Everybody Hates Chris

This article is about the TV show. For the Ludacris song of the same name, see Theater of the Mind.

Everybody Hates Chris
File:Everybody hates chris cast.jpg The cast of Everybody Hates Chris in 2005. From left to right: Tonya, Drew, Greg, Chris, Rochelle, Julius
Genre	Sitcom
Created by	Chris Rock Ali LeRoi
Developed by	Chris Rock Ali LeRoi
Creative director	Andrew Orenstein
Starring	Tyler James Williams Terry Crews Tichina Arnold Tequan Richmond Imani Hakim Vincent Martella
Narrated by	Chris Rock
Theme music composer	Marcus Miller
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	88 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Chris Rock Ali LeRoi
Producer	Adrienne Carter
Production location	Paramount Television
Cinematography	Mark Doering-Powell
Editor	Earl Watson
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	approx. 20 minutes per episode
Original release
Network	UPN (2005–2006) The CW (2006–2009)
Release	September 22, 2005 – May 8, 2009

Everybody Hates Chris (EHC) is an American sitcom inspired by the teenage experiences of comedian Chris Rock (who is also the narrator), while growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York in the early-mid 1980s. The title of the show parodies the CBS show Everybody Loves Raymond. Rock stated "Everybody Loves Raymond but everybody hates Chris!"

In fall 2008, the The CW Television Network moved its sole two African-American shows--EHC and The Game to the Friday night death slot. The fourth season of EHC premiered Friday October 3, 2008, at 8pm.

This was the last sitcom from either the UPN or The WB networks to have aired.

EHC is the first TV show to be available for free preview on Google Video.

In the fall of 2009, syndicated reruns of Everybody Hates Chris will start airing daily on the Viacom-owned cable television channel, Nick at Nite.

The show takes place 22 years earlier before the current date (except in the first season, set in 1982–1983 was 23 years earlier).

Background

The show is produced by CBS Paramount Television and was broadcast on the The CW, features fictional characters and situations loosely based on real people and situations. Unlike other CW sitcoms at the time of its debut, Everybody Hates Chris is shot using a single camera with no studio audience laugh track.

On September 22, 2005, the series' premiere achieved higher ratings than NBC's season premiere of Joey, giving UPN, its third highest rating in history. With seven million viewers, it was fourth highest-rated program at the 8 p.m. ET time slot.

With the recent cancellation of Girlfriends and the WWE's decision to move SmackDown to MyNetworkTV in the fall of 2008, Everybody Hates Chris, along with America's Next Top Model, will be the last running television programs to have aired both on UPN and on the CW. The show's first season began just before the merger between UPN and The WB, leading to the CW. Chris Rock announced that he is ending the show after four seasons, considering that the show has not been picked up for a fifth.

In fall 2008, the The CW Television Network moved its sole two African-American shows--EHC and The Game to the Friday night death slot. The fourth season of EHC premiered Friday October 3, 2008 at 8:00PM Eastern/7:00PM Central.

Production wrapped up for Everybody Hates Chris at the end of the fourth season, with a final scene that spoofed the the final scene of The Sopranos.

Plot summary

Main article: List of Everybody Hates Chris episodes

The show revolves around the everyday life of Chris, who is a 12 year-old seventh grade student in the series' first episode. Chris is just an average boy (and one of the few 'normal' characters on the show), surrounded by a collection of crazy characters that, in his point of view, act as if they dislike him. Chris attends an all-Caucasian school where students and teachers alike pick on him, and lives in a low-income community. Similar to Wile E. Coyote, if events progress favorably for Chris throughout an episode, they will almost certainly backfire on him by the end. Likewise, if a situation isn't going Chris' way, it always manages to get even worse for him, whether or not he tries to change the course of events.

The guest characters on the show all seem to detest Chris for some unknown reason. In fact, comedian Chris Rock, upon whose early life the show is based, made a guest appearance as the guidance counselor, Mr. Abbott, who also disliked 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 one character named Kris (Richard Lewis), who was injured and in hospital.

In the third season finale, Chris graduates from Corleone Junior High School, but his joy is cut short when his best friend Greg moves to a new school -- Chris quickly hatches a plan to go to Greg's high school. Greg ends up having to go to Chris' high school anyway.

When Chris goes home, things don't get any easier because his bizarre family life presents its own set of problems. Being a nostalgic type show complete with voice over narration, The show is often comparable to The Wonder Years as well as 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 was set in 1985–1986. For the fourth season, the series is set 1986–1987.

Cast and characters

Main article: Everybody Hates Chris cast and characters

Main

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

• Chris (Tyler James Williams), the main character
• Drew (Tequan Richmond), younger brother of Chris
• Julius (Terry Crews), father of Chris
• Rochelle (Tichina Arnold), mother of Chris
• Tonya (Imani Hakim), younger sister of Chris
• Greg Wuliger (Vincent Martella), the best friend of Chris

Supporting

• Doc (Antonio Fargas), the local grocery store owner, who first appeared late in Season 1
• Jerome (Kevontay Jackson), a gangster in the neighborhood who always asks Chris (whom he refers to as "little dude from across the street") for a dollar whenever they see each other. In a christmas-themed episode when Chris gave him a card with $1,000 in it, Jerome decides to let Chris "hold a dollar" for a change.
• Joey Caruso (Travis T. Flory), the school bully who routinely picks on Chris because of his race. He also picks on Greg every now and then.
• Mr. Omar (Ernest Thomas), a funeral director, who lives above Chris and his family from early in the second season
• Ms. Morello (Jacqueline Mazarella), Chris' naively racist teacher who is now principal of Tattaglia
• Principal Edwards (Jason Alexander), the new principal of Corleone
• Tasha (Paige Hurd), next door neighbor of Chris who recently dated and dumped him & has not made any further appearances on the show
• Vanessa (Jackée Harry), Rochelle's best friend, appeared in one Season 1 episode and most episodes from Season 2 on
• Preacher (LaVan Davis), the owner of the nightclub; appeared early in Season 1
• Monk (Todd Bridges), works at Doc's store is his nephew, and is very militant.
• Caramel (Cheyenne Haynes) the lame
• Malvo (Ricky Harris), terrifying bearded neighborhood gangster with whom Chris has several run-ins, but eventually befriends.

Reception

Reviews for the show are generally positive.

EHC won an NAACP Image Award for its writing in 2008. It has also been nominated for Golden Globe and Emmy Awards.

In Dec 2008, Entertainment Weekly lists the Kwanzaa episode from this show as seventh on the magazine's "Must List: 10 Holiday Things We Love" .

Awards and nominations

Awards	Outcome
Emmy Awards:
Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series	Nominated
Outstanding Costumes for a Series	Nominated
Golden Globe Awards:
Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy	Nominated
Image Award:
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series	Won
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series (Tyler James Williams)	Nominated
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series (Tichina Arnold)	Nominated
Outstanding Comedy Series	Nominated
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series (Ali Leroi)	Nominated
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series	Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Terry Crews)	Nominated
Golden Reel Award:
Best Sound Editing in Television Short Form - Dialogue and Automated Dialogue Replacement	Nominated
Best Sound Editing in Television Short Form - Music	Nominated
People's Choice Award:
Favorite New Television Comedy	Nominated
Satellite Awards:
Best Television Series, Comedy or Musical	Nominated
Teen Choice Awards:
Award TV - Choice Actor: Comedy	Nominated
Award TV - Choice Actress: Comedy	Nominated
TV - Choice Breakout Show	Nominated
TV - Choice Comedy/Musical Show	Nominated
TV - Choice Parental Unit	Nominated
TV - Choice Sidekick	Nominated
TCA Award:
Outstanding Achievement in Comedy	Nominated
Outstanding New Program of the Year	Nominated
WGA Award:
New Series	Nominated
Young Artist Award:
Best Performance in a TV Series - Leading Young Actor	Nominated
Best Performance in a TV Series - Supporting Young Actor	Nominated
Best Family Television Series (Comedy)	Won
Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) - Leading Young Actor	Nominated
Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy) - Supporting Young Actor	Nominated

U.S. broadcast history

UPN

• September 2005 – May 2006: Thursdays 8:00pm/7:00pm

The CW

• October 2006-October 2006: Sundays 7:00pm/6:00pm
• October 2006 — March 2008: Mondays 8:00pm/7:00pm
• March 2008 - May 2008: Sundays 8:00pm/7:00pm
• October 2008 -Fridays 8:00pm/7:00pm
• December 2008- Sundays 5:00pm/4:00pm (Repeats)

Reruns

According, to TV Guide, it has been confirmed that Nick at Nite had bought the rights to the show, and that the network will begin airing syndicated reruns in the fall of 2009 .

International broadcast history

Everybody Hates Chris is broadcast on the following stations (and many others) around the world:

Region	Network(s)	Regional Title
Australia	Network Ten / Ten HD	Everybody Hates Chris
Belgium	VT4
Brazil	Sony Entertainment Television / Rede Record	Todo Mundo Odeia o Chris
Canada	Citytv	Everybody Hates Chris
Croatia	Nova TV	Svi Mrze Chrisa
Denmark	TV 2 Zulu	Everybody Hates Chris
Ecuador	Sony
Finland	Nelonen	Lapsuuteni Luuserina
France	M6	Tout le Monde Déteste Chris
Germany	ProSieben	Alle Hassen Chris
Hong Kong	TVB Pearl	阿傑出少年
India	Zee Cafe
Ireland	TV3 Ireland
Israel	Bip
Italy	Comedy Central Italy	Tutti Odiano Chris
Jamaica		Everybody hate Chris
Latin America	Sony
México	TV Azteca	Todos odian a Chris
Montenegro	TV IN
Netherlands	Veronica
New Zealand	C4
Norway	TV2 Norway	Alle Hater Chris
Philippines	Jack TV
Poland	Comedy Central Polska	Wszyscy nienawidzą Chrisa
Portugal	RTP2 / FOX	Todos Contra o Chris
Russia	Кураж-Бамбей.ru	Все Ненавидят Криса
Serbia	Fox televizija	Svi Mrze Krisa
South Africa	SABC 1
Spain	Cuatro	Todo el Mundo Odia a Chris
Sweden		Everybody Hates Chris
Turkey	ComedyMax
United Kingdom	Comedy Central / Fiver / Five / MTV Base / MTV One	Everybody Hates Chris
Venezuela	RCTV

External links

• Everybody Hates Chris at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com show