''Kath & Kim'' (also written as ''Kath and Kim'') is an Australian

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

originally airing in the prime-time slot on

ABC Television ABC Television most commonly refers to: *ABC Television Network of the American Broadcasting Company, United States, or *ABC Television (Australian TV network), a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia ABC Television or ABC ...

from 2002 to 2005 and subsequently on the

Seven Network Seven Network (stylised 7Network, and commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is an Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, ...

in 2007 and 2022. The show was produced by Riley and Turner Productions, the firm of

Jane Turner Jane Turner (born 1 December 1960) is an Australian actress, comedian and Logie Award-winning comedy series creator and screenwriter. She is widely known for her role as Kath in the TV sitcom ''Kath and Kim''. Career Jane Turner, although ...

and

Gina Riley Gina Riley (born 6 May 1961) is a retired Australian actress, writer, singer and comedian, known for portraying Kim Craig in the television series '' Kath & Kim'', and for her work in musical theatre. Career Television and film Riley became a ...

, who star as the titular characters of

Kath Day-Knight Kathleen "Kath" Darleen Day-Knight (formerly Poole) is a fictional character featured in the Australian Television show, television series ''Kath & Kim'' and is portrayed by Jane Turner. Her character has appeared on multiple Australian comedy ...

, a cheery, middle-aged suburban mother, and

Kim Craig Kimberly Diane "Kim" Craig (née Day) is the moody, immature and accident-prone daughter in the Australian sitcom ''Kath & Kim'', portrayed by Gina Riley. Along with co-star Jane Turner who plays Kim's onscreen mother Kath Day-Knight, Riley is the ...

, her narcissistic daughter. Additional cast members include

Glenn Robbins Glenn Maxwell Robbins (born 30 December 1957) is an Australian comedian, writer, actor, television and radio presenter. He is best known for '' The Comedy Company'', portraying Kel Knight in ''Kath & Kim'' and adventurer Russell Coight in '' A ...

as Kel Knight, Kath's

metrosexual Metrosexual (a portmanteau of '' metropolitan'' and '' heterosexual'') is a term for a man who is especially meticulous about his personal style, grooming and appearance. It is often used to refer to heterosexual men who are perceived to be 'ef ...

boyfriend (later husband);

Peter Rowsthorn Peter Rowsthorn may refer to: *Peter Rowsthorn (actor) Peter Rowsthorn (born 9 February 1963) is an Australian stand-up comedian, actor, writer, producer, MC, host and theatre. Early life and education Rowsthorn attended Trinity Grammar Scho ...

as Brett Craig, Kim's henpecked husband; and her lonely "second-best friend"

Magda Szubanski Magdalene Mary Therese Szubanski ( ; born 12 April 1961) is an Australian comedy actress, author, singer and LGBT rights advocate. She performed in '' Fast Forward'', '' Kath & Kim'' as Sharon Strzelecki and in the films '' Babe'' (1995) and ...

as Sharon Strzelecki. The series is set in Fountain Lakes, a fictional suburb of

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

. The series received highly positive reviews from critics, who praised the humor and cast performances, particularly of Turner and Riley. Aside from the television series which comprises four seasons, the franchise also includes a

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

, ''

Da Kath & Kim Code ''Da Kath & Kim Code'' is a 2005 Australian comedy telemovie of the television series '' Kath & Kim''. After three seasons of ''Kath & Kim'' (2002–2004), Gina Riley and Jane Turner initially planned to take 2005 off from television. But in ...

'' (2005), and a feature film, ''

Kath & Kimderella ''Kath & Kimderella'' is a 2012 Australian film. It is a spin-off of the television series ''Kath & Kim'', created by Gina Riley and Jane Turner. It was written by and stars Riley, Turner and Magda Szubanski. The film was released theatrically ...

'' (2012). The series also spawned a short-lived American remake, which ran for 17 episodes between 2008 and 2009. A two-part special to mark its 20th anniversary, titled ''Kath & Kim: Our Effluent Life'' and ''Kath and Kim: 20 Preposterous Years'', was screened on 20–21 November 2022.

