- Network: FOX
- Series Premiere Date: Sep 25, 2012
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Critic Reviews
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Not only is the pilot a wonderful mix of hilarious moments (pretty much any time Faxon is in the picture) and subtle sentiment, but it's one of those shows where the acumen of the off-camera talent (Fox) is impressive and clear, which gives hope for long-term success.
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Johnson is the find of the season: She's the sunbeam that doesn't filter out dust motes. [29 Oct 2012, p.38]
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Brush aside the hyperactivity and hard sell, and you're left with a winner.
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[A] cleverly written show.
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The characters, like the show, send off an ingratiatingly kooky vibe, and I look forward to getting to know them better.
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Ben and Kate is a sweet, smart new show from Fox that may turn out to be the best new comedy of the fall season.
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It's another welcome helping of "New Girl" adorkability.
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The surprise lies in how sympathetic Johnson makes Kate while still imbuing her with her own streak of crazy, or how endearing Faxon makes Ben, a character who might otherwise wear out his welcome fairly quickly.
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Ben & Kate is at its best when the siblings lovingly spar--usually about one of Ben's hair-brained schemes.
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There's no laugh track, the humor is gently sophisticated and the main characters wounded but appealing.
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The first episode is more of a pleasant experience that holds the promise of something better down the road.
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Ben and Kate is enjoyable enough if you don't mind a severe case of the cutes.
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Together, they [Dakota Johnson & Nat Faxon] bring a whole mess of cute.
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Ben and Kate has great sibling chemistry, a cute kid (Maggie Elizabeth Jones as Kate's daughter, Maggie) and an appealing premise.
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Ben & Kate seems poised to be to the "20 to 30-somethings get their lives together" sub-genre what "Parks & Rec" is to workplace comedies: something willfully, wonderfully kind.
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What the pilot does have is simple charm, and enough laughs to give me a gut feeling that this show can build on the setup of a brother-sister pair who, between the two of them, make approximately one functional adult.
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For now, though, there's a fair amount here to like--at least enough to warrant another family gathering in front of the TV, if not under the table.
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It's the kind of show that could well settle into a nice groove once it gets a few episodes in, especially given that all the performances are top notch, including those from Lucy Punch and Echo Kellum as friends of the title duo.
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Ben and Kate has charm, but the brother-sister dynamic has built-in limitations.
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The casting and direction are solid. We'll stick with it for now to see if there's growth in the character relationships, too.
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While the premise is slight, smart casting gives Ben and Kate a comedic edge.
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Ben and Kate can be a bit grating and certainly isn't all together great. But its small ensemble--which also includes Ben's pal, Tommy (Echo Kellum)--is clicking pretty well for starters.
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In spite of Ben and Kate's charms, its propensity for subduing the idiosyncrasies of its characters in the service of a simple emotional payoff makes it disappointing.
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The supporting cast, Kate's British co-worker at the bar, BJ ("Do you know what BJ means in my country?") played by Lucy Punch, and Ben's best friend Tommy (Echo Kellum), are the glue that holds this bro and sister together. Or at least this show together.
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Ben and Kate has the potential to be a similar sort of low-key, hangout show [like Cougar Town and Raising Hope] that's also very funny.
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That path [Will Ferrell/Jack Black/Zach Galifianakis school of oddballery] is fairly well trod at this point, as is the "New Girl" vibe Ben and Kate reaches for. Some funny lines still manage to peek through.
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Ben and Kate has its moments of inspired, gonzo idiocy but mostly it's like spending a half-hour with someone you can't stand.
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As it's set up here, the comedy part doesn't work if Ben isn't genuinely annoying, and the larger arc doesn't work if he isn't genuinely endearing.
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Ben and Kate is sometimes shrill, sometimes belligerent and sometimes (well, a lot of times) merely stupid. It is never funny.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 31 out of 49
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Mixed: 8 out of 49
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Negative: 10 out of 49
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Oct 24, 2012
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Oct 15, 2012
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Oct 28, 2012