Kim's Convenience (TV series)
| Kim's Convenience | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Starring |
Paul Sun-Hyung Lee Jean Yoon Simu Liu Andrea Bang Andrew Phung Nicole Power |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Thunderbird Films |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBC Television |
| Picture format |
480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV) |
| Original release | October 11, 2016 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Kim's Convenience is a Canadian television sitcom, based on Ins Choi's play of the same name, which premiered on CBC Television in October 2016.[1][2]
The series centres on the Korean Canadian Kim family who run a convenience store in the Regent Park neighbourhood of Toronto: parents "Appa" (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) and "Umma" (Jean Yoon) – Korean for "dad" and "mom" – along with their daughter Janet (Andrea Bang) and estranged son Jung (Simu Liu). Additional characters include Jung's friend and co-worker Kimchee (Andrew Phung) and his manager Shannon (Nicole Power).[3]
The series was filmed from June to August 2016. Soundstage and set are at Showline Studios in Toronto. It is produced by Thunderbird Films in conjunction with Toronto's Soulpepper Theatre Company, with Lee and Yoon reprising their roles from the play.[4] Scripts were created by Choi and Kevin White, who had formerly written for Corner Gas.[5]
Episodes
Originally set to premiere on October 4, 2016 on CBC, the series premiere was delayed to October 11, 2016 with back-to-back episodes, so it would not conflict with the Toronto Blue Jays' American League Wild Card Game.[6] The first season will consist of 13 half-hour episodes.[7]
| # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Gay Discount" | Peter Wellington | Ins Choi & Kevin White | October 11, 2016 |
| In the series premiere, after being accused of homophobia, Appa decides to offer a store discount to gay customers during Toronto Pride Week. Meanwhile, Umma tries to find a "cool Christian Korean boyfriend" for Janet. | ||||
| 2 | "Janet's Photos" | Peter Wellington | Ins Choi & Kevin White | October 11, 2016 |
| When Janet's photos start getting attention from admirers, Appa tries to prove he's a better photographer. Meanwhile, Jung decides to apply for a promotion at the car rental agency, to the dismay of Kimchee and Umma, though for different reasons. | ||||
| 3 | "Ddongjeem & Umma's Picture" | Peter Wellington | Garry Campbell | October 18, 2016 |
| Jung draws the wrong kind of attention from his boss when he gives Kimchee a Korean wedgie at work. Mr. Kim commissions Janet's friend, Gerald, to take his photo instead of asking Janet.[8] | ||||
| 4 | "Frank and Nayoung" | Dawn Wilkinson | Ins Choi & Kevin White | October 25, 2016 |
| Mr. Kim is frustrated with Frank (Derek McGrath), a repairman who talks too much, while Janet's cousin Nayoung (Soo-Ram Kim) visits from Korea, challenging Janet's sense of what it means to be 'Korean.' Jung and Shannon get tickets to a Toronto Raptors game, but Jung starts to wonder if Shannon thinks it's a date. | ||||
| 5 | "Wingman" | James Genn | Garry Campbell | November 1, 2016 |
| Mr. Chin asks Mr. Kim to be his wingman on a date, which is fine until Mrs. Kim tags along. Janet asks Jung to help her fix a dripping pipe at the store, but the repair is interrupted by an intruder. A police officer (Michael Xavier) helps Jung resolve a misunderstanding and Jung recognizes him as his childhood friend Alex, who becomes reacquainted with Janet. | ||||
| 6 | "Rude Kid"[9] | James Genn | Sonja Bennett | November 15, 2016 |
| Mr. Kim scolds Janet's professor's 5 year-old kid, when he misbehaves in the store, with unexpected consequences for Janet; Jung discovers Kimchee is making extra money by moonlighting for a carsharing company, illicitly using Handy Car Rental cars, and has to decide whether to let Terence get fired when Shannon wrongly suspects him as the culprit.[9] | ||||
