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Kim's Convenience

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Kim's Convenience
Based onKim's Convenience
by Ins Choi
Developed byIns Choi
Kevin White
Starring
Country of originCanada
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes36
Production
Executive producersIvan Fecan
Alexandra Raffe
Ins Choi
Kevin White
Alan Dilworth
Tania Senewiratne
ProducerIvan Fecan
Production locationToronto
Running time30 minutes
Production companyThunderbird Films
Original release
NetworkCBC Television
ReleaseOctober 11, 2016 –
present

Kim's Convenience is a Canadian television sitcom that 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 Moss 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 is based on Ins Choi's 2011 play of the same name.

The first season was filmed from June to August 2016 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 previously written for Corner Gas.[5]

The second season premiered on September 26, 2017.[6][7] The show has been renewed for two more seasons.[8]

In July 2018, the series became available to audiences outside of Canada when it debuted internationally on Netflix.[9]

Cast and characters

Main

  • Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Mr. Kim ("Appa"). The family patriarch, Kim Sung-il 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 Moss Park neighbourhood. Mr. Kim is traditional, proud and stubborn, practical, opinionated and blunt. He is 56 years old at the start of the series and estranged from his son Jung, a frayed relationship he gradually attempts to mend beginning in Season 2.[10]
  • Jean Yoon as Mrs. Kim ("Umma"). The family matriarch, Kim Yong-mi, 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.[11]
  • 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, their lack of support for her art, and the fact that they overparent her due to Jung's estrangement from the household.[12]
  • Simu Liu as Jung Kim, 24 at the start of the series. Mr. and Mrs. Kim's son and Janet's brother. Jung works at Handy Car Rental, where he is promoted to assistant manager at the beginning of the series but returns to his former job after an attempt at moving to another company is scuttled. 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, and gradually reconnects with his father over the course of the series.[13]
  • Andrew Phung as Kimchee, 25 at the start of the series. Jung's best friend, co-worker, roommate, and former partner in crime. He is promoted to assistant manager after Jung initially leaves Handy at the end of Season 2, now serving as his superior.[14]
  • Nicole Power as Shannon Ross, 26. The manager of Handy Car Rental, and Jung and Kimchee's boss, she has a crush on Jung in season 1 and is often awkward in her attempts to appear cool and hip.[15]

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. He is single with a dog.
  • Ben Beauchemin as Gerald, Janet's classmate at OCAD. He is intimidated by Mr. Kim and has awkward interactions with him. He and Janet later become roommates after Janet moves out in season 2.
  • Michael Musi as Terence, a mild-mannered employee at Handy Car Rental whom Kimchee inexplicably hates. He is promoted to back manager at Handy's in Season 3.
  • Getenesh Berhe as Semira, another of Janet's OCAD photography classmates and friends.
  • Derek McGrath as Frank, a repairman and friend of Mr. Kim's who tells pointless anecdotes while working.
  • Soo-Ram Kim as Nayoung, Janet's cheery, popular and trendy cousin from South Korea in season 1. In season 2 she moves to Canada to attend the University of Waterloo.
  • Michael Xavier as Alex Jackson, a police officer who was Jung's childhood friend and who is romantically interested in Janet.
  • Sabrina Grdevich as Ms Murray, one of Janet's professors at OCAD. She thinks Mr. Kim is a harsh and abusive guy. Her parenting philosophy is to never say no to her 5-year-old son.
  • Hiro Kanagawa as Pastor Choi, the pastor at Mrs. Kim's church.
  • Amanda Brugel as Pastor Nina Gomez, associate 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 who looks down on the Kims.
  • Sugith Varughese as Mr. Mehta, a friend of Mr. Kim's who plays cards with him and owns an Indian restaurant. Mrs Mehta calls him Sanjeev.
  • Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll as Enrique, a nurse and regular customer.
  • Tina Jung as Jeanie Park, Mrs. Park's introverted teenage daughter.
  • Kris Hagen as Sketchy-Looking Dude, a regular customer.
  • Marco Grazzini as Alejandro, Shannon's boyfriend beginning at the end of season 1.
  • Ellora Patnaik as Mrs. Mehta, Mr. Mehta's wife and a friend of Mrs. Kim.
  • Ishan Dave as Raj Mehta, the Mehta's son and Janet's boyfriend in season 2 and her ex in season 3.
  • Gabriella Sundar Singh as Chelsea Chettiar, Gerald's girlfriend beginning in season 2. Moves in with Gerald and Janet in season 3.
  • Akosua Amo-Adem as Stacie. One of Jung's co-workers after he returns to Handy in season 3.
  • Ziad Ek as Omar. One of Jung's co-workers after he returns to Handy in season 3.
  • Lara Arabian as Mrs. Ada, a regular customer.

