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The Riches

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The Riches
GenreSerial drama
Created byDmitry Lipkin
Starring
Theme music composerToby Chu
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes20 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
ProducersPaul Kurta
Sara E. Morrow
Production locationsMarrero, LA
New Orleans, LA
Santa Clarita, CA
Camera setupSingle-camera setup
Running time
  • 59 minutes (pilot)
  • 45–50 (Season 1)
  • 40–45 (Season 2)
Production companiesMaverick Television
Fox Television Studios
FX Productions
Original release
NetworkFX
ReleaseMarch 12, 2007 (2007-03-12) –
April 29, 2008 (2008-04-29)

The Riches (styled as the Ri¢hes) is an American television drama which was originally broadcast from March 12, 2007 to April 29, 2008 on FX. The series stars Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver as members of a family of Irish Travellers who "steal the American dream" by stealing the home and identities of a wealthy dead couple. The series received positive reviews but was cancelled after two seasons.

History

Originally named Low Life, the show was created and head written by Dmitry Lipkin for Maverick Films and FX Networks. The one-hour pilot was written by Lipkin and Eddie Izzard, and directed by Carl Franklin. The pilot was then rethought and reshot over 10 days by Peter O'Fallon. It first aired on March 12, 2007, followed by a further 12 episodes.[1] Additionally, the first two episodes were made available on the Internet prior to their television air dates. FX announced on May 8, 2007, that The Riches would return for a second season,[2] the first episode of which aired on March 18, 2008.[3] The second season ran for 7 episodes. FX President John Landgraf described The Riches as a "family show", albeit one featuring "a family unlike any television viewers have seen before".[4]

The second season was affected by the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike and was abruptly cut short.[5] Several months after the season ended, the show was cancelled,[6][7] with FX blaming a drop in ratings.[8] In 2019, Minnie Driver lamented the cancellation, and wrote that the show was "cancelled in the wake of punitive measures taken against writers who were vocal in the writers strike".[9]

Plot

The show features Izzard and Driver as Wayne and Dahlia Malloy who, along with their family, are Irish Traveller con artists and thieves. They travel with their children Di Di (Delilah), Cael, and Sam.

As the series begins, Dahlia has just been paroled from prison. During her 2-year sentence, she has developed various drug addictions. In her absence, Wayne and the children have been continuing to act as con artists across the U.S. After a brief reunion with their Traveller clan, the family flees to avoid an arranged marriage for Di Di. Wayne steals a large amount from the clan's hoard of cash, and the family runs off. After getting into an altercation and RV chase with another Traveller family, the Malloys are involved in a car accident that kills a very wealthy couple, the eponymous Riches. In the hopes of pursuing a "better life", they decide to "steal the American dream"[10] and adopt the Riches' identities in an affluent gated community in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They struggle to adjust to their new lives as buffers, as they call people who are not Travellers.