| 7 | "Hapkido"[10] | Dawn Wilkinson | Ins Choi | November 22, 2016 |
| Janet takes a Hapkido class but Mr. Kim thinks he knows more than her teacher (Tommy Chang). Jung runs into Grace Lee (Eileen Li), an old flame; they both discover that their meeting was not accidental but part of a plan by their mothers to get them back together.[10] | ||||
| 8 | "Service"[11] | James Genn | Rebecca Kohler | November 29, 2016 |
| Mr. and Mrs. Kim's relationship is tested when Mr. Kim offers the attractive new female pastor (Amanda Brugel) some free items from the store. Janet dates Jung's friend, Alex, and Jung pretends to be cool with it.[11] | ||||
| 9 | "Best Before"[12] | TBA | TBA | December 6, 2016 |
| Mr. Kim tries to prove that "best before" dates mean nothing; Mrs. Kim's own children embarrass her at the church bazaar.[12] | ||||
| 10 | "Janet's New Job"[13] | TBA | TBA | December 13, 2016 |
| Janet is sick of working for free and looks for a new job.[13] | ||||
| 11 | "Handyman"[14] | TBA | TBA | December 20, 2016 |
| Mr. Kim fixes a broken toilet for Kimchee; Jung hides out with Shannon; when Edwin drops by, Janet believes there's more to his relationship with Mrs. Kim.[14] | ||||
| 12 | "Appa's Lump"[15] | TBA | TBA | December 27, 2016 |
| Mr. Kim finds a lump on his back; Shannon brings Jung to a work event. | ||||
| 13 | "Family Singing Contest"[16] | TBA | TBA | December 27, 2016 |
| Before Janet can reveal her big news, she must survive the family singing festival at church; Mr. Kim gets attention for his new SUV. | ||||
Cast
Main
- Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Mr. Kim ("Appa")- The family patriarch, Mr. Kim was a teacher in his homeland before immigrating to Canada with his wife where they now own and operate Kim's Convenience, a grocery store in Toronto's Regent Park neighbourhood. Mr. Kim is traditional, proud and stubborn, practical and opinionated and blunt. He is estranged from his son Jung. 56 years old at the start of the series.[17]
- Jean Yoon as Mrs. Kim ("Umma") - Married to Mr. Kim, Mrs. Kim, 54 at the start of the series, was also a teacher in Korea. She is hardworking and kind but also meddles in the lives of her family. Her life revolves around the store, family, and church, where she volunteers.[18]
- Simu Liu as Jung Kim, 24 at the start of the series is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Kim and Janet's brother. Jung works at Handy Car Rental, where he is promoted to assistant manager at the beginning of the series. He was a rebellious teenager who had engaged in petty street crimes, earning him a brief stint in juvenile detention, but has since cleaned up his act. He was kicked out of the family home by Mr. Kim after stealing from him and remains estranged from his father though he is still in contact with the rest of the family.[19]
- Andrea Bang as Janet Kim, 20 at the start of the series, Mr. and Mrs. Kim's daughter and Jung's sister. She is the family member in most frequent contact with Jung. Attending OCAD University, where she studies photography, Janet is a talented artist but is frustrated by her parents' traditionalism and their lack of support for her art.[20]
- Andrew Phung as Kimchee, 25 at the start of the series, is Jung's best friend, co-worker, roommate, and former partner in crime.[21]
- Nicole Power as Shannon Ross, 26, is the manager of Handy Car Rental, and Jung and Kimchee's boss. She has a crush on Jung and is often awkward in her attempts to appear cool and hip.[22]
Recurring
- John Ng as Mr. Chin, Mr. Kim's friend and a successful entrepreneur, owning several businesses. Fastidious, he does not like to do manual labour.
- Ben Beauchemin as Gerald, Janet's friend and a fellow student at OCAD. He's intimidated by Mr. Kim and has awkward interactions with him.