Premise

''Kath & Kim'' follows the day-to-day Australian suburban life of

(

), her only child Kimberly (Kim) Diane Craig née Day (

), Kim's husband and Computa City salesman, Brett Craig (

), Kath's love interest and eventual husband who works as a " purveyor of fine meats", Kel Knight (

), and long-time family friend Sharon Strzelecki (

). Storylines follow the characters' day-to-day lives, and document their personal struggles and the banality of their achievements and aspirations. ''Kath & Kim'' satirises the mother-daughter relationship and the habits and values of modern suburban Australians, and emphasises the kitsch and superficial elements of contemporary society, particularly the traditional working class which has progressed to a level of affluence (or "effluence" as the show's title characters would have it) which previous generations had been unable to achieve. Despite this affluence, good taste and a sense of cultural sophistication still eludes the show's characters. They visit places such as the

Westfield Fountain Gate Westfield Fountain Gate is a super-regional shopping centre located in Narre Warren in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. It is the second largest shopping centre in Australia by both floor area and number of anchor tenants. Ho ...

(some parts filmed at

Westfield Southland Westfield Southland (previously known as Southland Centre) is a shopping centre in the suburb of Cheltenham, Victoria, Cheltenham in Melbourne, Australia. Southland has a floor area of 129,180m², making it one of the biggest shopping centres in ...

), the local

IKEA IKEA ( , ) is a Multinational corporation, multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in Sweden that designs and sells , household goods, and various related services. IKEA is owned and operated by a series of not-for-profit an ...

Target Target may refer to: Warfare and shooting * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artille ...

and various local restaurants. It also occasionally mocks Australian and international mass popular culture, such as popular reality television shows ''

Big Brother Big Brother may refer to: * a brother senior in birth order Literature * Big Brother (''Nineteen Eighty-Four''), a character from George Orwell's novel ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' * ''Big Brother'' (magazine), a skateboarding culture magazine * ' ...

'' and ''

Australian Idol ''Australian Idol'' is an Australian singing competition, which began its first season in July 2003 and ended its initial run in November 2009. As part of the ''Idol'' franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program '' Pop Id ...

''. It sometimes makes statements about Australian politics. The crass and embarrassing behaviour of the characters, and their gaudy, out-dated retro fashion sense are popular features of the show. Processed and widely recognised Australian foods, such as Jatz crackers,

Tim Tam Tim Tam is a brand of chocolate biscuit introduced by the Australian biscuit company Arnott's Biscuits Holdings in 1964. It consists of two malted biscuits separated by a light hard chocolate cream filling and coated in a thin layer of textur ...

s and Fruche yoghurt are frequently referenced in the series. Most episodes end with Kath and Kim sitting in Kath's back yard, chatting about issues related to the episode. Sometimes these chats help to complete the story which was told during the episode. This final element is accompanied by the show's credits.

Cast and characters

Main cast

– A middle aged suburban woman who strives to keep herself fit. *

– Kath's 20-something year old daughter who is known for being lazy and extremely self-centred. *

as Sharon Strzelecki – Kim's "second-best friend", described as very lonely and unlucky in love and a sports enthusiast. *

as Kel Knight – Kath's boyfriend and later husband, a metrosexual man who is a local "purveyor of fine meats" *

as Brett Craig – Kim's henpecked husband whom she refers to as a "complete dud".

Recurring cast

* Gina Riley as Robin, dance instructor * Zara Harrington, Emma Le Boeuf and Makayla Berkers as Epponnee-Rae Craig – Kim's baby (series 2, episode 8 and onwards), and Morghyne de Vries played her as a young girl in the movie. * Jane Turner and Gina Riley as Prue and Trude, two snobby women who work in a homewares store (8 episodes,

TV movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a terrest ...

, plus movie) *

Marg Downey Marg Downey (born 5 May 1961) is an Australian comedian and actress, best known for her roles in '' The D Generation'', '' Fast Forward'' and '' Full Frontal'' Early life and education Downey grew up in a middle-class Catholic family in the Me ...

as Marion, a new-age marriage celebrant and counsellor (6 episodes + movie) *

Mick Molloy Michael Molloy (born 11 July 1966) is an Australian comedian, writer, producer, actor and television and radio presenter who has been active in radio, television, stand-up and film. He currently hosts '' The Front Bar'' on the Seven Network. ...

as Gary Poole, Kim's father (2 episodes, plus movie) *

William McInnes Darryl William McInnes (born 10 September 1963) is an Australian film and television actor and writer. He is best known for his roles as Senior Constable Nick Schultz in ''Blue Heelers'', as Max Connors in '' SeaChange'', and more recently as ...

(credited as Rock Hampton) as Sandy Freckle, long-time friend of Kel (2 episodes) * Tony Martin as Mark, romantic interest of Sharon (4 episodes) *

Peta Brady Peta Brady (born 1972) is an Australian actress, known for her role as Cody Willis in ''Neighbours''. Early life Brady first gravitated towards acting and writing during her high school years, where she wrote some scenes for a school producti ...

as Kelly, Brett's supervisor at work (4 episodes, plus

) *

Mark Trevorrow Mark Trevorrow (born 4 February 1959 in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria) is an Australian comedian, television host and media personality. In the early 1980s he had two Top 40 hits as part of Globos with Wendy De Waal, and in 1984, h ...

as Daryl Lee, a camp man who works in a menswear shop (3 episodes, plus

). Trevorrow also plays a similar character in the movie. * Luke Lennox as Brodie (1 episode, plus

) *

Matt Lucas Matthew Richard Lucas (born 5 March 1974) is an English actor, comedian, writer and television host. He is best known for his work with David Walliams on the BBC sketch comedy series ''Little Britain (TV series), Little Britain'' (2003–2006) ...

as Karen, Sharon's maternal half-sister (2 episodes) * Shivantha Wijesinha as Imran (2 episodes)

Guest cast

Several guest stars are well-known Australian comedy performers, some of whom previously worked with Turner or Riley. Bublé and

Lucas Lucas or LUCAS may refer to: People * Lucas (surname) * Lucas (given name) Arts and entertainment * Luca Family Singers, or the Lucas, a 19th-century African-American singing group * Lucas, a 1960s Swedish pop group formed by Janne Lucas Perss ...

were fans of the show and asked to appear in it.

Humphries Humphries is a surname, and may refer to: * Barry Humphries (1934–2023), Australian comedian, creator of characters Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson * Carla Humphries (born 1988), American-born Filipina actress and commercial model, also ...

declared himself a fan of the series before taking part.

Episodes

Overview

The storyline of the first series follows Kath's engagement and plans for her wedding to Kel. Kim frequently stays in her mother's house owing to her rocky relationship with Brett (most of which is due to her own childish, spoilt, and rude behaviour towards Brett). Sharon's always around with a helping hand and her own relationship problems. Her history with Brett is also explored. The second series follows Kim's pregnancy and her rekindled relationship with Brett. Kath and Kel's relationship goes through some teething troubles. Kim and Brett have a baby in the final episode of the second series whom they name Epponnee Raelene Kathleen Darlene Charlene Craig, shortened to Epponnee Rae. Several episodes of the third series focus on Epponnee Rae. The third-season finale features an adult Epponnee Rae, played by

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...

Production

Development

The characters of Kath, Kim (created by Riley and Turner) and Sharon (created and played by

) first featured in their current forms during the mid-1990s as a weekly segment of the Australian comedy series ''

Big Girl's Blouse ''Big Girl's Blouse'' was an Australian sketch comedy programme that was broadcast in the mid-1990s on the Seven Network, created by Gina Riley, Jane Turner and Magda Szubanski. Early versions of the trio's '' Kath & Kim'' characters, Kath, ...

'' (Seven, 1994–95), having appeared in a more embryonic incarnation earlier in the decade on the sketch comedy show ''Fast Forward'' (Seven, 1989–92). They also appeared in '' Something Stupid'' (Seven, 1998). Robbins had also appeared on ''Fast Forward'', while Rowsthorn and Robbins had previously worked together on ''

The Comedy Company ''The Comedy Company'' is an Australian sketch comedy television series that aired from 16 February 1988 until 11 November 1990 on Network Ten. It was created and directed by cast member Ian McFadyen, and co-directed and produced by Jo Lane. Th ...

