Kath & Kim



"Kim: I want to be effluent, Mum, effluent.

Kath: You are effluent, Kim."

An Australian comedy show created by Gina Riley and Jane Turner, which premiered in 2002. It ran for four seasons, as well as a special Christmas episode entitled 'da Kath and Kim Code' which aired on Christmas day 2005. It follows the family relationships and mishaps of title characters Kath Day, and her daughter Kim Craig, along with Kim's second best friend Sharon Strezlecki, Kath's fiance (then husband) Kel Knight, Kim's estranged husband Brett Craig, and in later seasons, Kim and Brett's daughter Epponnee Rae.

Brought across the Pacific for an American version in 2008, which only lasted one season and wasn't too succesful(though it did get released on DVD)

Provides examples of:

"Kim: Oh, Mum! What a great costume!
 * Acting for Two: Jane Turner (Kath) and Gina Riley (Kim) also play Trude and Prue, a pair of snobby shop assistants. A common gag is to have Trude mock Kath's appearance.
 * Alter Ego Acting: Jane Turner and Gina Riley almost never do interviews or appear at awards ceremonies as themselves. Their only instance where they did promotion for Kath and Kim as themselves was on an episode of Enough Rope. However, Gina has done promotion for other things, such as her appearances in the stage versions of The Rocky Horror Show and Chicago.
 * They also appeared on radio shows Tough Love and Get This as themselves, but those shows were hosted by two former guest stars of the show (and friends of the pair) Mick Molloy (Gary Poole) and Tony Martin (Mark, the violinist) respectively.
 * Bratty Teenage Daughter: Kim was this when she was a teenager, and she still acts like it now, though with less emphasis on boys (she's too busy moping over Brett)
 * Butt Monkey: Sharon.
 * Chewing the Scenery: Kim has a tendency to do this.
 * Dawson Casting: Kim is supposed to be in her mid-late 20's. Gina Riley is pushing 50.
 * Worked out better in the U.S. version, as despite Selma Blair being in her mid-30s, she looked young enough to be convincing as twenty-something Kim Day, it also helped make the small age gap between her and Molly Shannon less obvious.
 * Disco Dan: Kath still perms her hair and dresses as though it's still the '80s. She doesn't even seem to realize that times, and fashions, have changed. Lampshaded in 'Da Kath and Kim Code' where Kath arrives at an 80s themed party dressed in her everyday clothes...

Sharon: Oh wow, Mrs D. You look hilarious. You're gonna win for sure. Where'd you get that?

Kath: [Wearing an over-the-top 80's style pink outfit] Oh, from my wardrobe, Sharon. Costume?

Kim: Yeah, it's an 80's party.

Kath: Oh, no! Nobody told me! I would have put something funny on!"


 * Distracted By the Sexy: Shown in a flashback, revealing how Brett fell for Kim.
 * Fat Girl: Kim. Despite thinking she is the epitome of sexiness and slimness, and often squeezing herself into far-too-small clothing, the other characters have no qualms about pointing out how chubby she is. Especially her own mother!
 * Also Sharon, who was played by the (at the time) obese Magda Szubanski. It is speculated that Kim keeps her around to make herself look better by comparison.
 * Foreign Remake
 * Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!: Kath, Kim and Sharon often slip into moments where two of them scream at each other, while the third breaks up the problem. Almost always it's Kim and Sharon arguing with Kath as the peacemaker, though occasionally Kim will scream on her own, calming down when Sharon slaps her.
 * Hello, Sailor!: According to Ken, he Experimented In The Navy. He doesn't think it's a big deal. Kath does.
 * Henpecked Husband: Brett.
 * Hey It's That Guy: Kim organised the Olympic Games?
 * Hollywood Pudgy: Averted with Kim in the original Australian version, in the U.S. version however, Kim was played by the fairly thin Selma Blair, so the show never attempted to pass her off as "fat" in any way.
 * Imagine Spot - Kath imagines her granddaughter Epponnee-Rae's wedding day after Kim decides to audition the toddler on the soap Neighbours. Said granddaughter in the Imagine Spot is played by Kylie Minogue.
 * Mistaken for Gay: Kim and Sharon in the second episode.
 * Name and Name
 * Nouveau Riche: Lampooned to a T.
 * Playing Gertrude: This has been virtually Jane Turner's only role during her 40's. Kath is supposed to be around 50.
 * Opposites Theme Naming: Kath Day and Kel Knight. Kel tries to propose by asking Kath if she'd like to "turn Day into Knight".
 * Running Gag: It's noice, it's different, it's unyoosual
 * Spicy Latina: Angel in the U.S. remake
 * Spin-Off: The three main characters of Kath, Kim and Sharon originally appeared on the sketch comedy shows Fast Forward, Big Girls Blouse, and Something Stupid before finally achieving real success with Kath and Kim . However, the sketches and the show don't operate in the same continuity, as Sharon was originally married with children.
 * Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist: Kim. She's a horrible, HORRIBLE person. But we like her anyway.