by Marcelle Mccallum

Created on: January 30, 2009

Over the last ten odd years, the Australian public has had the privilege of watching three characters being developed by three wonderful comediennes. The end result of this very visible development is "Kath & Kim". Who are the comediennes? The two creators and writers of the series, Jane Turner and Gina Riley, and friend and fellow funny lady, Magda Szubanski.

U.S. television viewers may be familiar with the U.S. Kath & Kim, which I am proud to say is written by Turner and Riley. However, I would recommend anyone watch the original Australian series as it is truly a wonderful comedic series, as well as a cutting social commentary. Kath Day-Knight (nee Day) and her daughter Kim Craig (nee Day) are the central figures of this series. Magda Szubanski's involvement is as Kim's second best friend, Sharon Strzelecki (pron: Strezlecky). For many years, the Australian public has been chuckling as the three women have appeared in these characters on shows dating back as far as Fast Forward in 1993.

The charm of these characters, and indeed the stories Riley and Turner write for them, is their abnormality through normalcy. They speak in the broadest Strine (Australian - particularly working class - for those of you have never heard the term before) accents, lice in double brick suburbia and love their local shopping centre at Fountain Gate. Indeed, Kath meets Kel Knight, the love of her life at his butchers shop at Fountain Gate, wedding him in a fairy tale wedding, that is if you like your bride to jerk and judder up the aisle like a thunderbird...she uses velcro on her shoes to be sure she doesn't fall over and it really sticks to that fairy tale red carpet!

As Kath and Kel Day-Knight make their way through their marriage Kim Craig (nee Day) has an on again off again relationship with her husband Brett, and his dog. Everyone tolerates Sharon, the second best friend of Kim, who harbors secret desires for 'Bretty' and hangs on Kim's every word. Although the relationships are often painful in their lack of concern or understanding for each other, it is presented so well that you can't help but laugh, even as you feel sorry for Sharon as Kim is horrible to her yet again.

The birth of Kim's daughter Epponnee-Raelene Kathleen Darlene Charlene Craig, or Epponnee-Rae , provides a chance for the laughs to keep barreling along. Celebrity cameos abound and you cannot help but marvel at the sheer ludicrousness of what you are watching, whilst clutching your sides for relief.

Kath

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