Cast and characters

The Malloys (clockwise from left): Dahlia, Cael, Di Di, Wayne, and Sam
Main article: List of characters in The Riches
  • Wayne Malloy (Eddie Izzard) – Wayne is the paternal head of the Malloy family (not to be confused with the extended Malloy 'clan'). He is a consummate, intelligent grifter and thief who experienced an 'existential crisis' while his wife was serving time in prison. He has become disillusioned with the nomadic, scamming lifestyle of the Travellers; it was his idea to steal the identities of deceased Doug and Cherien Rich and settle down into a normal life. Dahlia has referred to him as a 'halfbreed' or 'half buffer', because he did not come from a Traveller bloodline.
  • Dahlia Malloy (Minnie Driver) – Dahlia is Wayne's newly paroled wife. Her behavior is erratic and unpredictable, exacerbated by drug habits picked up in prison. A recovering methamphetamine addict, Dahlia imbibed a wide array of legal and illegal drugs since her parole, but recently she appears to be trying to get clean. Dahlia is considered 'royalty' in their Traveller clan, and her connection to the clan (both by blood and ideology) appears to be much stronger than Wayne's. She was initially very skeptical of Wayne's plan to leave their old lifestyle and impersonate the Riches and has struggled to live as Cherien Rich.
  • Cael Malloy (Noel Fisher) – Cael is the eldest Malloy son. He is quiet and intelligent. His skills include carrying out petty cash-register cons, faking epileptic seizures, picking locks, creating fake identity documents, disabling alarm systems, and stealing cars. While his sister Di Di is more supportive of their father, Cael is more supportive of their mother and the traditional Traveller lifestyle and beliefs. Likewise, his reception to the "Rich" lifestyle is less enthusiastic than that of his ambitious father and siblings.
  • Delilah "Di Di" Malloy (Shannon Marie Woodward) – Di Di is the adolescent daughter of Wayne and Dahlia. Like her siblings she is intelligent, crafty, and adept at various scams and thievery. In the pilot's opening scene she is seen pickpocketing people at a high-school class reunion while Wayne distracts them. Di Di's relationship with her mother appears to be strained; at one point when angered, she lies to her mother about sleeping with her boyfriend Erick. When it temporarily seemed the family would split up, Di Di chose to stay with her father. She embraced the Riches' way of life and no longer seems interested in the Traveller lifestyle.
  • Sam Malloy (Aidan Mitchell) – Sam, the youngest Malloy child, is gender non-conforming, and frequently dresses in feminine clothing. The idea for Sam's non-binary gender expression came about before Izzard—a gender non-conforming comedian—joined the show.[11] Sam's gender expression is accepted and respected by their parents and siblings. On their first night in the Rich home, Sam draws a large mural on a bedroom wall depicting the family's recent adventures, including the car accident and Dahlia's release from prison. In addition to artistic skill, Sam is interested in French and very earnest about getting a good education. Like the rest of the family, Sam appears to be very clever and adept at trickery. In episode 3, Sam is the key player in an elaborate con of Dahlia's to get the Malloy children into Rosemere Academy. During the season 1 finale, Sam expresses reluctance and even denial in leaving Eden Falls.
  • Dale Malloy (Todd Stashwick) – Dale is cousin to Dahlia. He and Wayne were raised like brothers in the Malloy clan. Within the code of the family Dale expected that one day he would marry Dahlia and take his rightful place as head of the family once his father, Earl, died. A borderline sociopath whose life becomes slowly unhinged. Feeling wronged many times over by Wayne he is hell bent on revenge against Wayne and his family. Feeling the pain of his unrequited love and the fact that his father was going to pass the reins of the clan on to Wayne, Dale goes to murderous lengths to protect his legacy. Eventually discovering the Riches' secret, he now finds himself in an unholy alliance with Wayne, leveraging the truth to his selfish needs.

Lexicon

The Travellers use a variety of terminology. In addition to slang, some of the vocabulary is taken from Shelta (also known as "the Cant"), which is sometimes used as a code by Travellers.

  • Buffer – An ordinary person, a non-Traveller.
  • Half Breed – A Traveller not born into the clan, but associated through, for example, marriage or one of two parents.
  • Kale – Money.
  • Koosh – Money or other valuables, particularly ones the Travellers can steal.
  • Sajick – Police officer or law enforcement official.
  • Skaal Krush – Pertaining to the end of the con. Krush means clear out or run away in Shelta.

Episodes

Season 1 (2007)

The first season's episodes began airing on March 12, 2007. The pilot episode and episode 1.2 ("Believe the Lie") were made available early for online viewing at MSN, Yahoo!, and TV.com at various times.[12]

The original airdates (US) are listed here for each episode.

