# Ben and Kate (2012)

> Two mismatched siblings, a responsible single mom and an exuberant dreamer, reunite to raise her young daughter under one roof.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/39483

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 13
- Episode runtime: 22 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy
- Created by: Dana Fox
- Network: FOX
- Cast: Nat Faxon, Dakota Johnson, Maggie Elizabeth Jones, Lucy Punch, Echo Kellum, Alan Ruck, Vernee Watson, Loretta Fox
- TMDB rating: 6.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2177491/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: breezy, comforting, witty, warm, light

## What critics say

Audiences found the odd-couple sibling chemistry warm and the sitcom comfortable, though the mixed audience response suggests it never fully broke out.

## Synopsis

Ben and Kate (2012-2013) is an American single-season multi-camera family sitcom created by Dana Fox for FOX. Nat Faxon plays Ben Fox, a steady, responsible man who reluctantly takes on a share of the domestic load, while Dakota Johnson plays his younger sister Kate, an exuberant dreamer whose impulsive choices keep upending the household. The engine of the show is the pair reuniting to help raise Kate's daughter Maddie, played by Maggie Elizabeth Jones, so every episode turns on the friction between two very different adults trying to act as parents under one roof. Maddie's school life and the everyday routines of a shared apartment supply most of the plots, with recurring situations involving Principal Geoff Feeney (Alan Ruck) and the friendships each sibling keeps outside the home. Across its thirteen episodes, the thirteen-episode run follows one continuing storyline in a light, breezy register that is warm, cozy and comedic rather than heavy. Set in contemporary urban America, the series has the bright, comforting feel of a classic family sitcom. Fans of The Odd Couple, Mom and Malcolm in the Middle will find resonance in its sibling clashes and domestic comedy.

## Shows like Ben and Kate

- [Pretty Smart (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/110261)
- [Better Things (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/58877)
- [Great News (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/62203)
- [Fam (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/71137)
- [Everything's Gonna Be Okay (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/77902)
- [Casual (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/56735)
- [The Michael J. Fox Show (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/52721)
- [Workin' Moms (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/60915)
- [Single Parents (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/69463)
- [The Millers (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/45965)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt