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Full Episode and Advance Review: Ben and Kate – “Pilot”

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  • September 10, 2012

  • 5 mins to read

Advance Review: Ben and Kate, S1, E1 – Pilot

Air Date: Tuesdays, 8:30/7:30c on Fox

Rating: ★★★★★

 

Echo Kellum as Tommy, Nat Faxon as Ben, Maggie Elizabeth Jones as Maddie, Dakota Johnson as Kate, and Lucy Punch as BJ.

While Ben and Kate doesn’t officially premiere until September 25, the pilot episode is available on the show’s website, http://www.fox.com/ben-and-kate/, on hulu.com, Facebook, and on Fox VOD (video on demand). I was curious so I watched the show, hoping for a good all-round comedy fest. I was so disappointed because the comedy fest turned into a snooze fest.

Ben and Kate high five

Creator Dana Fox’s single-camera action Ben and Kate introduces us to older brother Ben (Nat Faxon, Academy Award-winning screenwriter for The Descendants), a Peter Pan-type man-child, who ends up moving home to help his sister Kate (Dakota Johnson, daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith), the had-to-grow-up-too-fast mother, raise Maddie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones, We Bought a Zoo), a precocious five-year-old. Kate put her life plans on hold when she became pregnant just before college graduation, while Ben spent his life chasing hair-brained scheme after hair-brained scheme, rejecting grown-up responsibility at every turn.

Little Maddie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones) is just adorable!

If Ben and Kate is going for laugh-out-loud moments, it doesn’t succeed. I didn’t LOL—not even once. OK, I may have smiled once or twice but…The script is bad and everything about the show is predictable. When Ben tells Kate she’s going to help him stop the wedding of his former girlfriend, “Mrs. Ben Fox,” she says “no,” he says “yes,” she says “no”…well, you get it. By the second “no,” I knew the outcome. B-o-r-i-n-g. On top of that, Ben is outright annoying. I’m so over men who never grow up, with their silly, stupid antics, and let me tell you, Ben and Kate has plenty of them.

There are two bright spots in Ben and Kate—the aforementioned Maddie, who is just adorable and steals every scene she’s in, and Kate’s sexy British bartender friend, BJ (Lucy Punch). Actually, the two best scenes of the pilot are the ones with BJ—her teaching Maddie about makeup, and then showing Kate how to be sexy. But did they have to make the totally expected joke about what her name stands for in America? It seems to me the writers are trying way too hard and unfortunately, not succeeding. The other member of the cast is newcomer Echo Kellum, who plays Ben’s friend Tommy. Tommy has a serious crush on Kate, albeit unrequited, and will do anything to help Ben. He’s a nice addition to the cast but he’s not the one who will make or break this sitcom.

Ben explains things to Kate

Perhaps Ben and Kate will succeed based on its lead-in, the highly successful Raising Hope, but I doubt it. It’s up against some heavy hitters: ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, CBS’ NCIS, and NBC’s The Voice. Of course, I could be wrong—it’s been known to happen. There may be people out there who get caught up in the silliness and sentimentality of the big brother moving home to help the little sister raise her young daughter. Me? I’ll be watching Dancing with the Stars.

But don’t let me influence you. Watch the series premiere of Ben and Kate, courtesy of Fox and hulu.com, right here and decide for yourself.

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Tune in to the season premiere of Ben and Kate, Tuesday, September 25, 2012, 8:30/7:30c, only on Fox.

Follow Ben and Kate on Twitter using hashtag #BenandKate. Like the show on Facebook and check out the official website, http://www.fox.com/ben-and-kate/, for other fun stuff.

All photos ©2012 Fox Broadcasting Co. All Rights Reserved.

Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!

Linda

Love TV, movies, and books--mostly mysteries, with a good love story thrown in every now and then. I have four adopted dogs who I adore. I love trying new recipes, and enjoy eating what I make. English language perfectionist. Reading in bed, Italian food, warm weather, the beach, all types of games = favs!