No. Title [13] Original air date Production
code[14]
1"Pilot"March 12, 2007 (2007-03-12)101
After Dahlia Malloy is paroled, her Irish Traveller con artist family finds themselves on the run from their relatives after avoiding an arranged marriage for their daughter and stealing the clan's money. When they're accidentally involved in the death of the Riches, the Malloys decide to adopt the Riches' identity in suburban Baton Rouge, Louisiana. At the end of the episode, Wayne recites a passage from William Stafford's A Story That Could Be True
2"Believe the Lie"March 19, 2007 (2007-03-19)102
Wayne attends a job interview with a law firm, but ends up bluffing his way into a job as in-house counsel for Hugh Panetta instead. Dahlia, still struggling with her drug issues and their new 'buffer' lifestyle, hides the clan's money, but forgets where she buried it when the family RV is towed. Di Di and Cael try to adjust to their new life, helping Wayne find out information about the dead Riches; Cael still misses his girlfriend back at the camp. Dale Malloy and Ginny Dannegan have several altercations.
3"Operation Education"March 26, 2007 (2007-03-26)103
Wayne begins work at his new job as a lawyer for Panco, one of Hugh Panetta's companies. One of his first duties, assigned to him by Hugh, is to fire his predecessor. Meanwhile, Wayne and Dahlia decide the kids should go to school, so they get them social security cards and attend an interview at Rosemere Academy, an exclusive private school. When they are rejected, Dahlia's pride is hurt, and she cooks up an elaborate scheme to win over the school's headmistress. Back at the Traveller camp, Dale is pressuring Cael's girlfriend Tammy to help him find out where the family has fled.
4"Been There, Done That"April 2, 2007 (2007-04-02)104
Wayne continues his new job at Panco, where he learns that Hugh Panetta has developed real estate on old military sites containing unexploded ordnance. Doug Rich's ex-wife Jolinda tracks down Wayne (posing as Doug) because Doug owes her $75,000 in back alimony. Wayne and Dahlia work a complicated con involving Jolinda's lawyer and the sale of one of Jim Burns' alpacas in order to pay her off. Dahlia continues to struggle with drug issues, and gets stoned with Nina. It is revealed that one of Wayne's scams went wrong and caused Dahlia's jail sentence; Wayne and Dahlia finally discuss the situation and Dahlia's resulting drug use, and have a reconciliation of sorts. At Rosemere Academy, Cael helps some classmates break in after hours to alter grade records, and Di Di appears to be striking up a romance with local stoner and musician Erick. Finally, Hugh Panetta catches Dahlia stealing a pill bottle in the bathroom of the Burns' house.
5"The Big Floss"April 9, 2007 (2007-04-09)105
While Wayne must deal with legal arcana in an eminent-domain case, Dahlia gets a job for which she is equally unqualified: a dental hygienist. Meanwhile, Ginny Dannegan has tracked down the Malloys at their new home, and apparently blackmails Wayne and Dahlia into going through with the arranged marriage between Di Di and Ken.
6"Reckless Gardening"April 16, 2007 (2007-04-16)106
The Riches have trouble dealing with Ken, while Dahlia becomes Hugh's Personal Assistant. The family must rely on Dahlia's skills to save them when Di Di takes a fall for Ken when her classmates plant cannabis on him. Dale Malloy takes brutal action when he learns that his father, Earl Malloy, has planned for Wayne to lead the Malloy clan upon his death. Dale then leaves Earl in the woods to die before he can proclaim Wayne the leader.
7"Virgin Territory"April 23, 2007 (2007-04-23)107
Wayne, Dahlia, Cael, Di Di and Sam go back to the camp for Earl's funeral. Traveller tradition dictates that after a funeral comes a wedding (something dies, something is born), so Di Di prepares to marry Ken until Wayne can think of a way out. Meanwhile, Dale gives a nervous and guilty confession to Dahlia regarding Earl's death. She forces him at gunpoint to write a letter to his mother and the rest of the clan revealing what he's done. Wayne fails to come through for Di Di and the wedding ceremony goes on as planned, that is until Di Di ultimately refuses to marry Ken. Afterwards, in her RV, Ginny again threatens Di Di, making her agree to sleep with Ken. She leaves and Ken comes in, and when Di Di refuses to sleep with him, she explains that she only went as far as she did with the wedding because of Ginny's threats. Ken assures Di Di that she is safe from Ginny because he'll always love her and protect her.
