The American version doesn't GET IT. I was sorely disappointed (although I have no patience for Molly Shannon anyway) that it didn't keep the keen edge of satire that the original has. It tries for laughs but that's not the motivating force of the original Aussie one. It lacks the brilliance, the depth, the joyful "poking fun" that pulls no punches.
I'm American with a region-free DVD player and just got "The Hornbag Collection". I cannot wait to sit down and have a munchie fest and laugh myself sick.
Samantha
"We're here. We're dead. Get used to it."

Sundance channel (Robert Redford's movie channel) used to show K&K in America. They might still show it.
The American version was bad. The characters weren't nearly as hopeless, but I think it's because they Americanized it so Kath isn't an 80's fashion victim because women here aren't like that, Kim isn't nearly as fat but does wear hoodrat clothes, she's a brat and stupid but not as evil, etc. Maybe if they had instead said it was loosely based on the AU version and changed the main characters names it would have worked but calling it Kath & Kim and then saying they were "redoing" it just killed it for all those Americans that regularly watched it on Sundance/internet/dvds.
"Look lady I don't come down to where you work and slap the d!ck out of your mouth".

It takes everything funny about the original and regurgitates it back out in an Americanised version.

Try Australian Ebay
www.ebay.com.au
Also you must have a multiregion dvd player.

I've only seen the american version, and didn't think it was bad. BUT I am dying to see the Aussie version. Is there any way to see the original stateside? I saw it on amazon as an import, but it's quite expensive. Anyone know any websites that have some of the original episodes?

It never stood a chance in Australia. Nothing can compete with the original for we Aussies.

I agree with emmiedem as well. I previously left a note on IMDB suggesting that a transplant wouldn't work, but I have to give the American version some props! Its actually funny and I even like seeing what they're doing with previously seen K&K-Oz scripts by putting the American "spin" on it. The characters are fairly true to the originals, but I totally agree that we desperately need a Sharon, though I don't know if that character would transfer as well as Kath & Kim did, as she seems to be the most Australian of the original characters and I just don't know if America has a reasonable facsimile for Sharon.
Folks, I don't watch a lot of sit-coms, so for Kath & Kim to earn a regular weekly viewer out of me is a big coup in my opinion.

emmiedem is exactly right. As a stand alone comedy it had a few things going for it. Let's face it, it was different (in a good way) than all those typical laugh-every-line family-with-stupid-father American comedies.
However, as a comparison to the Aussie version it was very lacking. I totally agree with the character rundown by emmiedem above.

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I just watched it last night. It was TERRIBLE. The only reasonable actor in it was the guy who played Phil (we know him as Kel).
"I'm not so good at the advice. Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment? Some cheese?" Chandler

If you haven't watched it yet, DON'T. It's beyond awful. It's too awful for words. Honestly. The only resemblance to the original is a mother and daughter named Kath and Kim.