What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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T10 WHATS UP! January 3 - 9, 2021 "A lot of sitcom acting is de- pendent on timing, based on laughs and based on what works for the audience, so it's definite- ly a new way of learning to do this kind of comedy," she said. Still, she and the rest of the cast and crew persevered to bring TV viewers the story of a modern woman forging ahead with her life plan, determined to be happy despite being single. In the show, Kat struggles to prove to her mother, Sheila (Swoosie Kurtz, "Mike & Mol- ly"), that she can live a fulfilling life without having every little thing that she wants. She takes the money her parents had been saving for her wedding and sinks it into the cafe, where she works alongside millennial Randi (Kyla Pratt, "Doctor Dolittle," 1998), a self-proclaimed non-cat person. Kat also enlists the services of Phil (Leslie Jordan, "The Cool Kids") to make all of the pastries she sells at the cafe. As Kat cele- brates her independence, Phil deals with the fallout of recently breaking up with his longtime partner. Kat also has the support of her best friend, Tara (Vanessa Lachey, "Truth Be Told"), whose life as a wife and mother looks very different from her own. However, as often happens in sitcoms, a wrench is soon thrown into Kat's seemingly per- fect, happy single life. Her for- mer crush, Max (Cheyenne Jackson, "American Horror Sto- ry"), reappears on the scene and lands a job as a bartender at the piano bar across from the cafe, where he works with his friend Carter (Julian Grant, "Key and Peele"). Although based on the 2009 BBC U.K. hit "Miranda," starring Miranda Hart ("Call the Mid- wife"), the quirky premise has been tweaked slightly for Amer- ican audiences. For example, while Kat runs a cat cafe in "Call Me Kat," Miranda ran a joke shop and boutique. While odd duck Miranda didn't seem to fit in with her old boarding school chums, Kat appears to have some genuinely close friends. In a June interview with Metro.co.uk, Bialik joked about the U.S. production, saying: "We've definitely Americanized it. We're not as funny as you are over there, but we are doing our best." The "we" Bialik is referring to includes an old pal who knows a thing or two about what makes American audiences laugh. She teamed up with former fellow "The Big Bang Theory" star Jim Parsons, who serves as an execu- tive producer for "Call Me Kat" alongside Bialik, Hart, Todd Spiewak ("Young Sheldon"), Darlene Hunt ("The Big C") and Angie Stephenson ("The Night Of"). With such a stellar team both in front of the camera and be- hind the scenes, it's no wonder Fox has confidence in the series. The network has given "Call Me Kat" a prime premiere time-slot after the NFL's Sunday double- header — that could lead to a nice ratings boost for the fledg- ling series, and there's even more good news for people who like the series and its stars. Viewers won't even have to wait a full week for more of the sit- com, as it also airs on Fox on Thursday, Jan. 7, in what will be its regular time-slot. It will serve as the lead-in for the final season of the Tim Allen ("Home Improvement")-led sitcom "Last Man Standing." Don't miss the series premiere of "Call Me Kat," airing Sunday, Jan. 3, on Fox. Mayim Bialik stars in "Call Me Kat" continued from page T2 Feline fine: 'Call Me Kat' pulls through COVID to premiere on Fox TV FEATURE Celebrations 5 x 5