''. The skits were developed by Riley and Turner into a full series. ''Big Girl's Blouse'' had been deemed a failure by the ABC head of comedy Geoff Portman who wanted to pull ''Kath and Kim''. But it was championed by Sandra Levy the ABC Head of Television so ''Kath and Kim'' had the distinction for a comedy show of being produced by the drama department, and was loved by a very broad audience, including the "suburban people" it parodied. The name of the series "Kath and Kim" is a

pun A pun, also known as a paronomasia in the context of linguistics, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from t ...

of the idiom

kith and kin Kith or KITH may refer to: Business *Kith (brand), New York streetwear company Radio * KITH (FM), a radio station of Hawaii, United States Science fiction * Kith (Poul Anderson), a spacefaring civilization featured in a number of stories by Ameri ...

which is an old fashioned idiom for 'friends and family'. Twenty-four episodes lasting approximately twenty-five minutes each across three seasons aired on ABC TV from 2002 to 2004. The series debuted on 15 May 2002 on the ABC Network with "Sex" and became one of the highest-rated shows for ABC. A replacement of a full series occurred in 2005 with the telemovie ''

''. The fourth season of ''Kath & Kim'' began airing on the Seven Network on 19 August 2007, due to the contract expiring with

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

. In late 2009, they announced that writing had begun on season 5, but by May 2010, Turner said: "We sort of felt like it was the end two years ago. We thought, 'We've done enough and the well is dry and we can't think of any more ideas' ... We think we might just leave it for now."

Writing

The alternative vocabulary including the mixed

metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide, or obscure, clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are usually meant to cr ...

hypercorrection In sociolinguistics, hypercorrection is the nonstandard use of language that results from the overapplication of a perceived rule of language-usage prescription. A speaker or writer who produces a hypercorrection generally believes through a ...

malapropism A malapropism (; also called a malaprop, acyrologia or Dogberryism) is the incorrect use of a word in place of a word with a similar sound, either unintentionally or for comedic effect, resulting in a nonsensical, often humorous utterance. An exam ...

eggcorn An eggcorn is the alteration of a word or phrase through the mishearing or reinterpretation of one or more of its elements,, sense 2 creating a new phrase which is plausible when used in the same context. Thus, an eggcorn is an unexpectedly fitti ...

s (like "ravishing" instead of "ravenous"), and mis-pronunciations of the regular characters are much repeated by the show's fans. These include: "Look at moy" (look at me)—used by Kath to command attention during arguments, and "It's noice, different and unusual"—used by Kath, Kim and Sharon to express approval or agreement.

Filming

Kath's home, known as "Chateau Kath", was within the fictionalised suburb of Fountain Lakes, and served as the central filming location for the series. The home, located in

Patterson Lakes, Victoria Patterson Lakes is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, south-east of Melbourne's Melbourne City Centre, Central Business District, located within the City of Kingston Local government areas of Victoria, local gov ...

, 35 km east of Melbourne, was originally rented by ABC during the entire run of the series, and chosen for its likeness to Sylvania Waters. The property backs onto a canal, which ABC fenced off during filming in order for it to look more suburban. It was sold in 2016 for $1,485,000. The house was demolished in July 2022. Other footage was filmed around the Melbourne suburbs of

Cheltenham Cheltenham () is a historic spa town and borough adjacent to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the mo ...

and

Moorabbin Moorabbin is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 15 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Kingston local government area. Moorabbin recorded a population of 6,287 at the . Most of the e ...

; scenes set at Fountain Gate were actually filmed at

Costuming

Second-hand shops were used for Kath's clothing, whereas Kim was dressed in current trends.

Theme music and opening titles

The theme music for ''Kath and Kim'' is performed by

and is a cover of

Anthony Newley Anthony Newley (24 September 1931 – 14 April 1999) was an English actor, director, comedian, singer, and composer. A "latter-day British Al Jolson", he achieved widespread success in song, and on stage and screen. "One of Broadway's greatest ...

's "

The Joker The Joker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, the character first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' on ...

", performed in the style of

Shirley Bassey Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the James Bond music, theme songs to three James Bond films - the only artist to officially perform more than o ...

's recording of the song. A reworked recording of its debut in the telemovie opening sequence, was utilised for the show's run on the Seven Network. The title sequence shows the main five regular characters over a white background. In season 3, it was amended to include Epponnee-Rae and Cujo, before switching to a revised version of the previous sequence for the Seven Network run, where Cujo was retained. The five regular cast members are then credited over aerial shots of suburban houses (Szubanski is credited as a "special guest" despite appearing in every episode) before fading into an aerial shot of Kath and Kim's house (some episodes replace it with an aerial shot of the mall, while the episode "The Wedding" replaced it with a ground-level shot of a hospital).

