Nishan Chakrabartty
‘Call Me Kat,’ is a comedy television series that marks the collaboration of ‘The Big Bang Theory’ stars Mayim Bialik and Jim Parsons. Parsons serves as an executive producer on the show while Bialik enacts the role of Kat. The show follows the life of Kat, a 39-year-old woman, who leaves her job as a professor at the University of Louisville, to open a cat cafe. Kat wants to prove that despite not having everything in life, one can be happy if they follow their dreams.
Kat’s mother is doubtful of this fact, and the show involves their shenanigans while trying to outdo each other. Peppered with light-hearted comedy, this show marks the new year with a slice of life entertainment. Curious about whether ‘Call Me Kat’ is inspired by a real story, we decided to dig up further. Here’s what we found!
Is Call Me Kat Based on a True Story?
Yes, ‘Call Me Kat’ is partially based on a true story. Several portions of the show have been loosely inspired by the life and eccentricities of comedienne Miranda Hart and her mother, Dee Hart-Dyke. It is an adaptation of the British comedy series, ‘Miranda’ based on the comedic skits created by Hart. BBC Radio commissioned her semi-autobiographical sketches into a 2008 radio show, namely, ‘Miranda Hart’s Joke Shop,’ which later was developed into a sitcom.
The British series premiered in 2009 and ran till 2015 – garnering several accolades and positive reviews from the critics and audiences. Although the show, about Miranda and her socially awkward life aggravated by her mother (Patricia Hodge), seems autobiographical, exaggeration in the comic elements swerves it away from the similitude. ‘Call me Kat’ features many fourth-wall-breaking scenes, thereby eliciting comparisons with ‘Fleabag.’
Jim Parsons commented on this comparison when he said in an interview, “It is on paper, easier to make these comparisons, but [Call Me Kat] is just completely its own beast. It’s its own machine very much being built around Mayim. I understand the comparisons, but I don’t feel them when I’m watching this show at all.” Being an adaptation, ‘Call Me Kat’ Americanises the lead character through the deft writing of Darlene Hunt.
The elements of quirkiness, self-deprecating humor are retained from the original show, but the character has gone through a lot of changes in terms of her interaction with the environment of Louisville, Kentucky, where the show is set. Mayim Bialik wrote about the character development: “Our executive producer/showrunner/head writer, Darlene Hunt, has taken everything about me, combined it with everything about her, and created Kat, who is a fusion of both of us. We hope people will love her in the same way people find a way to love me, and to love Darlene, and to love women who are a lot but not too much.”
Read More: Where Was Call Me Kat Filmed?
