Kath and Kim Season 1

WARNING: THIS IS AN ACTUAL REVIEW

I am saying this because I feel people aren't talking about this show enough. I am also saying all this knowing that it is a remake, and that is sticky territory to deal with. That being said: You should be watching Kath and Kim. To put this show more in a frame, the show plays off more like King of The Hill than The Office. Where the office plays more in situation and how their characters deal (which is great I'm not discrediting it)- Kath and Kim and King of the Hill revel more in the stereotype and arch of the characters first, and let the story play out highlighting the over-the-topness and furthering into the depth of the character. (Basically I just said Kath and Kim is all character based). But Kath and Kim, unlike King of the Hill, is not animated therefore the fact they are pulling this off is brilliant. These performances are something to be in awe of. Think Christopher Guest movies, in how performances are played so understated, where the jokes come from behind the depth of the performance. Molly Shannon brings her classic energy to the naive-classy-trash-mom, while Selma Blair adds a dark dimension to the spoiled brat stereotype. And then you have John Michael Higgins- playing very much the Tobias Funke role (even the same innuendo joke)- having literally everything he says is funny, and you don't know who Mikey Day is but man can he find the meat of a of a joke in a sentence. The trick is with them, is to never let goofiness show and to let the joke of the stereotype  grow on you to an ownership level bond with them. And this show is hard to get into, because it just jumps in with regards for setting the audience up. If you just watch the show once, you get a weird taste of the tone, and you completely miss the depth and heart in each of the performances. Cuz that is the show's wheelhouse. Story, costume, setting all add to it- but the brilliance of this show lies within the character in context.

Favorite line: Phil, unaware that the girl at his bachelor party is an exotic dancer, asks the girl about her background, Craig tells Phil that she is a stripper. "She-is-not-a-stripper. She-is-a GUEST in this house"

I told you to watch it: When the season was over