There are many sitcoms that have not aged well because of dated humor and commentary, but there is something about Kath and Kim that feels truly ageless.
I started watching this TV show because frankly, I was just so bored consuming American content incessantly, and while I didn’t know what I was signing up for when I pressed play on Kath and Kim, it was nothing I could have anticipated.
Kath and Kim — Review at a Glance
- Story — 5/5
- Acting — 5/5
- Direction — 4/5
Pros: It’s 4 seasons of pure humour
Cons: If you’re not Australian, you might have to look up certain terms and people for additional context (but even if you don’t, it’s not going to be a crutch)
Must-Watch: Yes
When to Watch Kath and Kim: When you want something that makes you laugh non-stop while also invoking some faint tinge of nostalgia about the early 2000s
Kath and Kim Review — A Deep Dive
I truly believe that capturing the essence of a quintessential mother-daughter relationship — rife with both love and angst for each other — is hard to do for most commercial projects. Yet, Kath and Kim taps into this dynamic with a hilarious twist that is hard to replicate even today, and it was one of the first shows to do so.
Kath and Kim has been lauded time and again for being ahead of the curve and exploring the rise of celebrity culture and what it meant for Australian society in the early noughties.
Interestingly, it makes for a fascinating perspective even in 2025, no matter where you are in the world. This show is genuinely not bound by time or global boundaries in its humour, meaning it doesn’t matter if you watch the show today or 10 years from now — it’s still going to hit the spot.
Jane Turner and Gina Riley have brought the titular characters to life seamlessly, and Magda Szubanski is the cherry on top of the cake.
In fact, the whole team — including Glenn Robbins and Peter Rowsthorn — works very well together. It is perfect casting, and watching them interact with each other makes you forget you’re watching a sitcom.
The mockumentary style of TV shows, popularised by the likes of The Office, may feel overdone today because it has been repeated often. But Kath and Kim, despite being shot in this format, doesn’t feel repetitive or redundant.
There’s something so special about Kath and Kim, and it’s equally difficult to put that feeling in words. But what serves as a testament to the genius of this sitcom is that I rewatched it four times back to back because nothing else could fill the void it left.
Kath and Kim is also one of those rare shows that really has nothing to critique. Its witty dialogues and catchphrases will stick with you even after you’re done watching the show… you’ll find yourself repeating them in your own life too.
The simplicity of the show is also its greatest point. Kath and Kim doesn’t rely on outrageous budgets and other such tools to grab your attention; it simply inserts witty wordplay and humorous observations into everyday scenarios in an effortless way that we don’t see in today’s comedies. It juxtaposes elements that don’t normally go together, such as the Lord’s Prayer and country dancing, and brings forth something so funny that only those committed to their craft could make it happen.
This is a sitcom built on sheer talent.
Everything from the dialogues and their delivery to the fashion is tailored for each character; there is really nothing I have seen in the sitcom genre that matches Kath and Kim’s vibe — and I have tried hard to find it.
Another positive point for Kath and Kim is that it provides a break from male-centric comedy and makes its women the stars of the show. The characters of Kel and Brett are there to add to Kath and Kim’s lore, and in that sense, the sitcom — having released in 2002 — was truly ahead of its time.
I cannot recommend Kath and Kim highly enough!
