Hope and Faith are the names of the main characters played by Faith Ford and Kelly Ripa, respectively, and undoubtedly the reason for the show's title. Ripa plays Hope's younger sister, Faith, a soap star for years whose characters (she played twins) were unceremoniously killed off in a murder-suicide, leaving her jobless and penniless. Naturally enough, Faith packs up her miniskirts and moves in with her sister's family, throwing Hope's orderly and disciplined world into disarray and wreaking havoc on the rearing of the three children.

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