We’re staying with comedy this week as we take a look at Life With Kat & McKay. This one isn’t completely off the rails like the Safety Geeks, but it does bring its own brand of crazy. It’s a crazy that is rooted in the simplest of story origins. Boy meets girl. Everything about how Kat (Jenna Finley) and McKay (Paul Haitkin) meet is so sweet and cute. It could have been the beginning of a storybook romance. But then, where’s the fun in that? No, from those sweet beginnings, creator Sandra J. Payne quickly points this train downhill, and the crazy begins.
We see the signs of trouble ahead even as Kat and Mckay are meeting. Kat’s best friend, Tiffany (Pamela Joy Walworth), introduces the pair. Unfortunately, the lovebirds hit it off before Tiffany can let Kat know that she’s into McKay. So she’s not exactly on board. McKay’s best friend, Gabe (Ryan Smith) isn’t really offering any help. Aside from the fact that he’s less than thrilled with the idea, Kat’s not a Gabe fan. And all of that is still much better than the reactions the union brings from their mothers.
They’re both a little crazy, but in completely different ways. McKay’s mother, Belinda (Marie Del Marco, who was also in Safety Geeks!), is Doris Day gone wrong, and just can’t let go. McKay is still her baby boy, and she’s dead set against Kat from jump street. After all, Kat’s rich and she can’t cook. How could McKay possibly marry her? Kat’s mother, Sharyn (Gabrielle McCrossin), is anything but a Doris Day. You’ll find her on the cover of the current issue of Cougar Bait. Still, she’s no more thrilled with the relationship than Belinda. Her reaction to hearing of Kat’s engagement goes from, “No… have I taught you anything?” to, “Is he rich?” Then she starts talking about an intervention.
There is some semblance of sanity from the fathers. McKay’s father, Doyle (Dean Gosdin) is the voice of reason that tries to keep Belinda in check. And Kat’s father, Will (Jim Garrity) is going along for the ride, although that has more to do with the fact that he can’t tell his little princess no than anything else. It all makes for a crazy world where you find yourself rooting for Kat and McKay as one obstacle after another gets tossed in their way.
As we bounce through their romance, this off kilter sit-com is full of great moments. My favorite comes in episode 4. Kat’s first meeting with Belinda, when she’s invited over for dinner, goes about as well as you would expect. I just love the scene as everyone’s eyes dart around the table in response to Kat not eating Belinda’s cooking. I’ll skip ahead and embed that one below, but you can see all of the episodes at blip.tv. And you can get a bunch more information on the series over at the main site, purse dog tv.
Finally, for those of you in the greater Los Angeles area, the fine folks of Life With Kat & McKay will be joining the teams that bring you Safety Geeks SVI, Gold: the series, and Space Hospital for a special IAWTV screening this Friday. More information is available on facebook.
Clacked by Brett Love 
on Feb 17, 2010 @ 10:00 EST5EDT