- Michael Musi as Terence, a mild-mannered employee at Handy Car Rental whom Kimchee inexplicably hates.
- Getenesh Berhe as Semira, another of Janet's OCAD photography classmates and friends.
- Michael Xavier as Alex, a police officer who was Jung's childhood friend and who is getting reacquainted with Janet.
- Sabrina Grdevich as Ms Murray, one of Janet's professors at OCAD.
- Sugith Varughese as Mr. Mehta, a friend of Mr. Kim's who plays cards with him and owns an Indian restaurant.
- Hiro Kanagawa as Pastor Choi, the pastor at Mrs. Kim's church.
- Christina Song as Mrs. Lee, Grace Lee's mother and Mrs. Kim's friend.
- Uni Park as Mrs. Park, a supercilious and well-to-do parishioner at Mrs. Kim's church.
- Amanda Brugel as Pastor Nina Gomez, associate pastor at Mrs. Kim's church.
Critical response
John Doyle of the Globe and Mail wrote that the show "stays away from the pseudo-seriousness that could easily plague a comedy about immigrants and family dynamics. There is little obviousness and mugging, and moral lessons are few in the breezy speed of it. What’s it all about? Good jokes, mainly. Heartily recommended, Kim’s Convenience is a clever, generally engaging screwball comedy with an eye on entertainment".[23]
The Toronto Star's Tony Wong writes: "The show is good. Possibly even great. The dialogue is sharp, on point and borderline subversive. It has the potential to be a future classic. It has bite...It’s funny and true, but not a reality we typically see reflected on television."[24]
References
- ↑ "CBC unveils fall-winter slate: Kim's Convenience, Steven Sabados returns, digital comedies". CBC News, May 26, 2016.
- ↑ "CBC reveals new TV shows, revives Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
- ↑ "About Kim's Convenience". CBC News. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
- ↑ Nestruck, J. Kelly (November 3, 2015). "Toronto's Soulpepper Theatre Company announces 2016 lineup". Globe and Mail. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
- ↑ "Shop Talk: Can Kim's Convenience help fix TV's diversity problem?". The Walrus, October 2016, pages 61-65
- ↑ "CBC's Kim's Convenience gives way to Blue Jays". The Canadian Press. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
- ↑ David, Greg (July 12, 2016). "Production on Thunderbird's Kim's Convenience begins for CBC". TV, eh?. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
- ↑ "First look: Episode 103". Kim's Convenience. CBC Television. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
- 1 2 "TV Listings Grid, TV Guide and TV Schedule, Where to Watch TV Shows - Screener".
- 1 2 "TV Listings Grid, TV Guide and TV Schedule, Where to Watch TV Shows - Screener".
- 1 2 "Kim's Convenience Episode Guide". zap2it. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
- 1 2 "Kim's Convenience Episode Guide". zap2it. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
- 1 2 "Kim's Convenience Episode Guide". zap2it. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
- 1 2 "Kim's Convenience Episode Guide". zap2it. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
- ↑ "Kim's Convenience Episode Guide". zap2it. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
- ↑ "Kim's Convenience Episode Guide". zap2it. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
- ↑ "Mr. Kim ("Appa") - Characters - Kim's Convenience: New episodes Tuesdays".
- ↑ "Mrs. Kim ("Umma") - Characters - Kim's Convenience: New episodes Tuesdays".
- ↑ "Jung - Characters - Kim's Convenience: New episodes Tuesdays".
- ↑ "Janet - Characters - Kim's Convenience: New episodes Tuesdays".
- ↑ "Kimchee - Characters - Kim's Convenience: New episodes Tuesdays".
- ↑ "Shannon - Characters - Kim's Convenience: New episodes Tuesdays".
- ↑ "John Doyle: CBC's big week starts with the excellent Kim's Convenience". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
- ↑ "Kim's Convenience mines Korean grocery store for laughs - Toronto Star".
External links
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/2/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.