Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Cancelled or Renewed?
    • Cancelled TV Shows (lists)
    • Cancellations
    • Renewals
    • TV Show Status Pages
    • Vulture Watch
  • TV Ratings
    • Daily Network Ratings
    • Ratings by Season/Channel
    • Weekly Averages
    • Soap Opera Ratings
    • Archive
    • Viewer Votes
      • ABC TV shows
      • CBS TV shows
      • The CW TV shows
      • FOX TV shows
      • NBC TV shows
      • All Viewer Votes
  • About
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • RSS
  • Mail

canceled + renewed TV shows - TV Series Finale

   

Ben and Kate: New FOX Comedy; Is It Worth Watching?

by Trevor Kimball, September 25, 2012

FOX TV series Ben and KateFOX’s first new sitcom of the fall season, Ben and Kate, premieres tonight and the network has sandwiched it between episodes of New Girl. Is this new TV series worth your time or should it be cancelled and moved quickly to the TV graveyard?

Ben and Kate revolves around two very different adult siblings. Ben is a free spirit and screw up while Kate is very straight-laced and responsible. He moves in to help take care of her daughter and to help Kate loosen up a bit. She meanwhile helps get him a little more grounded. The sitcom stars Dakota Johnson, Nat Faxon, Lucy Punch, Maggie Elizabeth Jones, and Echo Kellum.

Is it worth watching? Here’s what some of the critics think:

Boston Globe: “Supporting characters are essential in this kind of casual comedy, and Ben and Kate provides a pair of appealing second bananas… Kellum plays the dumb guy without obviousness, which is nice for a change. But British actress Lucy Punch delivers the flashier and more amusing supporting turn as BJ, a cocktail waitress who works with Kate. She is a scene-stealer — but a courteous one, more like a scene-borrower — as she gives Kate reams of bad advice… Punch’s comic material emanates out of knowledge of the actress and BJ; it’s not the kind of common sitcom repartee by joke-obsessed writers in a room, detached from the life of the characters being created on screen. And it’s the kind of material that gives Ben and Kate a lot of promise.”

TIME: “The first episode is hardly perfect, but it feels lived-in, like the characters have actual, pre-existing relationships and reasons to like one another. For my money, this character-first approach may give Ben and Kate more room to grow, more convincingly, than [The Mindy Project].

NY Times: “Ben and Kate has charm, but the brother-sister dynamic has built-in limitations. It’s hard to see how the series can sustain such a binding premise.”

Salt Lake Tribune: “Have you ever been in a room when someone tells a joke and, while some people laugh, you’re wondering why anyone would think it’s funny? That’s the situation I find myself in with Ben and Kate. Some people seem to like this show, which puzzles me because I found it entirely unfunny.”

LA Times: “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. Certainly, it is the most original, combining silly, often physical humor with the more sensitive homespun sort while also showcasing one of the most fascinating yet under-used relationships on TV: a brother and sister.”

San Francisco Chronicle: “Ben and Kate may not need retooling – in fact, the show’s delicate charm would be endangered by an attempt to fix what isn’t broken. Still, audiences may have to exercise patience – it took me two screenings of the pilot to get a solid purchase on it. At least, at the outset, their interest will be piqued by the goofy likability of the main characters. Other shows have started with less.

NY Daily News: “It’s okay that Ben Fox is annoying. It’s less okay that when he’s not annoying, he’s suddenly and magically perfect… In 22 minutes, Annoying Ben becomes Saint Ben. Unless Ben and Kate can find him a middle gear and make it work, the viewer will become Willie Whiplash.”

AV Club: “I didn’t find Ben And Kate outright, LOL-filled, but with a show like this, that’s okay. The lack of guffaws may be seen as one of the supposed determinants of toning down a ostensibly wacky character, but it also makes them bearable to be around when the initial pratfalls start falling flat (see, again: Stinson, Barney). For a show like Ben And Kate, it’s less important to me that I’m hit with laugh line upon laugh line because I want to continue to be with these characters and see them progress. They have plenty of time to make me laugh later on.”

What do you think? Have you watched the Ben and Kate TV show? Will you watch again? Would you recommend it to a friend?


