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List Price: $29.98 | | Label: Universal Studios
Salesrank: 11874
Released: July 7, 2009 |
| Our Price: $17.85 |
| Used Price: $15.62 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Molly Shannon (Saturday Night Live) and Selma Blair (Legally Blonde) bring their comedy talents to the sassy and fashionably funny series Kath & Kim. Kath (Shannon), a foxy 40-something, and Kim (Blair), a self-absorbed suburban princess, are forced to reevaluate their hilariously askew mother-daughter relationship when Kim moves home after just a few weeks of marriage. Join them in every fun Season One episode as they aspire to be just like the pop culture celebrities they love while dealing with the more down-to-earth men in their lives. Based on the successful Australian series of the same name comes this hilarious, tongue-in-cheek look at relationships that has plenty of outrageous style to spare!
Description of Kath & Kim - Season One:
The American version of Kath & Kim, based on the wildly successful Australian sitcom, owes as much to its talented lead actresses, Molly Shannon (Kath) and Selma Blair (Kim), as to its witty premise, and the combination makes the series a lovely guilty pleasure.
Mother (Kath) and daughter (Kim) are obsessed with celebrity culture and fancy themselves celeb wannabes in their own mall-centric world. Both actresses have perfected the red-carpet catwalk, for instance, with the perfect hair-toss, which nobody but each other--and the viewer--really notices. One of the best bits about the two leads is their penchant for mangling words as they put on airs (think Archie Bunker meets Married with Children…). The malapropos alone make the series worth watching. In making some silly point, Kath declares, in her closing line: "Ipso fatso." Argument won. But if Kath and Kim are shallower than the Los Angeles River, they do have big hearts underneath--which gives the series its balance.
Extras include deleted scenes, a gag reel that's truly over-the-top, and spot-on commentary by stars Shannon, Blair, Mikey Day, and John Michael Higgins, as well as the show's executive producers and writers. A lot of talent goes into making these women so perfectly dim. --A.T. Hurley "
Kath & Kim - Season One Reviews:
I LOVE this show so much 
2009-08-20 - First I'll just say that I have never seen the Australian version, so I'm making no comparisons with that when I view this show. That said, I think this show is absolutely hilarious!
The humor in this show definitely appeals to a certain sensibility, but I totally get it (a lot of the jokes have a Will and Grace-y vibe). It's a celebration of the suburban life and all that entails (the mall, sales at the Z Gallerie, caring about Suri Cruise's latest haircut, spoiled adult children who won't leave the nest). Kath's style including her home decor (the entire episode "Home" is a nod to Kath's wonderfully bad taste), her clothes, the taste in hairstyles (the flying wedge, cough, cough), are campy and really make the show. If Manhattan was the 5th character of Sex and the City, then Kath's "style" and the world she's created using it, is arguably 5th character on this show. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but this show is almost a validation of my own sad suburban life ; )
I think the actors really make this show great. Molly Shannon is wonderful, and it's obvious the character was created specifically for her (the woman who adapted this version from the original Australian one says as much in the DVD commentary). I can't imagine anyone else playing the part. Phil is a riot and Craig's good-hearted bumbling grows on you. Honestly, I think Selma Blair probably adds the least to the show. She's not bad, but where Molly Shannon is Kath, I could see Kim's character being played by any number of people.
I could see how this show might not appeal to everyone, but for me, it hits all the right notes.
Watch the Original 
2009-08-18 - I made it through about ten minutes of the American version. Kim actually caring about Kath? That was enough. Do as I did and get yourself a region-free dvd player and watch the original Kath and Kim. In researching a region free player you wouldn't believe the reviews I ran across from people who bought theirs just to watch the REAL Kath and Kim.
Pales in comparison to the Aussie version 
2009-07-23 - Why is it that Americans need everything americanised so they can digest it? In the process they end up ripping out the heart and soul of the original show. Do American's struggle to comprehend foreign humour? I hope not. Please America open your minds to something outside your small world. First we had the great british series "The Office" given the american treatment and now the Aussie series "Kath & Kim". The original series are much better. What next??? An american version of Fawlty Towers because americans don't get it? Ha Ha. What would be their chances on improving on that?
Love to laugh?
2009-07-09 - This show was very witty. You need an open mind, and able catch the slight humor in some things instead of always obvious humor. It's a major disappointment about the show being canceled. Had great writers. If you like this show, you would like Carpoolers. No idea if Carpoolers is on DVD yet, it only lasted a season as well. :(
Too Bad 
2009-06-15 - The original Kath & Kim in AU is hella funny, easily beats anything on American airwaves for the last decade now but the US adaptation was painful for several reasons:
A) Selma Blair -- She is not a comedic actress and it showed. Her horrific performance dragged the showed down, especially those stupid, childish faces she made. Very badly cast.
B) "Brett" -- In the AU version Brett (the boyfriend) is the sane one who balances the act. If everyone is serious it isn't funny. If everyone is outlandish and out there, it isn't funny as there is no grounding to give proper perspective. In the US version "Brett" is just as stupid as Kath, Kim and "Kel" and there is no grounding of reality in the show that balances the performance. A good example is "Will & Grace," the entire cast make the show as they all balance each other, there was no balance in the characters. Very badly developed character.
C) Where are the smokes?
At the end of every K&K AU they end with a cigarette in the backyard. In the episode where Kim's daughter is getting married they even make reference to the growing oppression of the smoking community... Why didn't they smoke in the US version? A total sell out of the show. And while you may argue, well it's just a cigarette, it isn't... It's apart of the character and make up of Kath and Kim as well as their careless zaneyness.
Additionally, Kath and Kim are both far more selfish in the AU version as where in the US version they are more loving and caring. Stupidity does not make up for the selfishness of Kath and Kim.
The greatest issue simply is the show being wrongly cast as well as a lack of balance between the characters that left the show with no grounding in reality which easily sucks any humor up.
As painful to watch as this K&K was I didn't want to see it go off the air for despite it's shortcomings and how Hollywood mangled this show I did enjoy it nonetheless and we have a severe lack of sitcoms on the air as it is. (Also, the AU K&K airs at 8 episodes a season and has yet to even shoot the 5 season so that is a measly 32 episodes which just isn't enough).
The DVD boxset itself I cannot review at this time or recommend buying. Too many boxsets are being released with edited shows (Will & Grace, Roseanne season 1) or overly compressed content or crappy packaging (King of the Hill, Simpsons season 11). In any of those events I refuse to buy so we'll see.
