Now we are both fully caught up with the original series and have no need to watch the US version anymore. Again, the US version is a’ight, I guess but it cannot hold a candle to the original OZ version. Now all we have to do is wait for the next season of new eps ;) As much as I kinda wanted to go out last night … it just wasn’t meant to be.

But tonight, we are deffo braving the cold and venturing out … we have tickets to see Billy Elliot the Musical on Broadway. We wanted to see Billy Elliot when we were in London, England over the Summer but it didn’t work out … and since this will be my last trip to NYC for a long time, well, I wanted to squeeze in a Broadway show while I had the time. It should be fun … I’ve heard great things.

NBC’s “Kath & Kim” has become the latest frosh [series] to score a full-season pickup. Peacock announced the back nine order Friday afternoon. Reveille and Universal Media Studios are behind the skein, which stars Molly Shannon and Selma Blair. “Kath & Kim” is based on the Australian laffer of the same name. Peacock has aired four segs so far, averaging a 2.6 rating and 6 share among adults 18-49. Show has also averaged 6 million viewers. “Kath” has retained all of its “My Name is Earl” lead-in in those two measurements, and has built by 4 percent with adults 18-34. In announcing the pickup, NBC Entertainment exec VP Teri Weinberg said the net has “incredible confidence” in the show’s auspices and that NBC believes “it’s a perfect fit with our Thursday night comedies.”

While I admit that I am not totally wowed by the US version of Kath & Kim, I have been tuning in weekly and have been enjoying the show thus far. Again, it’s not as riotously funny as the original but it does provide some good chuckles and manages to keep me coming back for more. This week’s episode was the first ep of the remake to be directly based on one of the original Aussie eps. Based on the original episode Money, this week’s episode was an American re-telling of that ep. I’m not sure if NBC plans to continue basing their eps on old eps but it’s an interesting idea. Additionally, this week’s ep featured an appearance by an actor named Mike Naughton who is a childhood friend of my friend Mark back home in Detroit:

Mike tends to show up randomly in TV shows (like The Office and Friends) and commercials … it is always a treat to see him on TV. It really sounds like NBC has put a lot of faith and money in Kath & Kim and they aren’t ready to throw in the towel just yet. I’ve always said that, with enough time, the show may be able to find its audience. With a full season of eps on the way, that might actually happen. I know I’ll keep watching. Are any of y’all tuning in?

[Source]

The American version of hit Aussie TV comedy Kath + Kim has failed to impress Antipodean viewers – it has been dropped from schedules after just two episodes. Actress Selma Blairand U.S. funnywoman Molly Shannon play the role of the dysfunctional mother and daughter duo in the American adaptation of the award-winning series. But Australia’s Channel 7 has pulled the show from its primetime slot after the second episode viewing figures plummeted to 729,000 after a promising 1.23 million debut. The network has put the show into “resting” – meaning it will be held until the Australian summer (Nov-Jan08), when Aussie TV returns to its non-ratings period. And as a further blow, the original Kath + Kim will replace its American counterpart. A spokesperson for Channel 7 says, “The figures didn’t stand up for its second outing. For people who want to see more of the U.S. episodes they will return later this year.”

Oh snap! That is not good. In all honesty, tho, it makes sense that Aussie audiences might be turned off by a remake of a series that is still so highly regarded. I believe the third season of the original Kath & Kim just aired last year. For them, a new remake might not make sense so soon. Unfortch for NBC, US audiences aren’t really taking to the show either. After scoring pretty good ratings in its debut week, Kath & Kim suffered a 20% loss of viewership by week two:

The American sitcom based on Australia’s foxy duo from Fountain Lakes last night suffered a 20 per cent slide in its ratings in the US from last week’s better-than expected debut on TV network NBC. Millions of Americans opted to switch channels rather than stomach Kath and Kim’s second episode, with reality show Survivor on CBS and Ugly Betty on ABC easily winning the time slot. Only six million Americans tuned in to Kath & Kim’s second episode, compared to 7.5 million in its premiere week. US magazine, Entertainment Weekly, described it as a “rough evening” for NBC. “Kim was down from its solid premiere the previous week,” entertainment industry bible, Variety, reported. NBC is airing Kath and Kim, starring US actresses Molly Shannon and Selma Blair, as part of its Thursday night comedy block of sitcoms and the network suffered declines across the board … American critics largely savaged the NBC show, with the New York Post describing it as the “worst idea for an import from the land Down Under since Vegemite”.

