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 ...

[Batman The Horse]

[BillBrasky]

Watch the first episode

[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 B]

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, 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 B]

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/2008/1..._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/2008/1..._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.

[TacoSmith]

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