Everyone’s favourite foxy morons, Kath and Kim, are celebrating 20 years on the telly this month – and fans all over the world are gearing up for a “noice” party!
Chief among the revellers are the devoted members of Da Kath & Kim Appreciation Society, a Facebook group spreading across the globe with almost 120,000 members.
WATCH: Kath & Kim perform Lady Bump at the 2004 TV Week Logie Awards
“It’s hard to believe it’s 20 years since Kath & Kim came into our lives,” says the group’s founder, Louisa Barkla, 42, from her home in Brighton, in the United Kingdom.
“I started the group with my sister, Xanthe. We loved Kath & Kim from the beginning. We’re from New Zealand, but we could instantly relate to it.
“We just loved the show and thought we’d start a fan club. We started modestly with just 12 members, but after the show was put on Netflix, the group membership exploded.”
To gain membership to the group, fans must explain why they want to join Da Kath & Kim Appreciation Society, and answer ‘who is your favourite character and why’.
Clearly, Dan Andrews, the Victorian State Premier, didn’t take heed of Kath’s sage advice: “You know your beeswax? Why don’t you mind it!”– as he’s joined the crazy club, too!
“You’d be surprised at who has fallen under the Kath & Kim spell,” Louisa tells New Idea.
“Our group is very diverse. I can see us all one day sitting down together and enjoying ‘Wine Time’ together.”
But what is it about the sitcom, created by comedy duo Jane Turner and Gina Riley, that resonates with audiences?
“I think the mother-daughter dynamic is just so relatable,” says Louisa.
“They just know how to push each other’s buttons. The show is timeless, really, and you don’t have to be Australian to get the humour.
“I met a lady from Scotland the other day who just raved about Kath & Kim, and I have an Argentinian friend who can’t get enough of Prue and Trude. These people have nothing
to do with Australia but they instantly relate to the characters.”
Matt LaPorta, another administrator of the group, says Kath & Kim helped a lot of people through the pandemic.
“I discovered the group randomly and thought they needed an Aussie to join it,” Matt tells New Idea.
Matt and his partner enjoy watching the antics of Kath & Kim over dinner. They often go into Kath & Kim speak, with banter such as “Come in if you’re good looking!,” “I’m not as stupid as I look,” and “Where pacifically in the specifics?”
“Kath would have to be my favourite character,” Matt, 37, who lives five minutes drive from the iconic Kath & Kim house in Melbourne’s Patterson Lakes, admits.
“Her isms, or confident mispronunciation of words, her dancing! The river dancing scene – Sharon’s solo dance has us in hysterics, but then Kath and Kel take it even further.
“Kath’s dancing is such a serotonin boost. If you’re feeling down – put on Kath & Kim.”
Diehard Gold Coast fan, Ryan Fellywys, 24, couldn’t agree more.
“I can watch the show over and over and it never ceases to make me laugh,” Ryan says, noting he can recite every line from every episode thanks to his devotion.
“I suffer from anxiety and depression, and I just put it on and it takes me to a happy place. It’s a real tonic: Kath & Kim is the ultimate antidepressant.”
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