Everybody Hates Chris

Everybody Hates Chris
Created by	Ali LeRoi Chris Rock
Developed by	Chris Rock Ali LeRoi
Starring	Tyler James Williams Terry Crews Tichina Arnold Tequan Richmond Imani Hakim Vincent Martella
Narrated by	Chris Rock
Country of origin
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	54 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer	Chris Rock
Camera setup	Single camera
Running time	22 min.
Original release
Network	UPN (2005–2006) The CW (2006—)
Release	September 22, 2005 – present

Everybody Hates Chris is a sitcom broadcast on the CW Network, featuring fictional characters and situations broadly based on real people and situations. It is inspired by the teenage experiences of comedian Chris Rock (who narrates the show), while growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. The title of the show parodies the title of another well-known program, Everybody Loves Raymond. Unlike other CW sitcoms, Everybody Hates Chris does not use a studio audience laugh track. The series is also shot using a single camera.

On September 22, 2005, the series' premiere achieved higher ratings than NBC's season premiere of Joey, giving UPN, its original network, its third highest rating in history. With seven million viewers, it was fourth highest-rated program at the 8 p.m. ET time slot. It is also the first TV show to be available for free preview on Google Video.

Everybody Hates Chris won an NAACP Award for "Outstanding Comedy Series." Due to the show's popular and critical success, the CW network gave the show an early full-season renewal for 2007–08, its 3rd season. The 3rd season of Everybody Hates Chris premiered on Monday, October 1, 2007. The show currently airs on Monday nights at 8:00/7:00c on The CW Television Network, however on February 10, 2008 it will move to Sunday nights at 8:00/7:00c. Despite the 2007 Writers' Strike, Everybody Hates Chris will have a full twenty-two episode season for 2007-08 because of early production.

It is shown on Five, Five US and Paramount Comedy in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Cast

While the fictional family is loosely based on that of the real-life Chris Rock, its surname has not been revealed.

• Tichina Arnold as Rochelle, the very censorious, strict, sassy and frantic mother. Rochelle often displays those characteristics in amusing or wacky ways. For instance, Rochelle once tenderly resolved a conflict between Drew and Tonya. Immediately afterwards, she took off her belt and instructed them both to "take it upstairs." Rochelle's funny side is also displayed while acting intimidatingly. For example, she makes exaggerated threats of physical punishment, such as telling Chris how she'll slap him into another nationality if he ever lies to her (Chris once fearfully imagined his mother going through with this action). Among her antics, Rochelle cares too much about what others think, has a different noticeable facial expression for everything, sings terribly, obsesses over Turtle chocolates, recommends Robitussin for every ailment, and always makes sure her children aren't making babies--for her to raise anyway.

• Terry Crews as Julius, the caring, easygoing, levelheaded, but very worrywart, penurious father. Julius has two jobs as a newspaper delivery man and the landlord of the apartment he and his family live in. As a result of being extra worried, mostly over spending too much money, Julius' behavior becomes particularly inconsiderate of his family, frequently to the point of him appearing ridiculous. One example of this is Julius' forcing of his family members to stop using certain devices that require electricity. Though Julius does things that put his family through a great deal of hardship, he does it to protect them financially. Julius once got yet another job as a fisherman, at the same time forcing his family to put up with a terrible stench he brought home as a result of that job. However, Julius' quirky tightfisted behavior is not limited towards just his loved ones, but towards complete strangers as well. Once he worked as a department store santa and frightened a bunch of kids when they asked for expensive gifts.

• Tyler James Williams as Chris, the protagonist and the ambitious, innocent, normal, but hapless, scapegoat, vulnerable eldest child. He wishes he were cool, handsome, talented, popular, or anything positive. Regardless of whether Chris possesses any of these traits, he's certainly never treated as if he does, but often as if he doesn't. As a few examples, Chris is bullied at school, tortured by his sister, shown up by his brother, victimized by the racist teaching staff, gets his money stolen by neighborhood thugs, underpaid at work, receives tough love from his "ghetto-snobbish" mother, and distressing treatment from his cheap father. Next to all this, Chris is always the butt of the last jokes on each show.

