl he met.
** TheBusCameBack: "The Cultish Personality".

* RichBitch: [[spoiler: Virginia sees her cousin Delila this way.]]

* [[ScrewPolitenessImASenior Screw Politeness I'm A Senior With Dementia]]: Maw Maw. Regularly walks around [[{{Squick}} without a shirt]].
** In "Hogging All The Glory" she bluntly asks Sabrina "Who the hell are you? And why are you always in our house" lampshading a common complaint by the fandom.
* SecretlyWealthy: [[spoiler: Sabrina]]
* SerialKiller: Lucy, Hope's mother. Was executed in one of the darkest [[GilliganCut Gilligan Cuts]] on TV.

* SharedUniverse: Zig-zagged. We have seen a few characters from ''Series/MyNameIsEarl'' (most prominently one appearance from Patty the daytime hooker) and there are frequent references to other characters and Camden, but there are a few moments that say [[RecursiveCanon the TV show My Name Is Earl]] exists in this world as well. The humor and characters are similar in tone (although this show is slightly more sedated), but it also doesn't help that many of the same actors have [[YouLookFamiliar notable parts in this show]], including a pseudo ReunionShow featuring those characters taking on similar roles to ''Earl''.

* ShoutOut: The opening credits are also a sendup of ''See Spot Run'' books.

** In the Thanksgiving episode, the owner of the store answers his phone with [[Series/HowIMetYourMother "Go for Barney."]]
** Burt's news report on him clobbering Smokey Floyd is [[AutoTuneTheNews auto-tuned and turned into a viral hit.]] There's also a ShoutOut to [[Series/MyNameIsEarl]] when Smokey Floyd calls Barney "Kenny."
** In ''Baby Moniter'', Virginia mentions ''Series/ModernFamily''.
** During "Prodigy" Burt and Virginia note the similarities to an episode of WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy, because Jimmy can only play the piano when he's drunk. Except for the final twist that [[spoiler: his music only sounds good to drunk people]].

** "Squeak Means Squeak" has a character wearing a ''Series/SonsOfAnarchy'' Redwood Original vest. Bonus points since this character was actually played by an actor who was on the show at the time of the episode's original airing.

* ShowWithinAShow [=/=] Parody Names: Oftentimes, real-world shows are parodied through the use of these two tropes. Examples include "Inside Probe" (parody of ''Inside Edition'') and "[[Series/YoGabbaGabba Yo Zappa Do.]]"

* StartOfDarkness: Lucy apparently used to be a doormat girlfriend to a jerk boyfriend. Then Shelly (who worked at the market 5 years ago) tells her she should "Get rid of him." Lucy takes the advice to heart...and later returns to the store to buy a huge quantity of bleach for cleaning up blood.
* StupidStatementDanceMix: Burt's [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome CMOA]] in "Burt Rocks" is made into one. He loves it.

* ThanksgivingEpisode: "Meet the Grandparents".
** "Candy Wars".
* TakeThat: A minor one; in "Dead Tooth", Jimmy and Shelley rent "[[DeuceBigalow Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo]]". It's covered in enough dust that Sabrina blows it off.
** In ''Yo Zappa Do (Part 2)'', Burt kicks the groin of a NBC representative for cancelling ''Series/MyNameIsEarl.''
* ThoroughlyMistakenIdentity: Maw Maw occasionally thinks Jimmy's her dead husband, to hilariously {{squick}}y effect.
* ThoseTwoGuys: Jimmy's two friends.
* TooDumbToLive: Maw Maw told Virginia that her daughter and Virginia's mother died when, while trying to get honey out of a beehive, she put a plastic bag over her head (to protect herself from the bees) and subsequently suffocated, fell off the ladder, and bashed her head against a porcelain duck. [[spoiler:It later turns out Virginia's mother is actually alive, and this was just a cover story (based on one she read about in ''Reader's Digest'') that Maw Maw told Virginia to spare her the truth that her mother didn't want her and abandoned her because she just wanted to have fun.]]

* TookALevelInDumbass: As evidence that TropesAreNotBad, this happens to Sabrina. Earlier episodes she was a smart, quick-witted, sarcastic but friendly girl who was there to comment on Jimmy's situation. By the end of the first season she showed some neurosis and having panic attacks that made her more prone to mistakes and odd behavior, making her more of a RoundedCharacter.
* TurnOutLikeHisFather: In "Killer Hope" Burt and Virginia get worried that Hope will turn out like her mother (a serial killer) when she hits a kid at daycare.

* {{Tsundere}}: Virginia's an A-type with a capital A. She's simultaneously responsible for half of the show's [[DeadpanSnarker dry]] [[BrutalHonesty humor]], as well as half of it's HeartwarmingMoments.

* UnrequitedLoveSwitcheroo: Since meeting her in the first episode of the series, Jimmy has harbored feelings for Sabrina, who has a boyfriend. But in the WholeEpisodeFlashback season finale it was shown that Sabrina was an awkward, but {{Adorkable}}, girl with braces who pined after Jimmy when he was going through his {{Goth}} phase. There was even a bit of of DramaticIrony at the end of the episode thrown in for good measure.

* WhamEpisode: At the end of "Inside Probe", [[spoiler: Lucy turns out to be alive.]]

* WholeEpisodeFlashback: "Don't Vote for this Episode" showed what the characters were doing 5 years ago: The Chances had just been tossed out by Maw-Maw, Jimmy was going through a goth phase, Sabrina was a braces-wearing geek with a huge crush on goth Jimmy, Barney was a fatty, Shelly worked at the market, and Lucy was dating the first of her boyfriends/victims.

* WorldOfNoGrandparents: Inverted, as the Chance family seem to have kids young, Virginia actually lives with her grandmother ''and'' granddaughter.
** Taken even farther when we find out Maw-Maw's mom is still alive. At the ripe old age of ''104''. [[spoiler:Though she does croak in the same episode.]]

* YouMonster: Jimmy takes the revelation that his father was the masked man who had been scaring him every Halloween since he was a kid (so he could get hugs when Jimmy eventually made his way home) very badly, [[spoiler:and again when he finds out that he staged dropping Hope off at the fire station.]]
** [[spoiler:To be fair, Burt just wanted a hug]]

** One with [[spoiler: YesDear]] in the episode "Sex, Clown, and Videotape", where Burt and Virginia find out their sex tape was bought by [[spoiler:Jimmy and Christine]].

** When Virginia is showing Natalie some photos in "Poking Holes in the Story" (specifically one from when she gave birth to Jimmy during her prom[[note]]which uses the teenage actors for them[[/note]] and one from four years later[[note]][[DawsonCasting using the actual actors[[/note]]), this happens:

* {{Jerkass}}: Has-been rock star Smokey Floyd.

*** Burt's parents, who refuse to adapt to a less lavish lifestyle after spending all their money on luxuries and [[spoiler: Lie to Burt by telling Burt him he's Jewish just so they can steal his Bat Mitzvah money.]]

* CampStraight: Barney, to the EXTREME.

* ChristmasEpisode: "Toy Story".
** "Last Christmas".