Production

An existing convenience store in Toronto, Mimi's Convenience Store, at 252 Queen Street East, was redesigned to stand in for exterior shots in the show.

Shooting locations

Interior scenes at the store, Handy Car Rental and home are shot at Showline Studios at 901 Lake Shore Boulevard East, where an exact replica of Mimi Variety, the model for the store, has been recreated. The studio is also used as the exterior of the car rental business. One episode was shot in Koreatown at Bloor and Christie Streets. The long established "Mimi Variety" store at 252 Queen Street East is used for exterior shots and as the model for the interior set built in the studio. While the signage has been adjusted, the "Kim's Convenience" sign uses the same red and green lettering and all other sections, such as the "7 DAYS A WEEK", are the original signage of Mimi Variety.[16] The producers also painted a mural on an exterior wall, mostly seen in the credit sequence and for stock transitional shots as well as for promotional shots. The owners of the store have retained the new signage although the business has not officially changed its name.[16][17]

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.[18] The first season consists of 13 half-hour episodes.[19]

CBC announced on December 20, 2016, that it had renewed Kim's Convenience for a second season of 13 episodes.[7] Season 2 premiered on September 26, 2017.[6]

On March 12, 2018, the cast of Kim's Convenience took to Facebook and Twitter to announce that there would be a third season.[20][21] The third season began airing on January 8, 2019.[22][23]

On May 24, 2018, just 2 months after announcing the third season renewal of the show, CBC announced that the show had also been renewed for a fourth season.[21]

SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
113October 11, 2016 (2016-10-11)December 27, 2016 (2016-12-27)
213September 26, 2017 (2017-09-26)December 19, 2017 (2017-12-19)
313January 8, 2019 (2019-01-08)TBA

Season 1 (2016)

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release dateCanada viewers
(millions)
11"Gay Discount"Kaeden MichlickIns Choi & Kevin WhiteOctober 11, 2016 (2016-10-11)0.835[24]
After being accused of homophobia, Appa decides to offer a store discount to gay customers during Toronto Pride Week — but he doesn't seem to be very good at determining who qualifies for it. Meanwhile, Umma tries to find a "cool Christian Korean boyfriend" for Janet.
22"Janet's Photos"Kaeden MichlickIns Choi & Kevin WhiteOctober 11, 2016 (2016-10-11)0.805[24]
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 Eomma, though for different reasons.
33"Ddongjeem & Eomma's Picture"Peter WellingtonGarry CampbellOctober 18, 2016 (2016-10-18)0.749[26]
Jung draws the wrong kind of attention from his boss when he gives Kimchee a ddong chim (Korean "wedgie") at work. Mr. Kim commissions Janet's friend, Gerald, to take his photo instead of asking Janet.[25]
44"Frank and Nayoung"Dawn WilkinsonIns Choi & Kevin WhiteOctober 25, 2016 (2016-10-25)0.763[27]
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.
55"Wingman"James GennGarry CampbellNovember 1, 2016 (2016-11-01)N/A
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.
66"Rude Kid"[28]James GennSonja BennettNovember 15, 2016 (2016-11-15)N/A
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.[28]
77"Hapkido"[29]Dawn WilkinsonIns ChoiNovember 22, 2016 (2016-11-22)0.887[30]
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.[29]
88"Service"[31]James GennRebecca KohlerNovember 29, 2016 (2016-11-29)0.878[32]
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.[31]
99"Best Before"[33]James GennStory by : Kevin White and Ins Choi
Teleplay by : Anita Kapila		December 6, 2016 (2016-12-06)N/A
Mr. Kim tries to prove that "best before" dates mean nothing when Janet objects to his selling expired ravioli; Mrs. Kim's serving up her homemade galbijjim at the church bazaar when a surprise visit by Jung forces her to admit that she's embarrassed by his troubled past.[33]
1010"Janet's New Job"[34]Dawn WilkinsonAnita KapilaDecember 13, 2016 (2016-12-13)N/A
Janet is sick of working for free and finds a job at Handy Car Rental putting Jung in a difficult position when she notices that Jung and Shannon are attracted to each other; Appa hires Gerald to work in the store but Gerald is nervous and clumsy whenver Appa is around, which is all the time.[34]
1111"Handyman"[35]Dawn WilkinsonKevin WhiteDecember 20, 2016 (2016-12-20)0.690[36]
Mr. Kim fixes a broken toilet for Kimchee; Jung hides out with Shannon; when Edwin Carter (Kevin Bundy), an old acquaintance of Eomma's drops by, Janet believes there's more to his relationship with Mrs. Kim.[35]
1212"Appa's Lump"[37]Peter WellingtonAnita KapilaDecember 27, 2016 (2016-12-27)0.805[38]
Mr. Kim finds a lump on his back and goes in for a biopsy; Janet wins an award at school; Shannon brings Jung to a work event which may also be a date, when he learns of Mr. Kim's surgery and must decide whether or not to ditch Shannon and go to hospital.
1313"Family Singing Contest"[39]Peter WellingtonIns Choi & Kevin WhiteDecember 27, 2016 (2016-12-27)0.938[38]
Janet signs a lease with Gerald and Semira but doesn't know how to break the news to her parents. Mrs Kim really wants her family to beat the Parks at the church's family singing festival, but Jung is reluctant to join them while Janet hopes entering the contest will put Eomma in a good mood to receive her news; Mr. Kim gets attention for his new SUV. Jung is surprised to learn that Shannon has a new boyfriend, Alejandro, (Marco Grazzini), whom she brings to the church festival, resulting in Jung realising he may have feelings for her.

Season 2 (2017)

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release dateCanada viewers
(millions)
141"Janet's Roommate"Peter WellingtonIns Choi & Kevin WhiteSeptember 26, 2017 (2017-09-26)0.516[40]
Appa and Umma encourage Janet to stay home when her plans to move in with Gerald and Semira hit a snag. Kimchee tells Jung to make a move on Shannon, but her relationship with Alejandro shows no sign of ending.
152"Business Award"Peter WellingtonMatt KippenOctober 3, 2017 (2017-10-03)N/A
An award comes between Appa and Umma. Shannon begins biking to work. Janet and Gerald have their first argument as roommates.
163"House Guest"Peter WellingtonIns Choi & Kevin WhiteOctober 10, 2017 (2017-10-10)N/A
Pastor Nina stays with the Kims while her apartment is being renovated. After a night with Janet and her college friends, Jung is worried he might not be that bright.
174"Cardboard Jung"Dawn WilkinsonIns Choi & Kevin WhiteOctober 17, 2017 (2017-10-17)N/A
Appa is ambivalent when Umma brings home a lifesized cardboard cutout of Jung made by Handy Car Rental as a promotion. Janet's cousin Nayoung returns.
185"Date Night"Aleysa YoungIns Choi & Kat SandlerOctober 24, 2017 (2017-10-24)N/A
Appa is pressured to make his date night with Umma more special. Jung looks online to replace Kimchee's sneakers.
196"Resting Place"Peter WellingtonAnita KapilaOctober 31, 2017 (2017-10-31)N/A
A money-saving scheme comes back to haunt Appa when Umma discovers that he sold her burial plot 20 years ago; Janet's bedroom habits make Gerald uncomfortable; Jung does damage control after losing a play wrestling match to Kimchee.
207"Sneak Attack"Gary CampbellAnita KapilaNovember 7, 2017 (2017-11-07)N/A
Appa wants in on Umma's side business, while Janet assumes a new identity accidentally on purpose when she tries to get into a film festival after party. When Umma offers the store's old freezer to Jung and Kimchee, Jung is reluctant to accept it while Kimchee and Janet fight over who will get the freezer for their respective apartment.
218"Silent Auction"Dawn WilkinsonAnita KapilaNovember 14, 2017 (2017-11-14)N/A
Umma has her heart set on a coat at the auction; Jung accuses Shannon of acting unprofessional; Janet's big payday gets foiled.
229"New TV"Renuka JeyapalanNadyia Chettiar &
Kevin White		November 21, 2017 (2017-11-21)N/A
Appa buys a new TV and Umma donates the old one to a newly arrived refugee family; a photography lecturer notices Janet; Kimchee worries about Jung stealing his girlfriend.
2310"Janet's Boyfriend"Renuka JeyapalanMatt KippenNovember 28, 2017 (2017-11-28)N/A
Janet tries to keep her relationship with Raj Mehta (Ishan Dave) from Appa and Umma; Jung and Kimchee can't agree about their house party.
2411"Good Neighbours"Siobhan DevineNadyia Chettiar &
Carly Stone		December 5, 2017 (2017-12-05)N/A
Appa and Umma meet their new neighbour; Jung starts a new work romance; Janet doesn't like how sweet Gerald's new girlfriend is.
2512"Appa's First Text"Peter WellingtonCarly Stone &
Kevin White		December 12, 2017 (2017-12-12)N/A
Appa inherits Janet's smartphone; Umma discovers a pest in the store; Kimchee tries to help Janet with her F.O.M.O.; Jung tries to reconnect with a girl.
2613"Handy Graduation"Peter WellingtonAnita Kapila, Matt Kippen & Kevin WhiteDecember 19, 2017 (2017-12-19)0.722[41]
Umma wants the family to celebrate Jung getting his GED; Shannon organizes a party to celebrate Jung's achievement but is conflicted when their feelings for each other surface. Janet gets tired of being the good one and feels unappreciated when Umma and Appa celebrate Jung's achievement while ignoring hers. Jung struggles to tell Shannon that he's taking a job elsewhere.

Season 3 (2019)

No.
overall		No. in
season		Title [42]Directed byWritten byOriginal release date [42]Canada viewers
(millions)
271"New Appa-liance"Peter WellingtonIns Choi & Kevin WhiteJanuary 8, 2019 (2019-01-08)N/A
Umma finally convinces Appa to get a new dishwasher, but Appa tries to exploit a store's price matching policy; Janet changes her name to make herself more unique; Jung treads carefully with Shannon in trying to get his job back at the new, merged Handy.
282"Cutie Pie"Peter WellingtonMatt KippenJanuary 15, 2019 (2019-01-15)N/A
Appa gets a glowing online review about the store, later found to be from a flirtatious customer, making Umma jealous; Gerald's girlfriend Chelsea (Gabriella Sundar Singh) starts making herself at home in the apartment as their third roommate, just as Gerald wants to break off the relationship; With Kimchee as his direct superior, Jung is having trouble finding his place at Handy, so much so that he pitches the creation of a new back manager position to Shannon.
293"Open Kimunication"Peter WellingtonCarly Stone & Kevin WhiteJanuary 22, 2019 (2019-01-22)N/A
When Appa and Umma look to settle an argument, they unwittingly end up in Pastor Nina's couples' therapy session. Jung learns more about Shannon's boyfriend than he bargained for when he helps Alejandro move a hutch. Janet meets one of her photography idols, asking for her contact information in hopes that she'll be her mentor. However, once Gerald finds out wanting to reach out to her as well, Janet becomes devious.
304"Thy Neighbour's Wifi"Renuka JeyapalanIns Choi & Kevin WhiteJanuary 29, 2019 (2019-01-29)N/A
When the Kim's Wi-Fi starts acting up, Appa schemes to steal the Wi-Fi password for the CrashFit next door; Jung shows interest in Shannon's friend Katie, making Shannon jealous; Janet is recruited by Umma and Pastor Nina to read some Bible passages in front of the congregation, but is caught in a dilemma where her passage is deemed misogynistic by Gerald's friends. Pastor Nina is a guest as the Kim's host a viewing party for friends of various Korean TV shows.
315"Army Spoon"Peter WellingtonIns Choi & Kevin WhiteFebruary 5, 2019 (2019-02-05)0.865[43]
Gerald is so moved by Appa's story about his Korean army spoon that he chooses to photograph him for an upcoming exhibition, including an embellished version of the story. Janet feels that she insulted a waitress at Chelsea's supper club but things go from bad to worse when she returns to apologize. Jung tries to persuade Kimchee and Shannon to join him for skydiving. Umma is surprised by Kimchee listing her as his emergency contact, but gets even more surprised when she finds out how many of her own family members have not chosen her as their emergency contact.
326"The Kim Cup"Siobhan DevineAnita KapilaFebruary 12, 2019 (2019-02-12)N/A
While cleaning out the basement, Appa and Jung compete for the family ping-pong tournament, the "Kim Cup"; Umma feels ignored by Janet and bonds with Chelsea, bewildering Janet; a mix-up regarding a gift basket delivered to Handy causes trouble for Shannon.
337"Appanoon Delight"Renuka JeyapalanMatt KippenFebruary 19, 2019 (2019-02-19)N/A
Appa and Umma discover Gerald's waterbed. Appa lectures Janet about borrowing his drill. Kimchee struggles to prepare a presentation for work but resents Jung's offer to help. Jung accidentally runs over Kimchee's foot, making things worse after he suspects Kimchee is faking the injury. Appa gets Pastor Nina to divulge if her T-Ball team won.
348"To Him It May Concern"Weyni MengeshaCarly StoneFebruary 26, 2019 (2019-02-26)N/A
Umma takes over sign-making duties for the store after Appa's embarrassing spelling mistake. With Kimchee's mother coming for a visit, Kimchee tries to hide all evidence of his friendship with Jung, whom his mother despises. Janet gets Gerald on a shortlist for a photography scholarship, which requires a letter of recommendation. Appa volunteers to write one but Janet intercedes.
359"Blabber Talker"Renuka JeyapalanAnita KapilaMarch 5, 2019 (2019-03-05)N/A
Mr. Kim and Mr. Mehta discuss using formal salutations in addressing each other. Mr. Kim joins Facebook. Mr. Mehta hires Janet to take his son Raj's engagement photos, not realizing that they have a past. Appa and Umma look forward to their Cuban vacation until they accidentally invite the Lees to join them. Appa and Umma hire Mrs. Ada to do housecleaning, then suspect her of gossiping about them. The Handy staff do impressions of one another but Jung goes too far when the regional manager comes to visit .
3610"Elephant in the Room"Siobhan DevineKurt SmeatonMarch 12, 2019 (2019-03-12)N/A
Kimchee has a crush on the courier, Gwen (Jenny Raven), and gets bombarded with conflicting advice from both Shannon and Jung about what to do, especially after seeing Terence confirming a date with her. Janet retaliates when Umma throws out her childhood keepsakes, while Mr. Kim takes Mr. Mehta's advice to use the situation to his advantage.
3711"Appanticitis"Renuka JeyapalanIns Choi & Kevin WhiteMarch 19, 2019 (2019-03-19)N/A
Mr. Kim invents a new type of clothing. Appa tries to give Umma advice about her annoying habit, but regrets it. Janet takes Gerald to the emergency room when his appendix flares up, not expecting the ER doctor to be her ex, Raj. Jung auditions for the Astounding Trek reality show with Kimchee, but doesn't want him to know that he's also auditioning with Shannon. Umma's new look is not well received.
3812"Hit 'n' Fun"Peter WellingtonIns Choi & Kevin WhiteMarch 26, 2019 (2019-03-26)N/A
In the church parking lot, Umma backs into Pastor Nina's new car and tries to avoid taking responsibility. After Appa fails to object to Jimmy's sexist jokes, Umma and Appa argue over gender roles and Appa agrees to make the Nanaimo bars for the church's bake sale. Janet tries to turn the tables on Gerald after she finds out he and Chelsea have been making fun of her, and ends up getting far closer to Chelsea than she'd wanted. Jung tries to get Shannon's birthday card back when he realizes he wrote "love, Jung" on it, but ends up implicating Kimchee.
3913"Lord of the Ring"Peter WellingtonUnknownApril 2, 2019 (2019-04-02)N/A

Season 4

On May 24, 2018, just 2 months after announcing the third season renewal of the show, CBC announced that the show had also been renewed for a fourth season.[21]

DVD releases

Entertainment One released the first season of Kim's Convenience on Region 1 DVD on March 7, 2017.[44]

Season Episodes Release Date
Region 1
1 13 March 7, 2017
2 13 March 6, 2018[45]

Reception

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." In conclusion, Doyle called it "a clever, generally engaging screwball comedy with an eye on entertainment".[46] The Toronto Star's Tony Wong wrote that "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."[47] Reviewing the series following its release for US audiences on Netflix, Bryan Washington of Vulture remarked on the series' treatment of political issues surrounding immigrants, noting the tensions are never truly in the background but also do not take precedence over the comedy, remarking "I haven’t laughed as hard all year, with feeling, as I have alongside the series."[48]

Rick Salutin, also of the Star, was less enthusiastic of the show's portrayal of minorities on television saying "only accents are funny in Kim's Convenience" and that audiences are "laughing at the characters not with them". Salutin concluded by stating "I don't see why supporting Canadian culture means you should be uncritical, as if someone will take it away if you weren't. You should be most critical about what you care most about like public education or the CBC, you want them to be good not just there".[49] Although not directly a response to Salutin's review, actor Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Appa) has questioned critics' inclination to cite accents as offensive: "They won’t say—but is it because you’re seeing Asians on the screen? Oh, no? Well, then it must be because he sounds different. Well, guess what: Asian people have accents. The accent isn’t about a joke, it’s part of who that character is, but it doesn’t make it intrinsically racist. If you’re uncomfortable with that baggage, then you need to examine it yourself and see where it comes from."[50]

Mark Breslin, founder of the Canadian comedy club chain Yuk Yuk's, was critical of the show's lack of strong humour, saying "As a sitcom, it’s more sit than com. It’s pleasant to watch but just not that funny. The characters aren’t exaggerated enough. They lack big comic flaws. The conflicts are subtle and minor key. You want to give its creators kudos for finally putting Asians on TV in the right way, but the whole enterprise plays like a civics lesson. The characters all behave with dignity, and dignity may be the enemy of laughter."[51]

Ratings

Midway through its first season, Kim's Convenience was estimated by Numeris to have an average audience of 933,000 per episode, with 39% of viewers between the ages of 25 and 54.[7]

Awards

For the 5th Canadian Screen Awards in 2017, Kim's Convenience garnered 11 nominations, including Best Comedy Series, Best Actor in a Comedy Series (Lee), Best Actress in a Comedy Series (Yoon and Bang), and Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Phung).[52] Lee won the award for best actor in a continuing leading comedic role for his portrayal of Appa,[53] and Phung won Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Kimchee.[54]

Kim's Convenience won two awards at the 2017 Toronto ACTRA Awards, Outstanding Performance - Female for actress Jean Yoon and the Members’ Choice Series Ensemble Award for Best Cast.[55][56]

The first-season episodes "Ddong Chim" and "Janet’s Photos" are 2017 Writers Guild of Canada's Canadian Screenwriting Awards finalists in the TV comedy category.[57]

At the 6th Canadian Screen Awards in 2018, the series received 12 nominations. It won the awards for Best Comedy Series, Best Actor in a Comedy Series (Lee) and Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Phung).

Year Award Category Nominee Result Ref.
2017 15th ACTRA Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actress Jean Yoon ("Gay Discount") Won [58][59]
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Won
5th Canadian Screen Awards Best Comedy Series Nominated [60]
Best Direction in a Comedy Program or Series Peter Wellington ("Gay Discount") Nominated
Best Writing in a Comedy Program or Series Ins Choi, Kevin White ("Gay Discount") Nominated
Garry Campbell ("Ddong Chim") Nominated
Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Comedic Role Jean Yoon Nominated
Andrea Bang Nominated
Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Comedic Role Paul Sun-Hyung Lee Won
Best Achievement in Casting Deirdre Bowen, Millie Tom ("Frank & Nayiyng") Won
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role
or Guest Role in a Comedic Series		 Andrew Phung ("Janet's Photos", "Ddong Chim") Won
Best Photography in a Comedy Program or Series Fraser Brown ("Frank & Nayiyng") Nominated
Best Picture Editing in a Comedy Program or Series Kye Meechan ("Gay Discount") Won
21st WGC Screenwriting Awards TV Comedy Garry Campbell ("Ddong Chim") Nominated [61]
Ins Choi, Kevin White ("Janet's Photos") Nominated
2018 16th ACTRA Awards Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor Paul Sun-Hyung Lee ("Hapkido") Nominated [62]
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Nominated
6th Canadian Screen Awards Best Comedy Series Won [63][64]
Best Direction, Comedy Aleysa Young ("Date Night") Nominated
Best Photography, Comedy Fraser Brown ("Cardboard Jung") Nominated
Best Picture Editing, Comedy Aren Hansen ("Date Night") Nominated
Best Writing, Comedy Anita Kapila ("Resting Place") Nominated
Matt Kippen ("Business Award") Nominated
Best Achievement in Casting Deidre Bowen Nominated
Best Lead Actor, Comedy Paul Sun-Hyung Lee Won
Best Supporting or Guest Actor, Comedy Andrew Phung ("Cardboard Jung", "Resting Place") Won
Best Lead Actress, Comedy Andrea Bang Nominated
Jean Yoon Nominated
Best Supporting or Guest Actress, Comedy Nicole Power Nominated
22nd WGC Screenwriting Awards TV Comedy Anita Kapila ("Resting Place") Pending [65]
Matt Kippen ("Business Award") Pending

References

  1. ^ "CBC unveils fall-winter slate: Kim's Convenience, Steven Sabados returns, digital comedies". CBC News, May 26, 2016.
  2. ^ "CBC reveals new TV shows, revives Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  3. ^ "About Kim's Convenience". CBC News. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  4. ^ Nestruck, J. Kelly (November 3, 2015). "Toronto's Soulpepper Theatre Company announces 2016 lineup". Globe and Mail. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  5. ^ "Shop Talk: Can Kim's Convenience help fix TV's diversity problem?". The Walrus, October 2016, pages 61-65
  6. ^ a b "Season 2 premiere date set for September 26". CBC. August 16, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
  7. ^ a b c "CBC Renews Canada's Number-One New Comedy - Kim's Convenience - for a Second Season". CBC. December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  8. ^ http://www.cbc.ca/kimsconvenience/m/blog/season-3-of-kims-convenience-has-been-officially-announced
  9. ^ "If You Love Family Sitcoms, Watch Kim's Convenience". Vulture. August 19, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  10. ^ "Mr. Kim ("Appa") - Characters - Kim's Convenience: New episodes Tuesdays".
  11. ^ "Mrs. Kim ("Umma") - Characters - Kim's Convenience: New episodes Tuesdays".
  12. ^ "Janet - Characters - Kim's Convenience: New episodes Tuesdays".
  13. ^ "Jung - Characters - Kim's Convenience: New episodes Tuesdays".
  14. ^ "Kimchee - Characters - Kim's Convenience: New episodes Tuesdays".
  15. ^ "Shannon - Characters - Kim's Convenience: New episodes Tuesdays".
  16. ^ a b Wong, Tony (October 16, 2016). "The real store that became Kim's Convenience". Toronto Star. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  17. ^ Zhu, Yeye (November 24, 2016). "Kim's Convenience wins fame for local store". Toronto Observer.
  18. ^ "CBC's Kim's Convenience gives way to Blue Jays". The Canadian Press. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
  19. ^ David, Greg (July 12, 2016). "Production on Thunderbird's Kim's Convenience begins for CBC". TV, eh?. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  20. ^ "Season 3 of Kim's Convenience has been officially announced!". cbc.ca. March 12, 2018. Archived from the original on March 16, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ a b c "Season 3 premieres winter 2019 and season 4 has been greenlit". cbc.ca. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  22. ^ @KimsConvenience (December 12, 2018). "👇#KimsConvenience #OkSeeYou👇" (Tweet). Retrieved December 14, 2018 – via Twitter.
  23. ^ "CBC Announces Winter 2019 Premiere Dates" (Press release). Toronto: CBC. November 1, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  24. ^ a b Brioux, Bill (October 13, 2016). "Kim's Convenience an overnight success for CBC". Brioux.tv. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  25. ^ "First look: Episode 103". Kim's Convenience. CBC Television. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  26. ^ @BillBriouxTV (October 20, 2016). "TUES o'nites ...CBC MERCER 625K 22MIN 597K KIM'S 749K MR.D (S Premiere) 363K CTV2 VOICE 590K CITY BROOKLYN99 345K W BACHETTE 250K AFTER 270K" (Tweet). Retrieved December 22, 2016 – via Twitter.
  27. ^ @BillBriouxTV (October 26, 2016). "TUES o'nites ... CBC 22MIN 743K KIM'S 763K MR.D 345K CTV2 VOICE 683K DISC HWYTHRUHELL 368K" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  28. ^ a b "TV Listings Grid, TV Guide and TV Schedule, Where to Watch TV Shows - Screener".
  29. ^ a b "TV Listings Grid, TV Guide and TV Schedule, Where to Watch TV Shows - Screener".
  30. ^ @BillBriouxTV (December 6, 2016). "CND TOP 30 TOTALS NOV. 21 - 27 (Numeris): 1. TSN GREY CUP 3646k 13. @CBCMurdoch 1340k 27. #HNiC Prime East 1022k 29. @KimsConvenience 887k" (Tweet). Retrieved December 21, 2016 – via Twitter.
  31. ^ a b "Kim's Convenience Episode Guide". zap2it. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  32. ^ "Numeris - November 28 - December 4, 2016" (PDF). Numeris. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  33. ^ a b "Kim's Convenience Episode Guide". zap2it. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  34. ^ a b "Kim's Convenience Episode Guide". zap2it. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  35. ^ a b "Kim's Convenience Episode Guide". zap2it. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  36. ^ "December 19, 2016 - December 25, 2016 (National)" (PDF). Numeris. January 3, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  37. ^ "Kim's Convenience Episode Guide". zap2it. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  38. ^ a b "December 26, 2016 - January 1, 2017 (National)" (PDF). Numeris. January 9, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  39. ^ "Kim's Convenience Episode Guide". zap2it. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  40. ^ @BillBriouxTV (September 30, 2017). "CBC PREMIERE WEEK o'nite MON Murdoch 978k AliasGrace 442k TUES Mercer 591k 22Min 590k Kim's 516k MrD 227k WED GBritBake 269k THURS DDen 590k" (Tweet). Retrieved January 9, 2018 – via Twitter.
  41. ^ "December 18, 2017 - December 24, 2017 (National)" (PDF). Numeris. January 2, 2018. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  42. ^ a b Full episodes and TV Listings- Zap2it.com
  43. ^ "February 4, 2019 - February 10, 2019 (National)" (PDF). Numeris. February 21, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  44. ^ "Kim's Convenience DVD news: Announcement for Season 1". TVShowsOnDVD.com. CBS Interactive. January 18, 2017. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 18, 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  45. ^ "Product Details". amazon.ca. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  46. ^ "John Doyle: CBC's big week starts with the excellent Kim's Convenience". The Globe and Mail. September 30, 2016. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
  47. ^ "Kim's Convenience mines Korean grocery store for laughs". Toronto Star. October 9, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  48. ^ Washington, Bryan. "If You Love Family Sitcoms, Watch Kim's Convenience". Vulture. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  49. ^ "Only accents are funny in Kim's Convenience". Toronto Star. November 22, 2016. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  50. ^ Lee, Adrian. "How to do an on-screen accent—and why it can be okay". MacLean's. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  51. ^ "CBC's new comedy Kim's Convenience is heartwarming but just not that funny". Post City Toronto. November 10, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2019. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  52. ^ "Orphan Black, Schitt's Creek, Kim's Convenience up for Canadian Screen Awards". CBC News, January 17, 2017.
  53. ^ "'Orphan Black' Star Tatiana Maslany Dominates Canadian Screen Awards With Two Best Actress Wins". The Hollywood Reporter, March 12, 2017.
  54. ^ "Canadian Screen Awards 2017: Baroness von Sketch Show, Orphan Black big winners". CBC News, March 8, 2017.
  55. ^ "Kim's Convenience scores two prizes at ACTRA Awards". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  56. ^ "2017 ACTRA Awards in Toronto Nominees - ACTRA Toronto". www.actratoronto.com. Archived from the original on February 20, 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  57. ^ "Thunderbird — ANNOUNCING THE WGC SCREENWRITING AWARDS FINALISTS". thunderbird.tv.
  58. ^ "Award History". actratoronto.com. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  59. ^ "The 15th Annual ACTRA Awards in Toronto nominees". newswire.ca. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  60. ^ "2017 TV Nominees". academy.ca. Archived from the original on November 4, 2017. Retrieved March 12, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  61. ^ "2017 Awards Finalists and Winners". wgc.ca. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  62. ^ "The 2018 Winners & Nominee". actratoronto.com. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  63. ^ "2018 TV Nominees". academy.ca. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  64. ^ "'Maudie' Wins Big At 2018 Canadian Screen Awards". etcanada.com. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  65. ^ "2018 Finalists". wgc.ca. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
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