8"X Spots the Mark"April 30, 2007 (2007-04-30)108
The Malloys return from the funeral to find Hugh Panetta is having a fit; $40,000 is missing from his safe, and he is forcing all the employees to undergo lie detector tests and searches. Hugh attacks Wayne, accusing him of taking the money (which he is not certain of), and disappearing for two days (which is provable). Wayne concocts a story about a potential Panco investor, who is possibly going to invest a half-million dollars in the company. After mollifying Hugh with this lie, Wayne and Dahlia then need to find a mark who can actually be conned into doing just that. With the help of some recent acquaintances from a nearby trailer park, they proceed to lay in a plan to get Rudy Blue (Clancy Brown), a former baseball star with a known sex addiction, to invest the money.
9"Cinderella"
"High Quality Alcohol"		May 7, 2007 (2007-05-07)109
While at the liquor store shopping for a dinner party, Dahlia runs into her best friend from prison, Chunky K. After some reservations about not revealing herself to Chunky, Dahlia, who is becoming increasingly isolated, takes her home, and hires her to be the maid during the dinner party. Chunky, however, is a more common criminal, and is not up to the high-stakes level of deceit the Malloys are engaging in.
10"This Is Your Brain On Drugs"May 14, 2007 (2007-05-14)110
Wayne suspects that Dahlia still has a drug addiction and takes meth himself as a way of showing her how much her drug use hurts their family. Meanwhile, when things at Panco go crazy, it is up to Dahlia to keep everything and everyone together. Finally, Dale shows up at Edenfalls and befriends the family's neighbor, Hartley.
11"Anything Hugh Can Do, I Can Do Better"May 21, 2007 (2007-05-21)111
Wayne takes over Panco when Hugh goes missing, and Dahlia struggles to repair her relationship with Di Di. Dale tells Hartley why he's at Edenfalls. Guest Star: Jonathan Goldstein as Wes
12"It's a Wonderful Lie"May 28, 2007 (2007-05-28)112
When Doug's friend Pete visits, the Malloys must keep him in the dark about what they have done. The family cons Pete into thinking that Doug is avoiding him by giving him the wrong address, which causes Pete to come close to a nervous breakdown. Wayne pretends to be a psychologist when Pete is on vacation. Nina comes across the Malloys deceiving Pete and she becomes convinced that the family is in the Witness Protection Program. Dahlia is heartbroken that she must deceive her friend. Meanwhile, Hugh returns with a new wife whom he met during his relapse and subsequent disappearance. However, Hugh demands a post-nuptial agreement which leads the girl to question his love for her.
13"Waiting For Dogot"June 4, 2007 (2007-06-04)113
Pete figures out the Malloys are impersonating the Riches and wants to know why. Doug spins a new lie, claiming to be Gene and that he was hired by Doug, who is in hiding. After pretending to leave a coded message for Doug (by singing Amazing Grace), Wayne takes Pete to the woods and threatens him with a gun. Wayne explains that Doug and Cherien are in hiding, having witnessed a murder, and Cael fakes a text message from Doug to tell Wayne that Pete is not a threat. Pete begins to believe Wayne's farce, but when he realizes the gun is a water pistol, Wayne is forced to knock Pete out. Dale shows up at the house, while Wayne is gone, and Dahlia convinces him to leave, but the jig is up. Drugging Pete with rohypnol, the Malloys bolt for the RV. Dale comes back to the house and finds Pete, whom he beats up and threatens with a hammer. Meanwhile, the Malloys are unable to flee Edenfalls, as Dale secretly sabotaged their RV engine.

