Maw Maw
Encyclopedia
Barbara June Thompson, always referred to by her family as "Maw Maw," is a fictional character in the television comedy
Raising Hope
. The character is played by Cloris Leachman
.
Maw Maw, Virginia's grandmother, shows signs of Alzheimer's Disease
. She has short-lived moments of lucidity during which she can be very helpful. She is a master of the game Jenga
, but only when the song "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
," is playing.
She married Wilfred Thompson and must have had Virginia's mother, Louise, very young. Virginia was her granddaughter and Maw Maw promised to 'stick around' to see what she turned into.
When her granddaughter Virginia was fifteen she was impregnated, therfore making Jimmy her great-grandson. In a flashback in "Say Cheese," she tells a young Jimmy to kill her if she ever gets as crazy as Burt and Virginia, suggesting she may have been lucid when Jimmy was a child. When Jimmy was 23, he impregnated his serial-killer one-night-stand, Lucy, therefore making Hope Maw Maw's first great-great granddaughter. It is expected that Maw Maw will live well into her great-great granddaughter's life, since in "A Germ of a Story," it was implied that poor hygeine has made Jimmy's family live long lives.
Towards the end of season one and into season two, Maw Maw has shown an increase in lucidity, to the point of being able to comment on her own senility. She now displays greater understanding of her surroundings, and no longer seems to confuse the others for people from her past. Though she still has a tendancy to make very non-linear comments and conversations, showing that she is still quite senile.
, and she has been credited for much of the show's success. In 2011, Leachman was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, an award which she has won three times in the past.
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
Raising Hope
Raising Hope
Raising Hope is a television comedy program first aired on September 21, 2010 on Fox. The series airs on Tuesdays at 9:30 pm. On January 10, 2011, Fox renewed Raising Hope for a second season, which premiered on September 20, 2011....
. The character is played by Cloris Leachman
Cloris Leachman
Cloris Leachman is an American actress of stage, film and television. She has won eight Primetime Emmy Awards—more than any other performer—and one Daytime Emmy Award...
.
Maw Maw, Virginia's grandmother, shows signs of Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
. She has short-lived moments of lucidity during which she can be very helpful. She is a master of the game Jenga
Jenga
Jenga is a game of physical and mental skill created by Leslie Scott, and currently marketed by Parker Brothers, a division of Hasbro. During the game, players take turns to remove a block from a tower and balance it on top, creating a taller and increasingly unstable structure as the game...
, but only when the song "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
"Istanbul " is a swing-style song, with lyrics by Jimmy Kennedy and music by Nat Simon. The tune is reminiscent of "Puttin' on the Ritz," written by Irving Berlin in 1929, but the song is said to be a response to "C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T-I-N-O-P-L-E," recorded in 1928 by Paul Whiteman and His...
," is playing.
Background
Maw Maw was born sometime around the 1919-1930 period, as she was in her twenties in 1949. In "A Germ of a Story," which aired in February, 2011, it is mentioned that she is 84, meaning she was likely born in 1926-27.She married Wilfred Thompson and must have had Virginia's mother, Louise, very young. Virginia was her granddaughter and Maw Maw promised to 'stick around' to see what she turned into.
When her granddaughter Virginia was fifteen she was impregnated, therfore making Jimmy her great-grandson. In a flashback in "Say Cheese," she tells a young Jimmy to kill her if she ever gets as crazy as Burt and Virginia, suggesting she may have been lucid when Jimmy was a child. When Jimmy was 23, he impregnated his serial-killer one-night-stand, Lucy, therefore making Hope Maw Maw's first great-great granddaughter. It is expected that Maw Maw will live well into her great-great granddaughter's life, since in "A Germ of a Story," it was implied that poor hygeine has made Jimmy's family live long lives.
Towards the end of season one and into season two, Maw Maw has shown an increase in lucidity, to the point of being able to comment on her own senility. She now displays greater understanding of her surroundings, and no longer seems to confuse the others for people from her past. Though she still has a tendancy to make very non-linear comments and conversations, showing that she is still quite senile.
Relatives
- Jimmy ChanceJimmy ChanceJames "Jimmy" Chance is fictional character on Raising Hope. He is played by Lucas Neff.Jimmy is a 23-year-old who is clueless about raising a child and everything else. One night when he was driving back to his home after picking up bubblegum ice cream, a girl named Lucy jumped into his van while...
: Maw Maw's great-grandson. - Burt ChanceBurt ChanceBurt Chance is a fictional character on Raising Hope played by Garret Dillahunt.Burt is Hope's grandfather, Jimmy's father, and Virginia's husband. Burt conceived Jimmy with Virginia when he was seventeen. He has a gardening business which he runs with Jimmy.Burt has been seen in several episodes...
: Maw Maw's grandson-in-law. - Virginia ChanceVirginia ChanceVirginia Chance is a fictional character on Raising Hope played by Martha Plimpton.Virginia is Hope's grandmother, Jimmy's mother, and Burt's wife. Virginia conceived Jimmy when she was fifteen...
: Maw Maw's granddaughter. - Delilah: Maw Maw's granddaughter.
- Hope Chance: Maw Maw's great-great-granddaughter.
- Louise Thompson: Maw Maw's daughter.
- Wilfred Thompson: Maw Maw's deceased husband.
Critical reception
Many critics call her the show's breakout characterBreakout character
A breakout character is a fictional character in different episodes, books or other media that becomes the most popular, talked about, and imitated. Most often a breakout character in a television series captures the audience's imagination and helps to popularize the show, sometimes inadvertently...
, and she has been credited for much of the show's success. In 2011, Leachman was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, an award which she has won three times in the past.