By Marcus Casey
December 13, 2007 12:00am
TO be Kath and Kim or not to be?

That's the 18-month answer to a question Gina Riley
and Jane Turner have yet to give Channel 7 after
producing the most successful local comedy series in
Australian history.

The suburbanite super-heroines made an astonishing
transition from the ABC to commercial TV this year and
smashed all ratings predictions.

But they are not certain if the ladies of Fountain
Lake will ever return to TV, take a rest - or even go
on a live national stage tour.

They were key to Channel 7 locking in its first yearly
ratings win since the 1970s and the network is
desperate to keep the momentum going.

The fourth, eight-part Kath & Kim series was the
top-rating regular show of any kind in 2007 with an
average 2.12 million viewers per week.

Following repeats of the 2002 first ABC series then
scored a record 1.44 million viewers per week for
Seven, further super-glueing them into the Australian
mindset.

Instead of further cashing in on their success, the
pair - who created, wrote produced and performed all
the series - told Seven they're on holiday until at
least March.

That means it would be impossible to deliver a new
series next year.

Is the Kath and Kim show right to call it a day? Vote
in our poll.

Rick McKenna, series executive producer and husband of
Turner, said both parties were more than happy with
their relationship. But it just may not involve the
two famous characters.

"Gina and Jane never lock into a series until they
have a good idea of what they want to do and even then
they will still pause and reflect," he said yesterday.

"A project is never subject to a deal for them - it is
about Gina and Jane feeling it is good enough and that
they have a strong idea for a project and that may be
something other than Kath and Kim.

"Kath and Kim have not been ruled out from another
project, but whether that is a live stage show or a
new series has not been decided.

"They may well be rested."

The situation means it is almost impossible for Turner
and Riley to deliver a K&K series in 2008 as it is an
18-month creative process and they have only completed
the DVD sale process for the last series.

Both were exhausted after completing filming for this
year's series - but can afford a break after selling
rights to the series to the US.

McKenna said other Turner/Riley projects were possible
after June.

"They may not disappear off screen as Seven still has
rights to repeat episodes from the ABC series. That is
in their hands," McKenna said.

Source: The Daily Telegraph 13.12.07


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