Season 2 (2008)

A second season of 13 episodes was announced on May 8, 2007 by FX for broadcast in the first half of 2008. It premiered on March 18, 2008. Due to a long writer's strike, only 7 episodes were produced.

No. Title [13] Original air date Production
code[14]
14"The Last Temptation of Wayne"March 18, 2008 (2008-03-18)201
Wayne sends Dahlia, the kids, and Cherien's mother away while he stays to deal with Pete Mincey, which Dale has continued to screw up. However, things look up when Hugh offers Wayne a piece of a land deal. Meanwhile, Nina decides to leave Eden Falls with Dahlia.
15"Friday Night Lights"March 25, 2008 (2008-03-25)202
Wayne deals with Dale and Pete while Dahlia and the kids get held up in Blunt, Texas where they have to rescue Nina who is being held hostage by a local couple.
16"Field of Dreams"April 1, 2008 (2008-04-01)203
Wayne is forced to deal with the Eden Falls elite after Cael is caught tampering with the school's computer. Meanwhile, Hugh is deemed psychologically inept to handle the Bayou Hills deal due to depression. Also, Dale demands a job at Panco, and nobody is happy that a traveler named Quinn arrives after spending 20 years in prison.
17"Slums of Bayou Hills"April 8, 2008 (2008-04-08)204
Living honestly isn't as easy as Dahlia had hoped. Wayne runs into trouble when Doug's past creeps up on him in an important investors meeting. Cael and Didi try to recapture the spirit of their Traveller childhood.
18"Trust Never Sleeps"April 15, 2008 (2008-04-15)205
Dahlia continues to struggle to live an honest life while Wayne is surprised by a visitor at work. Meanwhile, Cael meets another group of Travelers.
19"Dead Calm"April 22, 2008 (2008-04-22)206
Wayne struggles to regain Dahlia's trust while also attempting to keep Dale and the other Travellers away. Meanwhile, Cael and Rosaleen become closer, and Nina throws a party for Jim.
20"The Lying King"April 29, 2008 (2008-04-29)207
The rift in Wayne and Dahlia's relationship continues to widen while Nina becomes sick of Dahlia's lies. The Bayou Hills deal is put at risk because of treacherous behavior at the construction site. Meanwhile, a relationship between Di Di and Ike blossoms, and Cael decides to stay at Rosaleen's camp, which is exactly what Quinn wants.

Ratings

The pilot episode of The Riches drew 3.8 million viewers.[15] With 2.5 million of those viewers in the 18–49 demographic, The Riches scored second only to the premiere of The Shield, thus beating out the premieres of other FX dramas such as Rescue Me, Over There, and Dirt. The pilot was also FX's first-ever Sunday night premiere of an original series, and more than doubled the channel's highest-ever ratings for the Sunday 10pm slot.[16] The show averaged 5.9 million cumulative viewers per week in the US, sufficient for FX to commission a second season.[17] The Riches has gained popularity through online resources, such as Hulu and iTunes' "What We Are Watching" for April 2008.

Critical reception

Television critics gave The Riches enthusiastic reviews.[18] The Baltimore Sun described it as "the kind of TV drama that makes one think while being entertained".[19] and The Boston Globe lauded a "layered drama" full of "unexpectedly soulful pleasures".[20] The New York Times wrote that "together, [Izzard and Driver] are superb".[21] Meanwhile, The Los Angeles Times complained that the show lacked originality.[22]

Time magazine's James Poniewozik named it one of the Top 10 New TV Series of 2006, ranking it at #7,[23] while Minnie Driver was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Actress in a Dramatic Series for her performance.

In a review of the second season, The Hollywood Reporter said that "Izzard and Driver remain a joy to watch in this odd but fascinating series that is derivative of nothing on TV",[24] while the San Francisco Chronicle described the second season as "gloriously inventive, daring and provocative".[25]

Home releases

Season Releases

The First Season
Release dates Set details Special features
 United States
January 9, 2007 [26]
  • 13 Episodes
  • 4-Disc Set
  • 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio
  • 616 Minutes
  • Languages:
    • English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
  • Subtitles:
    • English
    • French
    • Spanish
  • Audio Commentary
    • "Pilot"
    • "Waiting For Doug"
  • Casting Session
  • World Premiere
  • Gag Reel
  • 7 Webisodes from FX.com
 United Kingdom
February 19, 2007 [27]
The Second Season
 United States
March 25, 2008 [28]
  • 7 Episodes
  • 2-Disc Set
  • 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio
  • 296 Minutes
  • Languages:
    • English
  • Subtitles:
    • English
    • French
    • Spanish
  • Eddie Izzard: Revealed Featurette

Film

In 2008, Eddie Izzard said that a low-budget Riches movie was being developed. She said "We'll shoot it guerilla-style, using gorillas to actually shoot it. We're going to give them cameras...No, we're going to just get in there and maybe not have permission to do things, but just film it." [29] But the film never materialized.

