Having been a gigantic Eddie Izzard fan for some years, I was excited when he nabbed his first major leading role in FX’s series The Riches. Unfortunately, the show was cut short in its second season due to the writers’ strike and subsequently canceled without a satisfying conclusion. However, the show delivered some solid family drama that’s worth checking out, even if it lacked any kind of resolution.
The Riches follows the Malloys, a family of Travelers, a nomadic clan of Irish descent that gets by on petty crimes and cons that include even the youngest members of the family. As the series begins, Dahlia Malloy (Minnie Driver), the family matriarch, is just released from prison and everyone is preparing for her arrival. However, her welcome party with the larger clan turns sour due to an old rivalry between husband Wayne (Izzard) and a former romantic interest of hers (Todd Stashwick) and the pressure to marry their teenage daughter off to another family’s sweet but feeble son. Wayne drives off in the middle of the night, a tough break for Dahlia, as she’s lived her entire life with the clan. While on the run, they get into an auto accident with a guy named Doug Rich, who dies from his injuries. Rather than report the incident, Wayne assumes Doug’s identity and the Malloys become The Riches, an upper-class Louisiana family living in a gated community. It will be a constant struggle, requiring every trick in their bag, for these cons to keep up the ruse.
The Riches shows us family drama dealt with in a new way. Television can get in a horribly repetitive rut with couples fighting and teenagers rebelling. While the Malloys have their share of family complications, from young son Sammy’s cross-dressing (a subject which Izzard, an open transvestite, says was part of the script before his involvement, and to which he brought his own insights), Dahlia’s prison-induced drug addition and Wayne’s guilt over his wife’s imprisonment. These issues, however, are countered by the genuine affection between Wayne and Dahlia and the tight-knit nature of the family. It’s really is a shame that The Riches didn’t go on. Watch both seasons now for free at Hulu.
As the brother of Lord T from Lord T and Eloise, I find myself seeking the strange and unusual. I first tuned in to Eddie Izzard in the HBO stand-up Dressed to Kill, which I own on DVD. I too was excited when he performed along side Minnie Driver in The Riches. Even though it was short lived, I cherish the few episodes and take delight in the down fall of something that bettered this world. I relish in its loss. It will be easier for me to take over the world when everyone is bored out of their minds. Do your self a favor and get Bored with the Chairmen of the Bored: Lord T and Eloise.
Exponentially,
Bryvaux
I heartily enjoyed this show as well. Along with the relationship between Wayne and Dahlia, the children told great tales themselves. The two older ones struggled between living a ‘great’ life and living a ‘fake’ life, and the youngest–and possibly smartest–challenged gender lines while putting up with his family antics. All around, it was a great series, but maybe it is better that it went out on a high.
OMG i LOVE that band!!! they are amazing!! they are playing in Los Angeles in what has been forever - I am stoked!! check them out! http://www.lordtandeloise.com
why are they not on the soundtrack to the show? could their songs be any more perfect for the THE RICHES???
LOVE the Riches!! Just bought both seasons. I saw Eddie in Denver. It looks like he is coming back in 2010. We NEED to get him to CA again!! Enjoy the evening!!
PLEASE tell me The Riches will return to television. It was the best show on television! Viewers need this high caliber acting back-what a treat this show was.
T’was a travesty that they canceled The Riches. It was original, fascinating and highly entertaining. Seems stupid to put all that $ into developing and producing a show, then dump it walk away from it without giving it time to recover from the strike. They only produced like 7 episodes for season 2. Why not stick with it through one more normal season, vs. pouring more money into another new show that’s a total unknown? Then again, all the shows I like seem to get the axe. Guess I’m not the average TV viewer.
It isn’t very often that a show comes along that is so original and so well cast. So many times I would watch an episode and just shout out “Wow - I didn’t see that coming” !?!? or “Holy Crap!!!” It always left me wanting to see the next episode… Too bad FX couldn’t promote the show worth a darn. It would have done so much better on HBO or Showtime. Even USA would’ve been better for the show.