Kath & Kim Leaves Us Geographically Confused

The best thing about NBC's American version of Kath & Kim is its cast. Molly Shannon, Selma Blair and John Michael Higgins have all had flashes of brilliance in their careers, and occasionally have them here. The second best thing about it is that it comes on right before The Office, so it's pretty easy for us to remember to tune in a half hour earlier to watch it. Though like The Office, another import of a foreign comedy smash, it hasn't found footing in its first few episodes. We're pulling for it because it's just so true to its Florida setting. The decor, the clothing, that certain mix of desperation, ignorance and complacency of the main characters all resonate in the Sunshine State. But the main reason we're watching the show now is to pinpoint where in Florida it occurs.

Its Australian predecessor took place in a fictional suburb. So originally we thought the American version wouldn't tie itself up in reality-based geography, but it's slowly giving up the goose. At first we thought there is no way it could be set in Miami-Dade. Despite the fact that Kim dresses like a true cracker-come-chonga, the show overall is just too, well, white.

Maybe Broward or Palm Beach, possibly the Orlando area, but we ended up leaning toward the West Coast. Then again, Kath's description of her dream wedding location (a Hilton hotel) as having "those tall windows [that] you could look out and see the lights from the traffic twinkling like stars on the I-95 south" gave it up as an East coast show. Then in ep 4 Kath reminds Kim that her address is 252252 Gloria Estefan Parkway. The road is fictional, but there's only one county in the state, or the world for that matter, where it could exist, and you're living in it. Supporting evidence comes when one of Kim's friends quips, "I decided Kim abandoning me in South Beach at a bar without any money so she could hook up with some random guy wasn't like, the worse thing you could do to a friend."

But we're still not convinced. All that could be explained away, and things just don't add up. Out of lack of anything thing better to do, Kim drives to Sarasota for speed dating. It's made clear that Sarasota is far, far away from where the characters live, but let's be real. In no time has anyone who has ever lived in Miami-Dade thought "Gee, this town sure is boring. I think I'll drive to Sarasota to get my party on." It's just all so complicated. Though, sitcoms aren't known for their logic.

Well, gee we feel kind of lame for just writing all of that, but we just hope the show eventually gives us something more to think about than its location.

--Kyle Munzenrieder