Kath and Kim

[BillBrasky]

The US version of Kath & Kim is being revamped to make it more appealing to American audiences, after network executives expressed concerns with the first episode.

The show, starring Selma Blair and Molly Shannon, is believed to be undergoing some emergency reworking.

The move comes after influential US media industry group Horizon Media, which is responsible for analyzing the new shows for the fall TV season, predicted the program would fall flat with US audiences.

The production is rumored to have had a major shake-up in recent days, with a number of key crew - including the director, director of photography, the hair and make-up team and editor - apparently being replaced.

The first episode, which is due to air on NBC on October 9, is understood to be undergoing heavy reworking and may even be reshot.

NBC has invested heavily in the show, giving it prime placement in its Thursday evening comedy line-up. But sources say executives have asked the show be "more highly stylised".

"Think CSI: Comedy. * They want to de-Kath & Kim it a bit," the industry insider said.

Kath & Kim's creators and Australian stars, Gina Riley and Jane Turner, and executive producer Rick McKenna, have been heavily involved in the development of the US version of the show. All three are executive producers of the series.

Currently in America, McKenna could not be contacted to comment on the rumored changes to the show.


*What in the world does this mean? Asking me to "think CSI: Comedy" does nothing, since I'm not sure what the heck that could possibly entail.

[YoungAmerican]

It must mean a lot of swooping cameras and shit. Which is very strange.

[Itslikeimsayin]

I think it means a glossy sheen and oversaturated photography. At least that's what CSI looked like to me that time at my dad's house when he refused to change the channel.

[heatherm]

csi:comedy? like they go around looking for the comedy in like last comic standing or something? ugh

this is such a terrible idea. why don't they show the first episode and see how people actually react to it?

[amoment]

Anytime something is being "revamped" that Paul Feig was involved with, that spells bad news to me. Who knows what NBC would have done if they had tried to "revamp" "Freaks and Geeks" to get away from Paul's sensibility and toward whatever they think American audiences would have liked better ...

[ArtsyMcShitshimself]

http://img33.picoodle.com/img/img33/4/7/21/f_youshouldbem_a0528f8.jpg

[BillBrasky]

Watch the first episode (http://tv.yahoo.com/kath-kim/show/41155/videos/9970457)

[pollymaepry]

NEEDS MORE SWEARING.

jk I liked it it's purdy good!

[BillBrasky]

It's available for free on Itunes now too.

[BillBrasky]

I didn't think the first episode was that funny, but there's certainly room to grow. They have a good cast, now they just need to work on writing better jokes. It's a very nice LOOKING show; if you can watch it in HD on Itunes, do so, the colors pop out at you and it's very bright and entertaining to look at.
I like the theme song too. There wasn't anything I actively disliked, I just think the writing could be a bit sharper.

[theodoric]

Can you say Coupling?

[Harry Bongers]

Isn't this show being savaged by critics with some even going so far as to say the worst remake ever?

[Itslikeimsayin]

I watched it last night and really enjoyed it.

[Itslikeimsayin]

Isn't this show being savaged by critics with some even going so far as to say the worst remake ever?

Yes, (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2008/10/06/DDME13BMAD.DTL) but this comment from the review:

"NBC's other Thursday comedy, "My Name Is Earl," is far more adept at pursuing laughs of this nature, and Blair could have taken some cues from Jaime Pressly's Joy character to see how far one must go to get it done right."

...is exactly the opposite of my view of it. I even thought to myself while watching it that I was thankful it wasn't such a caricature like Pressly's character is on MNIE.

[Harry Bongers]

I remembered where I had seen the reports of savaging. I can't recall critics being this directly hars to other shows but granted I don't read a lot of television criticism.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/08/kath-and-kim-get-panned-u_n_132879.html

[BillBrasky]

Entertainment Weekly gave it a pretty lukewarm review, the gist of which was that the humor is corny and overly obvious. It does remind me a bit of "My Name in Earl", in that it's entertaining enough to watch for a few episodes, but maybe not really involving enough to stay watching every week unless it gets a lot better.

[Itslikeimsayin]

I remembered where I had seen the reports of savaging. I can't recall critics being this harsh but granted I don't read a lot of television criticism.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/08/kath-and-kim-get-panned-u_n_132879.html

Maybe the show is geared more toward people who know how to correctly spell the version of "palate" they're trying to use.

"Kath & Kim," like the yeast-extract spread and its offspring, the Vegemite sandwich and the Cheesymite scroll, is just not something that suits the American palette.

[pollymaepry]

That's weird that they think they're detestable, it'd be so easy to hate these people, but I found em sweet as pies.

But yes, I'll probably forget it's even on and never watch it again.

[jon]

I enjoyed this. I expect the pacing to pick up, which should help with some things, but I still thought it was funny. John Michael Higgins is perfect in his role. Perfect.

"It's like they threw a panther in the air and caught it in embroidery."

Edit: Oh right, I could do without the voiceovers, which didn't really add anything. Also, on the critic front, Tom Shales likes it. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/08/AR2008100803657.html?hpid=features1&hpv=local)

[TacoSmith]

This wasn't that bad. The performances were better than the writing. Hopefully it will get better.