Broadcast

''Kath & Kim'' was broadcast Thursday nights at 8.30 pm throughout its run on ABC, while Seven Network aired the series Sunday nights at 7.30 pm. The series premiered in the United Kingdom in April 2004, when it was broadcast on the now-defunct subscription channel

LivingTV Sky Witness is a British pay television channel owned and operated by Sky, a division of Comcast. The channel primarily broadcasts procedural dramas from the United States aimed at the 18–45 age demographic. Sky Italia broadcasts an Italia ...

, and later on Ftn. It made its

terrestrial television Terrestrial television, or over-the-air television (OTA) is a type of television broadcasting in which the content is signal transmission, transmitted via radio waves from the terrestrial (Earth-based) transmitter of a TV station to a TV rece ...

debut when it screened on

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...

from 12 May 2005. The fourth season has never been broadcast in the UK, but did premiere when it was made available on

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

. In 2017, the rights to the series were acquired by the

Nine Network Nine Network (stylised 9Network, and commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of the five main free-to-air television ...

which began airing repeats of the series from 1 August 2017 until 21 November 2017. In 2018, the series was released on Netflix in several regions, as well as the films and TV specials. In July 2019, the series was launched onto Netflix in Australia as well as the Kountdown Specials and Souvenir Editions. In 2022, to mark its 20th anniversary the

began airing repeats of the series from 29 September 2022.

Reception

Ratings

''Kath & Kim'' premiered on 16 May 2002 and became one of

's highest-rated shows. When the show premiered on the

, it became the highest-rating episode in Australian television history, until the record was broken by

's '' Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities'' on 9 February 2009. The fourth season of ''Kath & Kim'' debuted with a record-breaking 2.511 million viewers peaking at 2.731 million. In its second and third episodes viewers fell to 1.994 & 1.817 million, respectively; however, viewers then rebounded for its fourth and fifth episodes with ratings of 2.047 and 2.157 million, respectively. Strong ratings continued with viewers of 2.049 and 2.066 million for the sixth and seventh episodes. The eighth episode and show's finale rated 2.338 million giving the fourth season an average viewership of 2.122 million, making it the highest-rating TV season in Australia for 2007 and the highest-rating of all four seasons of the show. In 2007, Channel Seven started showing repeats of the show from season one onwards which had previously only aired on the ABC network. The repeats proved quite successful, with the first two rating 1.465 and 1.530 million, winning in a very competitive timeslot and being amongst the highest-rating shows of the week. In the UK, its BBC premiere drew viewing figures of 1.691 million in May 2005.

Awards and nominations

Honours

Home media

The enduring public interest and popularity of ''Kath and Kim'' has led to a merchandising industry. The title family and supporting characters appear on everything from T-shirts to posters. The ''Kath & Kim'' series have been released on VHS (although titles are now discontinued in the VHS format) and DVD, in box sets and separate series editions in both region 4 (Australia, New Zealand, Latin America) as well as region 2 (Europe). The series has also had a CD release, featuring songs from the series and recordings from Kath and Kim. In addition, there has been clothing (such as aprons, T-shirts and oven mitts). Merchandise is available to purchase online, from the ''Kath & Kim'' official website.

DVD releases

CD releases

A CD, titled "Kath & Kim's Party Tape", was released on 2 May 2004. It reached #17 in the Australian Albums Chart and was certified Gold (50,000+ units sold). In 2004, ''Kath & Kim's Party Tape'' was released in Australia under the

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company that is a subsidiary of Comcast ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of N ...

record label. It features 21 tracks including the full length version of the show's title theme, "

" (as sung by Gina Riley) as well as

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...

and

Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of the Motown group Commodores; writing and recor ...

's " Endless Love" and

Donna Summer Donna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music ...

's "

MacArthur Park MacArthur Park (originally Westlake Park) is a park dating back to the late 19th century in the Westlake, Los Angeles, Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. In the early 1940s, it was renamed after General Douglas MacArthur, and la ...

– "

" #Kath & Kim (

and

) – "Wine Time #1" #

The Tubes The Tubes are a San Francisco-based rock band. Their self-titled 1975 debut album included the single " White Punks on Dope", while their 1983 single " She's a Beauty" was a top-10 U.S. hit and its music video was frequently played in the ear ...

