The Student News Site of Neshaminy High School

The Playwickian

The Student News Site of Neshaminy High School

The Playwickian

The Student News Site of Neshaminy High School

The Playwickian

‘Fresh Off the Boat’ rocks viewer ratings, popularity soars

By Catherine Hilliard
Staff Writer

A new family comedy series has recently hit ABC on Feb. 4, 2015. Receiving 7.93 million views and rated the second highest comedy premiere of the season, “Fresh off the Boat” takes place in the ‘90s, in Orlando, Florida.

The show is based off of former lawyer- turned- celebrity chef, restaurateur, and author of the memoir “Fresh off the Boat,” Eddie Huang’s real life childhood experiences. Huang, 32, narrates himself as an adult in the comedy.

Freshman Charles Marone has watched the show since it premiered. “I don’t think there has been a show quite like Fresh off the Boat,” he stated, “This show is unique in expressing the challenges, memories, and humor of growing up. I like how the show includes the hardships of trying to pursue the American dream, and the success that comes with persistence and hard work. It shows that if you work hard, you will profit in the long run.”

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Twelve year old Eddie Huang played by actor Hudson Yang, his parents Louis Huang (Randall Park), Jessica Huang (Constance Wu), and brothers Emery (Forest Wheeler) and Even (Ian Chen) have just moved from the streets of Chinatown in Washington D.C., to a neighborhood in Orlando to pursue Louis’s wishes of living the American dream by opening his own Western themed restaurant, Cattleman’s Ranch.

The oldest child in the family, hip-hop loving Eddie Huang often feels distant from the family, due to his unique style and interests. He was not thrilled about the move from Washington D.C. to his new home in the suburbs, and continues to make numerous attempts to fit in with the rest of the students at school throughout the series. Inspired by his favorite rappers, Eddie is usually calm, and always finds creative ways to change the situation for the better.

Unlike his brother Eddie, Emery instantly fits into his new school, and even gets a girlfriend on the first day. He has an outgoing personality and optimistic attitude, which makes him easily loved by all.

The youngest of the three brothers, Evan is extremely obedient and a stickler for rules. A mama’s boy, Evan is often sent by his mother to get the details of neighborhood meetings.

Despite the hefty number of viewers and continuous amount of good reviews, Huang has tweeted that he has been disappointed with the show. “For the record, I don’t watch ‘Fresh off the Boat’ on ABC,” he posted on Twitter. “I’m happy people of color are able to see a reflection of themselves through ‘Fresh off the Boat’ … but I don’t recognize it.” Huang also said the show misrepresents his life, and glosses over specific events that made his childhood memorable.

Tune into ABC on Tuesday nights at 8:00 P.M. to watch new episodes of “Fresh off the Boat” every week.

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‘Fresh Off the Boat’ rocks viewer ratings, popularity soars