More about: Ben and Kate, Ben and Kate: canceled or renewed?, Ben and Kate: ratings

Related Articles

  • Married: Season One Ratings
    September 30, 2014
  • FOX TV series Ben and Kate
    Ben and Kate
    August 2, 2013
  • Ben and Kate: Cancelled Series Returning to FOX (sort of)
    March 6, 2013
  • FOX TV show ben and kate - ratings
    Ben and Kate: Season One Ratings
    January 28, 2013
  • Ben and Kate: Cancelled Show Production Ends, Episodes Cut
    January 28, 2013
  • Hell's Kitchen
    Hell’s Kitchen: Replacing Cancelled Ben and Kate
    January 24, 2013
  • Ben and Kate: FOX TV Series Cancelled
    January 24, 2013
  • Kennedy Center Honors ratings
    Wednesday TV Show Ratings: Kennedy Center Honors, Ben and Kate, Arrow, Nashville, Chicago Fire
    December 27, 2012
  • Tuesday TV Show Ratings: Happy Endings, Don’t Trust the B, Emily Owens MD, New Normal, Vegas, Go On
    October 24, 2012
  • Tuesday TV Show Ratings: Emily Owens MD, Hart of Dixie, Raising Hope, Ben and Kate, The Voice
    October 17, 2012
  • The Mindy Project, Ben and Kate: FOX Orders “Full Seasons”
    October 8, 2012
  • Tuesday TV Show Ratings: Vegas, Hart of Dixie, Mindy Project, New Normal, Parenthood, Raising Hope, Ben and Kate
    October 3, 2012
  • Ben and Kate Vegas Mindy Project premiere ratings
    Tuesday TV Show Ratings: Vegas, Mindy Project, Ben and Kate, New Normal, Private Practice, Go On, NCIS
    September 26, 2012
  • Ben and Kate on FOX ratings
    Ben and Kate: TV Show Premiere Ratings
    September 26, 2012
  • Ben and Kate TV show
    Ben and Kate: Cancelled Quickly or a Big Hit?
    September 25, 2012
  • FOX
    FOX Announces Fall 2012 Premieres
    June 18, 2012

Canceled and renewed TV show
« Previous Post
Next Post »

1
Leave a Reply

avatar
1 Comment threads
0 Thread replies
0 Followers
 
Most reacted comment
Hottest comment thread
1 Comment authors
Wilson Recent comment authors
avatar

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Wilson
Reader
Wilson

Ben and Kate might end up producing a solid first season, as long as their characters continue to develop.

Vote Up00Vote Down Reply
September 30, 2012 2:44 pm
wpdiscuz   wpDiscuz
Fall 2020 Schedule Cancelled TV Show Lists Ratings (by TV Channel) Status Lists of 800+ Shows
  • Cancellations
  • Renewals
  • At Home with Amy Sedaris TV show on truTV: (canceled or renewed?) At Home with Amy Sedaris: Cancelled by truTV, No Season Four
  • Peaky Blinders TV show on BBC One and Netflix, ending no season 7 Peaky Blinders: Season Six; BBC & Netflix Series Ending But the Story Will Continue
  • High Maintenance TV show on HBO: (canceled or renewed?) High Maintenance: "Cancelled," No Season Five for HBO Comedy Series
  • Animal Kingdom: season six renewal, no season 7 Animal Kingdom: Season Six; TNT Series Gets Early Renewal for Final Season
  • Insecure TV show on HBO: ending, no season 6 Insecure: Season Five to End Issa Rae TV Series on HBO
  • The Haves and the Have Nots TV show on OWN: ending, no season 9 The Haves and the Have Nots: OWN Series Ending Confirmed; No Season Nine
  • More...
  • Bridgerton TV show on Netflix: season 2 renewal Bridgerton: Season Two Renewal for Netflix Period Drama Series (Video) January 21, 2021
  • Snowpiercer TV show on TNT: season 3 renewal Snowpiercer: Season Three; TNT Series Gets Early Renewal Ahead of Second Season premiere January 19, 2021
  • Tyler Perry's Sistas TV show on BET: season 3 renewal Tyler Perry's Sistas: Season Three; BET TV Series Renewal Announced January 19, 2021
  • Queen Sugar TV show on TNT: season 6 renewal ahead of season 5 premiere Queen Sugar: Season Six; OWN TV Series Renewed Ahead of Season Five Premiere (Video) January 14, 2021
  • Animal Kingdom: season six renewal, no season 7 Animal Kingdom: Season Six; TNT Series Gets Early Renewal for Final Season January 14, 2021
  • Amazon TV Shows: canceled or renewed? The Offenders: Season Two; Early Renewal for BBC and Amazon Series January 14, 2021
  • More...
  • TV Ratings
  • Quick Questions
  • Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist TV show on NBC: season 2 ratings Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist: Season Two Ratings
  • Nurses TV show on NBC: season 1 ratings Nurses: Season One Ratings
  • NBC TV shows (canceled or renewed?) NBC 2020-21 Season Ratings (updated 1/21/21)
  • The Resident TV show on FOX: season 4 ratings The Resident: Season Four Ratings
  • FOX 2020-21 Season Ratings (updated 1/21/21)
  • More...
  • Salvation TV show on CBS: season 3 (canceled or renewed?) Salvation: Season Three? Should the CBS Summer Series Be Renewed? September 18, 2018
  • Take Two TV show on ABC: canceled or renewed for season 2? Take Two: Season Two; Should the ABC TV Show Be Renewed? September 13, 2018
  • Shooter TV show on USA Network: canceled, no season 4 Shooter: Season Four? Would You Watch the Cancelled Show on Another Channel? September 13, 2018
  • Shades of Blue TV show on NBC: no season four Shades of Blue: Season Four? Would You Have Kept Watching the NBC Series? August 20, 2018
  • Quantico TV show on ABC: canceled, no season 4 Quantico: Season Four; Would You Have Watched More of the Cancelled ABC Series? August 4, 2018
  • More...