– "Don't Touch Me There" #

Bobby Hebb Robert Alvin Von Hebb (July 26, 1938 – August 3, 2010) was an American R&B and soul singer, musician, songwriter, recording and performing artist, best known for his 1966 hit " Sunny". Biography Hebb was born in Nashville, Tennessee. His par ...

– " Sunny" #Kath & Kim – "Wine Time #2" #

and

– " Endless Love" #

Status Quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, economic, legal, environmental, political, religious, scientific or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the curren ...

– "

Roll Over Lay Down "Roll Over Lay Down" is a song by the British Rock band Status Quo (band), Status Quo that was first released on the album ''Hello! (album), Hello!'' in 1973. It was later released as the A-side of a live EP, ''Quo Live'' in 1975. It was release ...

" #Kath & Kim – "Wine Time #3" #

The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...

– "Rhythm of Life" #

Van McCoy Van Allen Clinton McCoy (January 6, 1940 – July 6, 1979) was an American record producer, arranger, songwriter and singer. He is known for his 1975 internationally successful hit " The Hustle". He has approximately 700 song copyrights to his c ...

– " The Hustle" #

Yvonne Elliman Yvonne Marianne Elliman (born December 29, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress who performed for four years in the first cast of the stage musical ''Jesus Christ Superstar''. She scored a number of hits in the 1970s and achieved ...

– "

If I Can't Have You If I Can't Have You may refer to: * "If I Can't Have You" (Bee Gees song), 1977, also recorded by Yvonne Elliman * "If I Can't Have You" (Kelly Clarkson song), 2009 * "If I Can't Have You" (Shawn Mendes song), 2019 *"If I Can't Have You", by Sara B ...

" #

– "

" #Kath & Kim – "Wine Time #4" #

The Commodores Commodores, often billed as The Commodores, are an American funk and Soul music, soul group. The group's most successful period was in the late 1970s and early 1980s when Lionel Richie was the co-lead singer. The members of the group met as m ...

– "

Three Times a Lady "Three Times a Lady" is a 1978 song by American soul group Commodores for their album '' Natural High'', written by lead singer Lionel Richie. It was produced by James Anthony Carmichael and Commodores. It was Commodores' first number-one hit on ...

" #

Sérgio Mendes Sérgio Santos Mendes (; 11 February 1941 – 5 September 2024) was a Brazilian musician. His career took off with worldwide hits by his band Brasil '66. He released 35 albums and was known for playing bossa nova, often mixed with funk. He ...

and

Brasil '66 Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth-largest country by area and the seventh-largest by population, with over 212 million people. The country is a federation c ...

– "

Day Tripper "Day Tripper" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a double A-side single with "We Can Work It Out" in December 1965. The song was written primarily by John Lennon with some contributions from Paul McCartney and ...

" #Kath & Kim – "Wine Time #5" #

Yvonne Fair Flora Yvonne Fair Strain (''née'' Coleman; October 21, 1942 – March 6, 1994) was an American singer, best known for her 1975 recording of " It Should Have Been Me". Life and career Flora Yvonne Coleman was born in Richmond, Virginia on Oct ...

– "It Should Have Been Me" #

Stephanie Mills Stephanie Dorthea Mills (born March 22, 1957) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to stardom as Dorothy Gale in the original seven-time Tony Awards, Tony Award winning Broadway theatre, Broadway run of the musical ''The Wiz'' ...

– "

Never Knew Love Like This Before "Never Knew Love Like This Before" is a song written and produced by James Mtume and Reggie Lucas, and recorded by American R&B singer Stephanie Mills for her fourth studio album, '' Sweet Sensation'' (1980). The single was released in August 1980 ...

" #Kath & Kim – "Wine Time #6" #

Captain & Tennille Captain & Tennille were an American recording duo whose primary success occurred in the 1970s. The husband-and-wife team were "Captain" Daryl Dragon (1942–2019) and Toni Tennille (born 1940). They have five albums certified gold or platinum a ...

– "

Love Will Keep Us Together "Love Will Keep Us Together" is a song written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield. It was first recorded by Sedaka in 1973. The brother-sister duo Mac and Katie Kissoon also recorded a version in 1973. American pop duo Captain & Tennille cove ...

" #Kath & Kim – "

Lady Bump "Lady Bump" is a pop disco song by Austrian singer Penny McLean, released in 1975. It was a hit for McLean, who was formerly with Silver Convention. About the single The single backed with "The Lady Bumps On" was released on the Jupiter record lab ...