• Tequan Richmond as Drew, the middle child that seems like a class-act and the role-model compared to Chris in particular, despite being younger than him. In fact, Drew can effortlessly attract all the girls that Chris has crushes on, but can't get. Drew is mischievous, as well as cool and talented compared to Chris. Whenever Chris gets in trouble, Drew's always there to let Chris know just how deep in trouble he's in. Drew is often at odds with his sister, Tonya. In one episode, it was pointed out by Chris Rock's narration, that the Drew character hadn't got any lines throughout that entire episode.

• Imani Hakim as Tonya, the daughter and antagonist of her older brothers. As the youngest and the only daughter, she is able to get anything out of her father. Tonya sometimes gets away with murder while getting her brothers in trouble, by tattling on them. Despite this, she gets what she deserves half the time.

• Vincent Martella as Greg Wuliger, the white, nerdy best friend of Chris, who's usually giving Chris advice. If there's one person who is there for Chris, or at least there to suffer and get bullied with Chris, it's Greg. That is, when he hasn't turned around, tucked his tail, and ran away before Chris knows what hit him. Greg gets bullied almost as much as Chris does.

• Chris Rock as The Narrator (voice), an older Chris looking back at his youth, like that of The Wonder Years. His narration is usually the opposite of what his younger self says.

Recurring characters

Bedford-Stuyvesant residents

• Mike Estime as Risky, a black market dealer who sells items that are always faulty or stolen. He also once had a job as a paper boy.
• Antonio Fargas as Mr. Harris (a.k.a. "Doc"), the local grocery store owner.
• Todd Bridges as Monk, Mr. Harris' nephew, who also works at the grocery. Monk used to be part of the military.
• Kevontay Jackson as Jerome, a predatory older teenager in the neighborhood, who robs small kids, like Chris, on the block. His catchphrase is, "Hey! Little dude from across the street, lemme hold a dollar."
• Ernest Thomas as Mr. Omar, a funeral director, who lives above Chris and his family. He is seen with a different newly widowed woman for almost every appearance he makes. He claims to be just consoling these attractive women in their time of grief, though it seems very much as if he's trying to get close to them for purely sexual reasons.
• Ricky Harris as Malvo, a petty criminal who robs Chris at Doc's and threatens to kill him if he identifies him. Later, after he gets out of jail, he forces Chris to chain-snatch a gold medallion.
• Myzel Robinson as Fat Mike, who protects Chris from local thugs and makes friends with him.
• Whoopi Goldberg as Louise Clarkson, the antagonistic neighbor, who insults Chris and infuriates Rochelle.
• Paige Hurd as Tasha, Louise's granddaughter. She lives with her grandmother and sees Chris frequently. According to Chris, she is the only girl who doesn't hate him.
• Jeris Lee Poindexter as Edgar Devereaux a.k.a. Kill Moves, an insane crackhead. He was once an air traffic controller and once taught Drew some karate moves at the laundromat.
• Jackée Harry as Vanessa, Rochelle's bubbly, wisecracking girlfriend and one of the gossipy workers at the local beauty salon.
• Tasia Sherel as Pam, another of Rochelle's girlfriends at the local beauty salon.

Corleone Junior High/High School staff and students

• Travis T. Flory as Joey Caruso, the racist school bully who routinely picks on Chris.
• Jacqueline Mazarella as Ms. Morello, Chris' naively racist teacher. In an effort to be sweet, kind, and supportive, she unintentionally comes off as racist against African Americans. In some episodes however, it seems as if she's deliberately being racist against African Americans and just making it appear as if it's a mistake.
• Lynda Scarlino as Mrs. Milone, the elderly school monitor. She's often seen disciplining someone. Her way of "hating" Chris, is that she disciplines Chris even when he hasn't done anything wrong.
• Jason Alexander as Principal Edwards, the eccentric new principal of Corleone, who tricks Chris into confronting Caruso, and in a later episode, is stuck indoors with Chris during a snowstorm.
• Sam Mandel as Fisher, who helps forge Chris's report card. He later helps Chris retrieve Chris's father's Playboy magazine from Mrs. Milone.
• Chris Rock as Mr. Abbott, an unhelpful school guidance counselor, with a strange speaking manner. Mr. Abbott has anything but good news for Chris. He even informed Chris how he would have to take "remedial classes." It comes to a point where Rochelle ends up having to come up to the school to have a talk with Mr. Abbott, as she wasn't impressed by his "guiding", making that known in her humorous manner.
• Kwame Boateng as Albert, the new black kid at Corleone who befriends Chris, which makes Greg jealous.

Former recurring characters

• Jude Ciccolella as Dr. Julius Raymond, the former principal at Corleone Junior High.
• Keesha Sharp as Sheila Ridenhour, the family's neighbor and a good friend of Rochelle's. Julius usually feels uncomfortable around her because she's an attractive woman who is attracted to him, which Rochelle does not know about.
• Aree Davis as Keisha Ridenhour, Sheila's daughter and Chris's dream girl, who unfortunately fancies Chris' younger brother Drew. In Season 2, Keisha moved away to Compton.

Memorable guest stars

Chris's extended family

Just as wacky and memorable as Chris's immediate family, they turned up in the episode "Everybody Hates Funerals". However, Mike and Maxine have been the only family members to appear in more than one episode

• Jimmie Walker as Gene, Rochelle's father, who dies of a heart attack at the dinner table on his first appearance on the show. However, he reappears to comfort Rochelle as a ghost later on in the same episode. Gene reappeared in flashbacks in "Everybody Hates Gambling", where Rochelle says that Gene gambled on just about anything
• Loretta Devine as Maxine, Rochelle's soft-spoken, helpful, sometimes very troublesome mother. She and Rochelle don't always get along because she's critical of Rochelle and likes to take over, which Rochelle doesn't take well at all. She also caused chaos when she visited for her husband's funeral. In a later episode Rochelle tries to set her up with a date, but it didn't go well. Maxine is also a mathematician and taught Rochelle everything she knows about math and helped out Chris with his math. It was said on one episode in particular, that she's an even bigger "ghetto snob" than Rochelle.
• Monica Calhoun as Aunt Charlotte "Grievey", one of Rochelle's sisters who only appears at funerals and cries a lot.
• Ikonastarr as Aunt Mousey, another one of Rochelle's sisters who is so named because she talks like a mouse and only speaks when spoken to.
• Wayne Brady as Uncle Louis, Julius' successful, highly skilled, and charismatic younger brother, of whom Julius is very jealous.
• Earthquake as Uncle Mike, Rochelle's lazy, freeloading, and obnoxious older brother. He knows how to get on Julius' bad side, such as by roaming about the house in Julius' clothes or giving him out-dated tickets to sports games.

Others

• Gary Basaraba as Art Wulliger, Greg's divorced father who never lets him have friends over.
• Orlando Jones as Mr. Newton, the substitute teacher, who's exacting towards Chris, and Chris only, because he wants him to get A's.
• DJ Quik as Hilton "Hilly Hill" Reed, the DJ, who takes over Chris's DJing duties at a party.
• Richard Lewis as Kris, a mysterious man whom Chris befriends at the hospital.
• Michael Spellman as Magician the Magician, a magician who once scared Julius with a rabbit.
• Christina DeRosa as Trixie, a young, tough New York stripper that Chris falls for.
• Vincent Pastore as Paulie, a bookie who threatens "Chrissy the Black" unless Doc loses a basketball game.
• Robert Wuhl as Abe, a pawnbroker who gives Chris everything he needs to be a DJ.
• Phylicia Rashād as Kathleen Devereaux, Kill Moves' estranged mother whom Chris helps him find.
• Tommy Davidson as Eddie, a bank robber whom Julius takes to Las Vegas while working as a cab driver despite his initial reluctance to do so.

Guest stars

Chris Rock and Ali Leroi, the creators of Everybody Hates Chris, cast celebrities from popular television programs to play Chris's extended family and citizens: Jackée Harry, who was better know for playing Sandra Clark on 227, but quite well known for playing Lisa Landry on Sister Sister was cast as Vanessa, the hair stylist at the local beauty salon, Ernest Lee Thomas (What's Happening!!) was cast Mr. Omar, the local funeral director, who Julius and Rochelle rent their upstairs apartment to appeared during Season 2.

Also cast was Loretta Devine of Dreamgirls was cast as Maxine, Chris's grandmother and Rochelle's "happy-go-lucky" mother. Jimmie Walker (best known for his role as J. J. Evans on the sitcom Good Times) played Gene, Rochelle's father. Monica Calhoun was cast as Aunt Charlotte, who cries a lot during funerals and Antonio Fargas was cast as Doc, the neighborhood store owner, who appeared late Season 1. Though not given an exact date, it was reported that Moesha’s Shar Jackson will appear on an upcoming episode of Everybody Hates Chris. *Lauren London was also a guest star on *Everybody Hates Chris. Todd Bridges, better known for playing Willis Jackson on the famous 1970s sitcom, Diff'rent Strokes, played Monk (a.k.a. Jimmy), Doc's nephew, Bridges however appeared in the latter of season one and appeared regularly in season two and three.

Keesha Sharp, who is better known for playing Monica, on Girlfriends, played the family's next door neighbor, Sheila Ridenhour, a single mother, whom Julius was attracted to and befriended Rochelle. Sharp however left after nine episodes to be full-time part of the series' cast of the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 seasons of "Girlfriends" as recurring character, Monica. Aree Davis appeared as Keisha Ridenhour, Sheila's daughter, who Chris had a crush on in season 1, moves to Compton in the second season premiere.

Whether these guest stars will reappear on the show is unknown.

Plot summary

The show is surrounded around the everyday life of Chris, who currently is a 15 year-old ninth grader. Chris is actually just an average kid and the most normal character on the show, surrounded around a bunch of crazy characters that act as if they "hate" him however, Chris attends an all-white school with not only students who pick on him, but teachers as well. Chris also lives in a dangerous neighborhood where he can easily get himself in trouble and get his belongings stolen. Like that of Wile E. Coyote--if things are going Chris' way throughout an episode as favorably as could be, they'll find a way to backfire on him during the episode (often by the end). Things could backfire gradually or just like that and it doesn't always even make sense. If things aren't going Chris' way and whether he's trying to change that or not, things always manage to get worse for him.

Guest characters on the show all seem to have it out for Chris, for some unknown reason. Examples include Mr. Newton (Orlando Jones), who was harder on Chris than the rest of his students because he wanted to see him succeed despite his disadvantages. Another example includes Principal Edwards (Jason Alexander), who also seemed to have it out for Chris. It appeared as though he had some sort of a lesson for Chris throughout his appearance on one episode. That is until it was revealed by the end of the episode, that he too was just messing with Chris. In fact, comedian Chris Rock, who the show is based on, made a guest appearance as the school's guidance counselor, Mr. Abbot. Mr. Abbot also seemed to dislike Chris and unhelpfully focused on how Chris was in trouble academically. Even the warmest of guest characters have some inexplicable dislike of Chris, such as the guest character, also named Kris (Richard Lewis). Kris was an injured man in the hospital. When Chris goes home, things don't get any easier because, to further complicate his life, are his distressing family members. The show is comparable to both Wonder Years and Malcolm In The Middle.

During the series' run, Everybody Hates Chris was set in different time periods throughout the 1980s. The first season was set in 1982-1983. The second season was set in 1984-1985. The third season is set in 1985-1986.

Motifs

• Much like the comedy series Family Guy and Scrubs, Everybody Hates Chris will often make a joke, then cut to a clip that enacts what was said—whether it be a hypothetical situation, or an exaggeration of a situation the family is said to have experienced in the past.
• Each episode title begins with "Everybody Hates" (with the exception of the pilot, which also had a different opening theme).
• Every episode ends with the words "Everybody Hates Chris," heard in song. This also happend in season 1 when the second commercial break started.
• The show has a Cold Open-2 Act format, with varying ABC(D) storylines.
• Jokes about race relations almost always occur when Chris is in school.