NBC isn’t doing very well overall so mebbe the straits aren’t quite so dire for Kath & Kim here in the US just yet. I’ve been watching the show and while I think it’s cute, I wouldn’t necessarily call it funny. Well, mebbe that’s not entirely true … I do find myself laughing out loud at times but I am still comparing it the riotously funnier original. The show is still very new and mebbe once it hit it’s stride it’ll do better. NBC just picked up their remake of Knight Rider for a full season of eps. I stopped watching that mess after the second episode (IMHO, it’s really bad, y’all) … so if they can take a chance on that show then they should deffo take a chance on Kath & Kim. Have any of y’all been watching the show? What do you think … keep it or cancel it?

[Photo credit: INFdaily; Source, Source]

I actually considered hanging around for a bit so that I could give Molly Shannon and Selma Blair a piece of my mind but … meh, I just went home instead. Grrr … I can forgive most things but if you eff with my cheese fries, you’re pretty much dead to me.

Tonight is Britney Night at Tiger Heat and Darion suggested that we venture out to check it out … I think I may take him up on the offer. I’ve not been out on the town in quite a while and I have a hard time saying no to anything Britney related … so we’ll see. I might have to sate my hunger at Outback before I go tho … we’ll see.

At least I’m relieved to see that the US version of the series will showcase Kim’s love of thong underwear … on that account, I can breathe a hefty sigh of relief. After the jump, check out this latest Kath & Kim promo video and judge for yourself …

Those familiar with the original Australian version of Kath & Kim know that each ep ends with mother and daughter engaging in a little banter on the back patio (or lanai, if you will) at the close of each episode. It appears that the new US version of the series will be doing the same. This is a good sign, I think. You may recall that we recently got to see new video promos for the show and new pics from filming of the series. All this new Kath & Kim stuff just keeps adding to the anticipation for me. I can’t wait to see this new incarnation of the show … for better or worse, I’m curious as hell. Still no word if the character of Sharon Karen Strzelecki will make it in the new US version … that should determine if NBC has made a fatal error or not.

[Source]

You may recall that I recently posted a few promo vid clips of the new US version of Kath & Kim which give us a good feel for what’s in store with this new incarnation of the show. It’s really hard to judge comedy from just pics like these so I am still reserving judgment on the show until it debuts on NBC this October. I dunno tho … there seems to be an awful lot of American Apparel being used in this new series. I don’t know if that is a good thing or a bad thing.

[Photo credit: Splash News]

Nachos:

[Source]

Yeah, she doesn’t look tragic enough to me. Kim should be a bit more overweight and much more desperate-looking but, again, we prolly shouldn’t judge the US version of the show on mere pictures. I’ve seen a few new promos for the show that have been airing during NBC’s Olympic Games broadcasts and I caught myself laughing a few times so … I guess we’ll still have to wait and see. I just hope that they dumb Selma down a lot for the show … she can pull off the character … I know it. Am I right or is the show just doomed from the start?

[Photo credit: INFdaily]

I’ve been a fan of Kath & Kim, the Australian series, for about a year now but haven’t really been able to watch all of the eps available here in the US. Darion hooked me up with the first 3 seasons and I watched the entire first season on my flight to NY last night. OMG, seriously, it’s the funniest show eva! I don’t know how the US version of Kath & Kim is going to be able to top it since the original is already brills. The US version of the show is already having a few probs, the first ep wasn’t received well and the show is already undergoing retooling. I’m deffo gonna give the US version a try but I’d be happy with just enjoying the Aussie version :)

On my flight, I also got more than halfway thru Twilight so I got a lot accomplished. Tonight, I have a fun little adventure planned for me and David … but we’re gonna keep things chill over the coming days until we leave for London on Wednesday night.