The Latest

  • American Dad!: Season 16; 2021 Premiere Date Revealed by TBS
  • Bridgerton: Season Two Renewal for Netflix Period Drama Series (Video)
  • Batwoman, Superman & Lois, Black Lightning: No CW Arrowverse Crossovers This Season
  • The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Season Four; Production Resumes on Amazon Series
  • 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Lone Star: FOX Showrunner Teases Upcoming Crossover Event
  • The Flash: Season Seven Premiere Delayed by Superman & Lois Debut on The CW
  • Peaky Blinders: BBC and Netflix Series to Wrap Up with a Movie
  • At Home with Amy Sedaris: Cancelled by truTV, No Season Four
  • Titans: Season Three; HBO Max Series Casts Savannah Welch as Barbara Gordon
  • CBS All Access Streaming Service Relaunching as Paramount+ in March
  • Saved By the Bell: Season Two; Peacock Renews TV Series Revival
  • Snowpiercer: Season Three; TNT Series Gets Early Renewal Ahead of Second Season premiere
  • Tyler Perry's Sistas: Season Three; BET TV Series Renewal Announced
  • T.I. & Tiny: Friends & Family Hustle: Season Four Renewal, Coming to VH1 in Spring 2021
  • If We Built It Today: Season Two Coming to Science Channel This Month
  • Debris, Kenan, Young Rock: NBC Releases Teasers for Upcoming New Series
  • Law & Order: Criminal Intent: Annabella Sciorra to Reprise Role for NBC's SVU
  • Peaky Blinders: Season Six; BBC & Netflix Series Ending But the Story Will Continue
  • Crikey! It's the Irwins: Season Three Coming to Discovery+
More...

Popular

  • FOX TV Shows: 2020-21 Viewer Votes
  • The CW TV Shows: 2020-21 Viewer Votes
  • CBS TV Shows: 2020-21 Viewer Votes
  • Viewer Votes Ranking for the 2020-21 Network TV Shows
  • ABC TV Shows: 2020-21 Viewer Votes
  • NBC TV Shows: 2020-21 Viewer Votes
  • NBC 2020-21 Season Ratings (updated 1/21/21)
  • FOX 2020-21 Season Ratings (updated 1/21/21)
  • CBS 2020-21 Season Ratings (updated 1/21/21)
  • The CW 2020-21 Season Ratings (updated 1/21/21)
  • ABC 2020-21 Season Ratings (updated 1/21/21)
  • 2020-21 TV Show Season Ratings (week 17)
  • 2020-21 Season Ratings for New TV Shows (week 17)
  • Showtime TV Show Ratings (updated 1/20/21)
  • Starz TV Show Ratings (updated 1/20/21)
  • Soap Opera Ratings for the 2020-21 Season (updated 1/15/21)
  • Cancelled or Renewed? Status of Cable & Streaming TV Shows (E-L)
  • OWN TV Show Ratings (updated 1/13/21)
  • Cancelled or Renewed? Status of NBC TV Shows

No infringement of previously copyrighted material is intended on this site. DMCA.

Copyright © TV Series Finale. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.

wpDiscuz