Kath & Kim

...but I came away pretty cool on this.

I have not seen any of the Australian sitcom that this show is based off of so I have no real way of comparing. I've checked the message boards and the comments and read enough remarks doing such and it seems in the majority that the original series is held in better esteem than this production.

What I can do is rate THIS show,and I must say that it seems to hold a fair swath of talent but seems to be uninterested in making itself particularly clever or very likable. Instead,it's just Molly Shannon(for whom I was very stoked to see back on television)and Selma Blair(maybe not quite as much)basically trading one-liners between two very vapid and dense characters and laboring VERY hard to be funny(all while modeling sexy,slinky Florida-inspired casual-wear). John Michael Higgins(as KAth,Shannon's character's earnest,sandwich store manager boyfriend)seems to shine the best,as his lines seem authentic and there's something likable,albeit in a nebbishy way. Mikey Day feels one-dimensional as Kim(Blair's character)'s ex-husband,though he can play stupid quite effectively. Maybe TOO much so.

NBC publicized the heck out of this,rolling the dice and as such,it seems to have crapped out at least for now. Maybe some writing re-tooling and character changes might infuse some inspiration here. Not really sure,and from what I've seen so far,not real certain I want to find out.

Why do people always have to compare ...remakes to the original. Personally, I have never seen the Austrailian version of Kath and Kim...nor did i see the British version of Sanford and Son, and it was a 70's hit. I like the American version of the Office better, ...i'm not saying the British version is bad,...in fact is quite funny. None the less,..The Show was a bit slow, but there are their odd...uncomfortable moments that make for funny television. The fact that they don't realize how nuts/off base they are makes it better, I say give it time. Selma Blair is hot and Molly Shannon is as quirky as she was on Saturday Night Live. Remember Seinfeld got poor reviews in the beginning, and the acting was horrible and awkward,...but look what became of it.

I have not watched the Australian original, but I'm thinking it's a safe bet to say that it was superior to this. As a matter of fact, I don't think it's hyperbole to nominate this for the worst comedy show on TV. The 18 moronic episodes(of the bunch, there is maybe one brief moment that started to redeem the rest, that's it) are all so bland that once you've seen one, you've seen them all. Almost every character is intolerable, one-note(they came up with just a couple of types, then repeated them ad nauseum), shallow and stupid to the point where it causes physical pain for the viewer and those in the immediate vicinity. Many of them mispronounce words and sayings, and care first and foremost about fashion and celebrities. Oh, and they're trashy. Did you get all that? That's all of the material. I'm not kidding, nearly every joke is about that. By far the worst is Blair, who's the most developed, meaning, she has more negative qualities than the others. She's an irresponsible brat who causes problems for others. Isn't that hilarious? The acting is good. So's editing and cinematography. Meanwhile, the content is still terrible and repetitive. The one positive about this series would have to be that you can usually count on the two female leads(Selma in particular) parading around in skimpy outfits, looking hot. Finally, can someone tell me how John Michael Higgins keeps finding work? OK, he was great in Best in Show, I'll grant that. But that's the only time he's gotten even a chuckle out of me. Is it just that this humor is not for me? I recommend this to anyone who finds what I've described appealing. For anyone else, don't say I didn't warn you. 5/10

The original Australian Kath & Kim is brilliant. Why do American producers need to remake & ruin yet another classic show? Remember the original version of "The Office" with Ricky Gervais, It was an absolute masterpiece, and there was no need to remake it. The producers said that the British humour from "The Office" and the Australian humour from "Kath & Kim" would not translate to an American audience......... WHAT??? So basically they are saying that Americans are too dumb and stupid to understand the jokes, so they need to remake the shows with over-the-top childish gags, so that the Americans can understand the humour. The original Australian version of Kath & Kim is fantastic and very funny. Avoid the American version like the plague!!

Not sure why Americans needed to remake an Aussie classic. It's an Aussie series with very Aussie humour. The nuance of the jokes don't translate into American humour. This show tries to replicate what it simply cannot. It should not have been made.