I hesitate to admit it, but I have seen just about every episode of Kath & Kim so far. My excuse is that it’s between two shows that I actually enjoy: My Name is Earl and The Office. Beyond that, I feel like there is a good show somewhere under the surface, just wanting to get out.
The talent on the show is great – all four principles are funny and talented, but this material … I just don’t get it. I’ve already complained about the bizarre voice overs. That’s not the only thing that bothers me, though. I think I have pinpointed why this show just isn’t working for me….
It seems to me like Kath & Kim, the show, is really just making fun of Kath and Kim, the characters. Maybe this is what they are going for, but when a show doesn’t embrace and love their characters, it’s bound to fail.
It’s perfectly normal to poke fun at your main characters. My Name is Earl is a perfect example of this. The characters are portrayed as halfwits and sluts, but there’s a lot of heart in the show, and at the end of the day you come out really liking the characters – even Joy.
I feel like Kath & Kim is the complete opposite. The show presents these four cartoonish characters and seems to take joy in relentlessly making fun of them, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot likable about them. Kim is pretty much a detestable human being. I like Selma Blair, and I think she is better than she is showing in this role, but is there anything redeemable about Kim?
Kath isn’t too much better. Certainly she’s not as downright mean as Kim, and Molly Shannon is talented. The character just falls flat for me. It’s like Kath & Kim just wants to show how ridiculous and silly Kath is instead of showing us that she is a lovable and good person who is just very quirky.
Quirk is really hard to get right, and I think Kath & Kim is a great example of how it can fail. One of the quirkiest shows I can remember was the beloved Arrested Development. The characters on that show really were horrible people, but how could you not love lying, drinking Lucille, the head of the family? Heck, all of the characters were lovable, from ambitious magician (sorry, illusionist) Gob to self-centered princess Lindsay. Maybe instead of wasting my time with Kath & Kim, I’ll start re-watching my Arrested Development DVDs.
What do you guys (and gals) think of Kath & Kim so far? Do you like it? Do you see any potential?
Clacked by Bob Degon
on Nov 30, 2008 @ 14:18 EST5EDT
I watch Kath & Kim every week – and I actually don’t watch the two shows that surround it – and I think it’s hilarious. I think it’s been improving, but you have to give it some time to develop. It’s rare that a show starts out perfectly right out of the gate. But there are things going on in the background of some scenes too or some subtle gags that you might not catch. A couple of weeks ago when Kath was planning her wedding and Kim told her to elope, Kath said, “We can’t elope” and she was holding a cantaloupe in her hand. Then right after that Kath had something on her teeth and she was using her finger to wipe them and there was this horrible screeching sound that coincided with that which turned out to be Kim’s friend opening the sliding glass door but it seemed like it was Kath’s teeth cleaning. It’s like they’re throwing in some “Police Squad!” stuff to see if anyone notices. It might be silly and over-the-top but I laughed like a fool. But I have grown to really enjoy the show and embrace the characters and I think given time, the writers will be able to strike that balance between loving and loathing them. And if they keep up the “Police Squad!” style gags too, that’s fine by me.