Ben and Kate

2012 • FOX
4.7
27 reviews
TV-14
Rating
Eligible
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Season 1 episodes (16)

1 Pilot
9/25/12
Exuberant dreamer Ben Fox (Nat Faxon) returns to his hometown and reunites with his younger sister Kate (Dakota Johnson), an overly responsible single mom raising her five-year-old daughter, Maddie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones). But when he arrives, he finds a sad state of affairs. For the first time in their lives, Kate needs Ben's help, and he's determined to bring some much-needed chaos into her stable world. In the series premiere, Kate enlists co-worker BJ (Lucy Punch) to help her prepare for what turns out to be a disastrous first date, while Ben teams up with childhood pal Tommy (Echo Kellum) to stop an ex from getting married.
2 Bad Cop/ Bad Cop
10/2/12
Kate, the ultimate rule follower, has been lying about where she lives so that Maddie can go to a school in a better district. But when Kate's scheme starts unraveling and she must come clean with Maddie's principal (guest star Alan Ruck), Ben tries to teach her the value of facing her fears.
3 The Fox Hunt
10/9/12
Ben and Kate discover an unopened envelope from 15 years ago that contains the yearly scavenger hunt their dad used to organize for them when they were kids. The find prompts them to complete the unfinished hunt, but raises old issues of sibling rivalry. Meanwhile, the scavenger hunt takes an unexpected detour for Kate when BJ enlists her to help get belongings back from an old fling.
4 21st Birthday
10/16/12
Ben throws a party to celebrate Kate's 21st birthday and invites her high-school friend Molly to the bash—but Tommy isn't happy about the additional guest. Meanwhile, Ben discovers that his ex-girlfriend Darcy is moving into his former dream home with her new husband.
5 Emergency Kit
10/23/12
Now that Ben is living with Kate and Maddie, Kate wants Ben to be more responsible and prepared for potential emergencies, where Maddie is concerned. Of course, Ben thinks there isn't a plan for everything. Meanwhile, Ben's crazy ex-girlfriend Louise (guest star Lindsay Sloane) makes a surprise visit and BJ might actually be developing real feelings for her boss, bar owner Buddy (guest star Rob Corddry).
6 Scaredy Kate
10/30/12
Kate gets invited to her hot neighbor's Halloween party, so BJ tries to help Kate break free and be someone completely out-of-character for the night. Meanwhile, Ben and Tommy decide to stay home and hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters in hopes that they'll meet some hot moms, but the night takes a turn when Tommy unknowingly eats some of BJ's "candy" from Amsterdam, and Kate bonds with Will (guest star Geoff Stults), a single father.
7 Career Day
11/13/12
With Career Day at Maddie's school coming up, Ben wants to find an actual job so he can make his niece proud. Meanwhile, Kate starts to develop a crush on her neighbor, Will (guest star Geoff Stults), and BJ faces backlash from a co-worker at the bar for getting a raise.
8 Reunion
11/20/12
When a high school reunion is held on the eve of Thanksgiving, Will (guest star Geoff Stults) encourages Kate to attend and stand up to the high school bully, Anna (guest star Amber Stevens) for giving her an unforgettable nickname. Meanwhile, in the midst of the holiday season, Ben doesn't think he can keep much longer the huge secret that he and BJ have been hiding from Kate.
9 Guitar Face
11/27/12
When Kate sees the face that Will (guest star Stults) makes while playing guitar during his cover band's performance, she gets turned off and unable to take him seriously. Meanwhile, Tommy gets Ben a job at the country club which soon backfires for both of them, and BJ attends a support group where she gets good advice about her friendship with Kate.
10 The Trip
12/4/12
Although Ben, BJ and Tommy disapprove, Kate and Will take their relationship to the next level when they go on a romantic camping trip together. Of course, the trip quickly goes awry when some unwelcome guests decide to tag along. Meanwhile, BJ makes it her mission to help Tommy move past his feelings for Kate.
11 B-Squad
1/8/13
When Maddie fails the test to get into the gifted program at her school, she becomes part of "The B-Squad." Kate, who blames herself for Maddie's failure, decides to take matters into her own hand and gives The B-Squad an unforgettable experience. Meanwhile, Ben runs into an old pal from college who stole one of his business ideas, and BJ's mother, Wendy (guest star Jane Seymour), comes to town and gets a surprising introduction to Buddy (guest star Rob Corddry).
12 Girl Problems
1/15/13
Tommy finally brings around his new girlfriend, Lila (guest star Brittany Snow), to meet the gang. But when Kate suggests the two women get to know each other, things don't go as planned. Meanwhile, Ben moves forward with his "Rail Mall" business plan.
13 Bake Off
1/22/13
Ben continues to expand his "Rail Mall" idea with his new business partner, Vera (guest star Melinda McGraw), but when she brings in more associates to help expand their plan, Ben doesn't like the direction in which it's heading. Meanwhile, after finding out that Will (guest star Geoff Stults) has been dating since their break-up, Kate goes on a date with a baker she met at Will's party. Also, BJ and Maddie pose as mother and daughter for a commercial audition.
14 Gone Fishin'
3/11/13
When Ben and Kate's father Randy pays an unexpected visit to them, he causes chaos in their lives -- Kate starts asking big questions about herself and her life trajectory, putting her in a big fight with BJ. Meanwhile, Ben finds himself confronting his dad about all the things they never did together, as they search together with Tommy to finally find and confront Maddie's dad for running out on Kate.
15 Father-Daughter Dance
3/18/13
Ben and Kate's father, Randy (guest star Bruce McGill), lines up a meeting for his latest business venture, and recruits Kate to tag along with him so she can help close the deal. Meanwhile, Ben volunteers to organize the Father-Daughter dance at Maddie's school, and BJ goes head to head with Buddy's wife, Roz (guest star Niecy Nash), when he puts some of his assets in BJ's name during their divorce proceedings.
16 We're All Here Anyway
3/18/13
Now that Kate and BJ have started college and share a class together, Kate tries to tune out BJ's suggestions that she let loose and have fun, since she missed out the first time around. But this time, she's determined to stay focused on her studies, a decision that gets tested when she starts dating one of her professors (guest star Annable). Meanwhile, BJ and Ben end up in a compromising situation and the ensuing complications up-end BJ's relationship with Buddy (guest star Corddry) and Ben's relationship with Vera (guest star Melinda McGraw). Also, Tommy (Echo Kellum) and girlfriend Lila (guest star Brittany Snow) realize they have very little in common.

About this show

What happens when an exuberant dreamer who always says "yes" moves in with his overly responsible little sister to help raise her five-year-old daughter? Ben And Kate, a new single-camera ensemble comedy, follows a pair of odd-couple siblings and their friends as they push each other out of their comfort zones and into real life.

Ratings and reviews

4.7
27 reviews
Kenny Rozzell 3
February 16, 2016
This show was truly funny and I feel ahead of it's time. Maybe it was on the wrong network or just not advertised properly. Really sad to see it only last one season.
3 people found this review helpful
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Abs Nez
October 6, 2014
So much heart and truly wonderful smart writing
8 people found this review helpful
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Daniel Garcia
November 3, 2019
Daniel Garcia 2222
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