413 Hope St.
1997 American TV series or program
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413 Hope St. is an American drama television series which aired on the Fox network from September 11, 1997 to January 1, 1998. The series was co-created by actor/comedian Damon Wayans, who made a stark departure from his usual comedic work.
| 413 Hope St. | |
|---|---|
| Created by | |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 mins. |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | Fox |
| Release | September 11, 1997 – January 1, 1998 |
The ensemble cast—headed by Richard Roundtree—included Jesse L. Martin, Shari Headley, and Kelly Coffield.
Premise
413 Hope St. was named for the address of a New York City crisis center. Its founder, a successful corporate executive named Phil Thomas (Roundtree), started the center in the building at the site where his teenage son was gunned down after refusing to relinquish his sneakers to a street thug.[1]
The topics addressed by the series included drug addiction and recovery, HIV and AIDS, foster care, re-integration into society after incarceration, and homelessness.[2]
Cast
- Shari Headley as Juanita Harris
- Jesse L. Martin as Antonio Collins
- Kelly Coffield as Sylvia Jennings
- Michael Easton as Nick Carrington
- Stephen Berra as Quentin Jefferson
- Dawn Stern as Angelica Collins
- Vincent Laresca as Carlos Martinez
- Karim Prince as Melvin Todd
- Richard Roundtree as Phil Thomas
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | Eric Laneuville | Damon Wayans & Dean Lorey & Janine Sherman | September 11, 1997 | 5W79 |
| 2 | "Fatherhood" | Eric Laneuville | Dean Lorey | September 18, 1997 | 5W01 |
| 3 | "A Better Place" | Tucker Gates | Takashi Bufford | September 25, 1997 | 5W02 |
| 4 | "Redemption" | Oscar L. Costo | Trish Soodik & Remi Aubuchon & Takashi Bufford | October 16, 1997 | 5W04 |
| 5 | "Heartbeat" | Arvin Brown | Kathleen McGhee-Anderson | October 23, 1997 | 5W03 |
| 6 | "Hate Crimes" | Helaine Head | Remi Aubuchon | December 4, 1997 | 5W05 |
| 7 | "Quentin Goes Home" | Eric Laneuville | Dean Lorey | December 11, 1997 | 5W06 |
| 8 | "Lost Boys and Gothic Girls" | Ellen S. Pressman | Kathleen McGhee-Anderson & Takashi Bufford | December 18, 1997 | 5W07 |
| 9 | "Thanksgiving" | Steven Shaw | Judy McCreary | December 25, 1997 | 5W08 |
| 10 | "Falling" | Helaine Head | Trish Soodik & Remi Aubuchon | January 1, 1998 | 5W09 |
Production
Development
Wayans first wrote a draft for the show three years prior to its release, but was unsatisfied with the result, describing the draft as "too melodramatic".[3] After fleshing out the concept to include more comedic elements and complex characters, he pitched the drama to Fox alongside a half-hour sitcom,[3] which later became the show Damon.[4] 413 Hope St. was officially announced as part of Fox’s fall schedule in May 1997.[5]
Cancellation
The series was cancelled due to low ratings after 10 episodes, with its final broadcast airing on New Year's Day 1998.[6] Its time slot was credited as a contributing factor to the show's low ratings, airing at the same time as Seinfeld on NBC.[4][7] Following the cancellation, Wayans expressed frustration with Fox's lack of support and limited marketing for the show.[4]
Broadcast
Reception
The show was recognized for its diversity, including its primarily African-American cast[10] as well as its gay characters.[11] According to an annual survey conducted by the New York advertising agency BBDO, 413 Hope St. was the top-rated drama in African-American households.[10]
Critical response
Julio Martinez of Variety described the show as "gritty but formulaic", and suggested that future episodes be "less predictable and a lot more character-driven".[12] For The New York Times, John Martin wrote that the show "sports a likable cast but could use a more imaginative script".[13] Frazier Moore of Associated Press described the show more negatively, calling it "hopelessly predictable and contrived".[14]