Kim's Convenience

The funny, heartfelt story of The Kims, a Korean-Canadian family, running a convenience store in downtown Toronto. Mr. and Mrs. Kim ('Appa' and 'Umma') immigrated to Toronto in the '80s to set up shop near Regent Park and had two kids, Jung and Janet who are now young adults. However, when Jung was 16, he and Appa had a major falling out involving a physical fight, stolen money and Jung leaving home. Father and son have been estranged since.

Kim's Convenience (2016-2021) is a Canadian family sitcom created by Kevin White and Ins Choi for CBC Television, adapted from their stage play and running five seasons of thirteen episodes each. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee plays Appa, the stubborn Korean immigrant who runs a corner store in downtown Toronto near Regent Park, while Jean Yoon plays his wife Umma, whose quiet pressure drives many of the household's squabbles. Their adult children, Andrea Bang's Janet and Simu Liu's Jung, chafe against their parents' expectations, and Jung's years of estrangement from his father, after a fight that ended with him leaving home, give the series its tender undercurrent. Andrew Phung's Kimchee Han, the store's eccentric regular, adds ever-escalating comic chaos. Each episode is built from the small crises of running a shop: difficult customers, money worries, and holiday pressures, all played out behind the counter. The tone is breezy and affectionate, with sharp banter and a warm, sincere heart that never stops feeling like home. Its brisk single-location comedy and easy generosity recall Fresh Off the Boat and Schitt's Creek, and fans of cozy family sitcoms will find the same mix of laughter and heartfelt reconciliation here.

Audiences broadly acclaim the show as a funny, heartfelt family sitcom with a warm, affectionate look at immigrant family life, rating it highly across all five seasons.

• Fresh Off the Boatwarm family sitcom comedy, immigrant family dynamics, corner store setting
• Schitt's Creekfamily comedy with heartfelt estrangement and generational tension
• Corner Gasworkplace-adjacent neighborhood comedy with close-knit ensemble warmth

Created by

Kevin White, Ins Choi

Release Date

2016-10-11

Episode runtime

22 min

Rating

8.2 / 10 (192)

What is Kim's Convenience about?

A Korean-Canadian family's convenience store in downtown Toronto becomes the stage for warm, funny clashes over love, pride, and a long-estranged son.

What is Kim's Convenience like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Kim's Convenience as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Kim's Convenience violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Kim's Convenience.

What did critics think of Kim's Convenience?

Audiences broadly acclaim the show as a funny, heartfelt family sitcom with a warm, affectionate look at immigrant family life, rating it highly across all five seasons.

Which shows are like Kim's Convenience?

Shows with a similar feel include Fresh Off the Boat, Schitt's Creek, and Corner Gas.

How long is Kim's Convenience?

Kim's Convenience: 5 seasons, 65 episodes.

Is Kim's Convenience still running?

No, Kim's Convenience has ended.

Where can I watch Kim's Convenience?

In United States, Kim's Convenience streams on Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus.