BEN AND KATE: Odd-couple siblings Kate (Dakota Johnson, L) and Ben (Nat Faxon, second from L) - one, an overly responsible single mom; the other, an exuberant dreamer - push each other out of their comfort zones and into real life in the new comedy BEN AND KATE, premiering Tuesday, Sept. 25 (8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Also pictured: L-R: Maggie Elizabeth Jones, Lucy Punch and Echo Kellum. ©2012 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Miranda Penn Turin/FOX
“Ben and Kate,” the latest in Fox’s long line of quirky sitcoms, introduces us to single mom Kate Fox and her immature older brother, Ben. When Ben decides to move in with Kate and her daughter, Maddie, an off-beat family is born. Like most Fox sitcoms, “Ben and Kate” delivers some fairly solid laughs, but it somehow manages to pack in some unnecessary, cheesy jokes as well. At one point, Ben formulates a new list of nearly hilarious Maddie-friendly curse words, then tries to turn his car around in a tight space on the street (à la Austin Powers) for a full 30 seconds. All in all, “Ben and Kate” is a lot like almost every other sitcom on Fox — kind of funny, but mostly just average.
Grade: C+