Syndication

References

  1. ^ FX set premiere date for new series The Riches Archived February 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. January 26, 2006. Retrieved February 7, 2006
  2. ^ FX Turns More 'Dirt,' Reaps 'Riches' Archived July 16, 2007, at the Wayback Machine May 8, 2006. Retrieved May 8, 2006.
  3. ^ FX Spends Its 'Riches' in March. February 12, 2007. Retrieved February 12, 2008.
  4. ^ FX Amasses New 'Riches'. September 2006. Retrieved January 10, 2007
  5. ^ "Abrupt finale for 'Dirt,' 'Riches'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  6. ^ Entertainment Weekly Archived October 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "Canceled TV shows HQ - TV Series Finale". Archived from the original on October 9, 2008. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  8. ^ Levine, Stuart (October 7, 2008). "FX cancels 'The Riches'". Variety. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  9. ^ Clark, Anne Victoria. "Minnie Driver Still Isn't Over FX Cancelling The Riches". www.vulture.com. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  10. ^ Gorman, Steve (March 13, 2007). "British comic steals American dream in "The Riches"". Reuters. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  11. ^ FX's The Riches will try to con you. Houston Chronicle, March 11, 2007. Retrieved March 15, 2007
  12. ^ Moss, Linda (March 7, 2007). "MSN, Yahoo Get First Crack at FX's Riches: Online Sneak Previews to Precede Series' Debut". Multichannel News. Retrieved March 17, 2007.
  13. ^ a b "The Riches Episode List". TV.com.
  14. ^ a b Production Codes at TV.Com Archived February 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ FX Cashes Strong 'Riches' Ratings. Zap2it, March 14, 2006. Retrieved March 17, 2006
  16. ^ The Riches Premiere on FX Scores Solid Ratings. Broadcasting & Cable, March 13, 2006. Retrieved March 17, 2006
  17. ^ 'Dirt' and 'Riches' get a second season Archived June 8, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Newsday, May 10, 2006. Retrieved May 18, 2006
  18. ^ Rave reviews for Izzard's US show. BBC News, March 13, 2007. Retrieved March 15, 2006
  19. ^ On The Money Archived March 18, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. The Baltimore Sun, March 13, 2006. Retrieved March 13, 2006
  20. ^ Stealing the American dream is a family affair. The Boston Globe, March 13, 2007. Retrieved March 13, 2006
  21. ^ [1]. The New York Times, March 13, 2007. Retrieved March 13, 2006.
  22. ^ FX's 'Riches' lacks originality. Los Angeles Times, March 13, 2006. Retrieved March 13, 2006
  23. ^ Poniewozik, James (December 9, 2007). "Top 10 Everything of 2007 - TIME". Retrieved October 6, 2016 – via www.time.com.
  24. ^ The Riches. The Hollywood Reporter. March 18, 2007.
  25. ^ Tim Goodman, 'Riches' to risk it all for 2nd helping of the good life - and a great con, San Francisco Chronicle, March 18, 2007.
  26. ^ "The Riches DVD news: Box Art for The Riches - Season 1 - TVShowsOnDVD.com". Archived from the original on October 9, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  27. ^ Woodward, Malcolm Campbell and Tom. "News: The Riches: Season 1 (UK - DVD R2) - DVDActive". Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  28. ^ "The Riches DVD news: The Riches Season 2 DVD Announcement - TVShowsOnDVD.com". Archived from the original on October 9, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  29. ^ "Eddie Izzard plans Riches movie". November 20, 2008. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
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