Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Kim's Convenience (Repeat: From May of 2019)

Sitcoms are my least favourite form of television. Which does not explain my almost reverence for All in the Family (1971 - 1979, CBS).

I decided to check out a few episodes of Kim's Convenience. My exploration took place at my convenience over a couple of months. The CBC sitcom premiered in October of 2016 and finished its third season a few weeks back. As I write this I'm checking out a back-to-back episode run. (It's a lead-in to tonight's NHL playoff game 7 of the series between the Dallas Stars and the St. Louis Blues.)

"Kim" is the surname of a Korean Canadian family who run a convenience store here in Toronto, Canada. The mother and father are immigrants from South Korea; their son and daughter are Canadian born. Needless to say, this dichotomy is a wellspring or springboard for much of the story material.

Recently I read some reviews in order to contaminate my own still formulating opinion on the series. One comment I found interesting said that Kim's is more pleasant than funny. I would agree. Spot on.

Six episodes should be enough; that's about half of a television season here in Canada.

The series does not work. As fine as the cast is they are not supported. The producers and writers must know their aims but it's clear they have no idea how to get there. And they probably drive to the corner store.


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