Running gags

Although an episodic sitcom, in which characters' situations change from episode to episode, there are several character tendencies, thematic elements, and sayings that continue throughout the series. These include:

• Drew, Chris's younger brother, is taller and looks much older than Chris does. In real life this still occurs, as Tyler is 4 days older than Tequan.
• Whenever Uncle Mike refers to Julius, he will yell "BIG MAAAAN!!!"
• Whenever Vanessa visits, she and Rochelle are usually excited in their wild fashion about something, often tickets to concerts.
• Julius, being very frugal, will always know the exact monetary value of anything he feels is being wasted by the family.
• Robitussin is the cure for every—and any—family injury or illness, according to Rochelle. This is a reference to a joke Chris used during his Bigger & Blacker comedy special.
• Rochelle is always making sure that no one thinks of her or her family as poor (an example quote: "Girl, whatchoo talkin' 'bout food stamps? Who's sellin' food stamps? I ain't sellin' no food stamps!"), yet she judges everyone else because she is a "ghetto snob."
• Chris and Greg are obsessed with the movie Rocky and its sequels, referring to it often in several episodes.
• Rochelle uses a range of vibrant and colorful threats. (such as "I'll slap the caps off your knees!" "I'll slap you into another nationality!" "I'll stick my foot so far up your behind, you'll have toes for teeth!")
• Whenever Chris is in trouble, especially with Caruso, Greg runs away.
• Whenever a girl talks to Chris, Greg always tells him "You are so in there."
• Whenever Rochelle leaves a job, her last words before actually going are always "I don't need this. My man has two jobs."
• Rochelle loves Turtles, a chocolate pecan candy.
• Tonya never resists the opportunity to get her brothers into trouble.
• Julius and other characters buy various items from Risky that are always faulty (and implied to be stolen).
• Jerome essentially robs Chris and other neighborhood kids by saying "Lemme hold a dollar."
• When Risky appears, there is always a whisper of someone in the background saying "Riskay"
• When Chris is asked a yes-or-no question in the context of the episode, the narrating Chris (as an adult) usually says the opposite answer of his younger self.
• Chris falling onto, getting hit by (not seriously), or climbing onto the same car for any reason, and the same man leaning out and telling him, "Get off of my car, fool!"

Awards and nominations

2006 Golden Globe Awards

• Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy (nominated)

2006 NAACP Image Awards

• Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series — Tyler James Williams (Won)
• Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series — Tichina Arnold (Won)
• Outstanding Comedy Series (Won)
• Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series — Ken Whittingham (nominated)
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series — Terry Crews (nominated)

2006 Writers Guild of America

• New Series, Television — Aron Abrams, Rodney Barnes, Chris Rock (nominated)

2007 AFI Awards

Episode list

Main article: List of Everybody Hates Chris episodes

Season	Ep #	First Airdate	Last Airdate
Season 1	22	September 22, 2005	May 11, 2006
Season 2	22	October 1, 2006	May 14, 2007
Season 3	22	October 1, 2007	May, 2008

DVD releases

Season	Episodes	Discs	DVD release date
			Region 1	Region 2	Region 4
1	22	4	USA: October 10, 2006	UK: August 30, 2007 [1]	AUS: August 16, 2007
Commentaries by the cast and crew, Everybody hates the making of Everybody hates Chris, Everybody hates the set, Everybody hates video cameras, bloopers, deleted scenes, cast auditions. Some of the music found in the show has been replaced by alternate songs and/or covers of the songs in the DVD release. This is mentioned on the back of the DVD packaging and is due to copyright issues, which has affected many DVD releases of television shows.
Season	Episodes	Discs	DVD release date
			Region 1	Region 2	Region 4
2	22	4	USA: October 9, 2007	UK:	AUS:
Everybody hates the cast and crew again, Everybody hates a day in the life of Tyler James Williams, Everybody hates Mr. Omar's women, Everybody hates Vincent's school tour, Everybody hates stand-ins, Everybody hates Caruse-isms, Everybody hates Mrs. Marello's racism, Everybody hates wardrobe, and a gag reel.

U.S. broadcast history

• September 2005 – May 2006: Thursdays 8:00pm/7:00pm
• September 2006: Sundays 7:00pm/6:00pm
• October 2006 — : Mondays 8:00pm/7:00pm

• 2005-2006 season, #120 4.3million avg.
• 2006-2007 season, #137 2.7million avg.

External links

• Everybody Hates Chris at The CW
• Everybody Hates Chris at IMDb
• Tyler James Williams interview