[Gluehead]

Maybe it was because my expectations were so low due to all of the bad buzz it's been getting but I watched tonight's episode and found myself liking it quite a bit. They've got a really great cast here, especially John Michael Higgins who steals every single scene he's in, and if they're given better material to work with there's a lot of potential for this to grow into something really great. But that's the thing, I don't know if the show's going to get the time it needs to hammer out the kinks because I can't see NBC being very patient with it to get an audience, they've got that Office spin off coming so unless this one performs a miracle I can't see it sticking around too long. I'm hoping for the best though, I really do think this could and would be great if given the chance to continue.

[Sarah]

I wasn't impressed by the first episode, but I'll give it a chance. One thing that bothered me was that both Molly Shannon and Selma Blair often were unable to deliver naturally the many lines where the humor derives from the misuse of language. (Steve Carrell often has this problem on The Office as well. Come to think of it, so did James Gandolfini on The Sopranos.)

[megalope]

I like the theme song too.

Scissor Sisters - Filthy Gorgeous. That's my jam!

[jon]

It's official: I really, really like this show. The acting is great (John Michael Higgins continues to be perfect) and the writing is deceptively sharp ("I thought they closed this part of the mall"). I'm still not wild about the voiceovers, but they got some nice jokes out of them. I really like the way they're all played as basically normal people and not total dumbasses, especially Molly Shannon's character. I thought Kim's acting like a model was great.

"The things I would do to you if there was no health code in this mall." To restate: I really, really like this show.

[TacoSmith]

Boy, I had the opposite reaction to this. I officially do NOT like this show. It's a shame because everybody is really good in it, but the writing is really quite bad. "Nobody puts Kath Day in the corner". Never heard that joke before.

[pollymaepry]

Whatever. This show's effing adorable as shit. "Work rhymes with jerk".

[littlegirltree]

Of all of the comedy shows that piled up on Thursday night, I enjoyed this one the most. Selma Blair has really surprised me, she's genuinely funny. I guess A Dirty Shame didn't do her (or anyone else) much justice...

[Garrett Gilchrist]

I disliked the original Australian show, I despise Molly Shannon, I think Selma Blair's kind of okay, the ads for this bugged the shit out of me ...

I shouldn't be posting in this thread, as my reaction is the wonderful "Disliking a show without seeing it."

[BillBrasky]

From Variety:

NBC’s “Kath & Kim” has become the latest frosh skein to score a full-season pickup.
The Peacock announced the back nine order Friday afternoon. Reveille and Universal Media Studios are behind the skein, which stars Molly Shannon and Selma Blair. “Kath & Kim” is based on the Australian laffer of the same name.

Peacock has aired four segs so far, averaging a 2.6 rating/6 share among adults 18-49. Show has also averaged 6 million viewers. “Kath” has retained all of its “My Name Is Earl” lead-in in those two measurements and has built by 4% with adults 18-34.

“Kath & Kim” revolves around a dim, self-absorbed mother and daughter duo. John Michael Higgins and Mikey Day also star.

Michelle Nader exec produces, along with Rick McKenna and original creators Gina Riley and Jane Turner. Riley and Turner starred in the Australian series.

[Truth Movement]

"Frosh Skein" has to be the ugliest sounding "industry term" I've ever heard.

[ArtsyMcShitshimself]

Seriously, Variety. This isn't the Hudsucker Proxy.

[jon]

Doesn't this happen every time Brasky posts a Variety article?

This is good news. I didn't enjoy last week's episode as much as the others, but there's a lot of growth potential with this show.

[KeithTalent]

Well the trades' stupid lingo is constantly horrible. Don't blame normal humans.

I can think of a few definitions for the word "skein" and none of them would make a lick of sense there.

[pollymaepry]

ok, enough.

selma blair is cute this show's cute watch it tomorrow (every tomorrow).
cxi2s-HC_TA

[KeithTalent]

Don't you enough me, lady.

I thought the first episode of this was torturous, I'm glad people on here kept saying it was good 'cause it's been pretty funny since. I'm still not in love with it but there's potential

[pmottaz]

I've kinda liked the show, but I can't love it completely.

It's a show without a center. It's got a cool, talented cast, funny characters. It's got too much pedigree to be completely blown off and horrible. Molly Shannon has reminded me why I liked her way back when.

But watching "Kath & Kim" is kinda like watching "Arrested Development" with no Michael. It's just Lindsay and George Sr. all the time. Just selfish, clueless dumb for twenty minutes.

I think the problem lies with Kath. It seems like she needs to either learn something about how to handle Kim, or she needs to be less cluelessly tacky all the time or something. And Kim's mean a lot and never gets any comeuppance for it, and I think that puts people off. She hates on Phil for really no reason other than "I'm mean so it's what I do."

But I'll jump right on the John Michael Higgins wagon. Phil Knight is outstanding. "Again... just between you, me and the beef..." He's on every time.

It's almost like they took the model of "Will & Grace" for this show: let's make a show where the two main characters aren't as enjoyable as the 2 side characters.