Spin-offs and adaptations

Feature film

On 9 March 2011, Turner and Riley announced plans for a movie, in which, Kath, Kim, Kel, Brett, Sharon and Epponnee would head overseas on holiday. Contracts were written to finance the film's production under the working title of ''The Kath & Kim Filum'', with the word 'film' deliberately misspelt with the letter 'u' in typical Kath and Kim yumour. However, the title ''Kath & Kimderella'' was ultimately used, and the film was released in Australia on 6 September 2012. It was directed by

Ted Emery Ted Emery is an Australian film and television director and producer. Ted Emery served in the Royal Australian Navy during the Vietnam War. After returning to Australia, he joined the ABC in Melbourne, Australia, and in time became a director and ...

(director of the television series) and produced by Rick McKenna. The holiday scenes were shot in

Positano Positano ( ; in Neapolitan language, Neapolitan: () is a village and ''comune'' on the Amalfi Coast (Province of Salerno), in Campania, Italy, mainly in an enclave in the hills leading down to the coast. History The first evidence of a settle ...

, Italy and filming took a total of two weeks. The film was released in Australian cinemas on 6 September 2012. It grossed in excess of $2.1 million in its first weekend on Australian movie screens.

20th anniversary special

In July 2022, it was reported that ''Kath & Kim'' would be returning for a 10-minute special to commentate 20 years of the series. The special showcased a countdown of celebrity guests and unseen clips that did not feature in the original series, as well as the cast discussing their favourite scenes. Celebrity guests for the special included

Mason Cox Mason Cox (born March 14, 1991) is an American-Australian professional Australian rules footballer who plays for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Playing as a ruckman and key forward, he first played Austr ...

Sonia Kruger Sonia Melissa Kruger is an Australian television presenter, actress and media personality. Kruger is currently the host of ''Big Brother (Australian TV series), Big Brother Australia'' and a presenter on ''The Voice (Australian TV series), The ...

and

Celia Pacquola Celia Pacquola (born 12 February 1983) is an Australian comedian, writer, presenter and actor who performs predominantly in Australia and the United Kingdom. Early life Pacquola is a third child, and her parents separated when she was eightee ...

. The two specials, ''Kath and Kim: Our Effluent Life'' and ''Kath and Kim: 20 Preposterous Years'', aired on 20 and 21 November 2022, respectively.

American adaptation

Due to the success that ''Kath & Kim'' has achieved internationally, it was remade for US audiences by

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

. Riley and Turner served as executive producers on the US version. In this remake, actress

Molly Shannon Molly Shannon (born September 16, 1964) is an American actress and comedian. She was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1995 to 2001. In 2017, she won the Film Independent Spirit Award for playing Joanne ...

has taken the role of Kath Day, and

Selma Blair Selma Blair (born Selma Blair Beitner; June 23, 1972) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in '' Cruel Intentions'', '' Legally Blonde'', '' The Sweetest Thing'', and the ''Hellboy'' franchise. Blair, born in Southfield, Michigan ...

the role of Kim. The character of Sharon does not appear at the insistence of Szubanski. NBC chose Jason Ensler to direct. Michelle Nader developed the series for American television, which premiered in the United States as part of the Fall schedule of 2008. The series started to shoot in California in July 2008. NBC debuted the US adaptation on 9 October 2008, while Seven started screening it to Australian viewers on 12 October 2008. After airing only two episodes, Seven dropped the sitcom from their lineup due to poor ratings, only to bring it back several weeks later as a late-night schedule filler. In America, reviews were poor, but it averaged roughly around 5 to 7 million viewers per week, and was rewarded with a full season order in October 2008. On 19 May 2009, NBC announced that there would not be a second season of ''Kath & Kim''.

Notes

References

External links

Official Kath & Kim website

Official BBC website

Yahoo!7 website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kath And Kim 2002 Australian television series debuts 2007 Australian television series endings Australian Broadcasting Corporation original programming Australian television sitcoms Australian English-language television shows Fictional duos Logie Award for Most Outstanding Comedy Program winners Mass media portrayals of the working class Seven Network original programming Television shows set in Melbourne Television duos City of Kingston (Victoria) Television shows adapted into films Working class in Australia