Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Then Came You’ On Hulu, A Cheesy Rom-Com Starring Kathie Lee Gifford and Craig Ferguson

Names like Kathie Lee Gifford and Craig Ferguson are more synonymous with talk shows than the big screen, but in Then Came You, now streaming on Hulu, the two of them ditch their famous personas for a widow and widower whose paths seem to cross thanks to fate. We’re here to tell you if they’re still able to make the same magic when they’re not allowed to share a wink and a smile directly into the camera. 

THEN CAME YOU: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Following the loss of her husband Fred, spunky widow Annabelle (Kathie Lee Gifford) embarks on a Eurotrip to check a few items off her bucket list and start anew. Her first stop? The Awd House Inn, Scotland, where she meets the inn’s proprietor Howard (Craig Ferguson), a man she has an immediate connection with. The two both seem to notice the chemistry but they continue their mildly hostile banter anyway, Howard playing defense about his own past as a widower, and Annabelle shutting down any jokes Howard wants to make about the fact that she keeps her husband’s ashes in a chocolate box (his favorite movie was Forrest Gump).

Like one might suspect, the two quickly begin to fall for each other, despite the fact that Howard is currently set to marry his once-flame Clare (Elizabeth Hurley), a woman he has very little chemistry with. During Annabelle’s time at the inn, she processes her grief, fixes a thing or two (Howard is extremely understaffed), and comes to more than a few realizations. Howard, for all his jokes and bits, is also quite mushy underneath it all, and while finding love again after loss might have seemed impossible at one point for the both of them, they might just find themselves surprised by the time all this is over.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Then Came You feels like the mid-tier, corny Hallmark and Lifetime (and now Netflix!) romances that are so popular, though it seems to wish it was more – especially with a performer like Ferguson in the mix.

Performance Worth Watching: Wally the dog is really the star of the show here, taking over bars, chasing cats, and sitting fireside. He also doesn’t have to deliver any of the hammy dialogue, so he really gets off easy.

Memorable Dialogue: So much of the dialogue in Then Came You is cheesy and contrived, but I got a kick out of Ferguson’s delivery of so many lines, including the following: “I do like a happy endin’. I think that’s why my favorite movie is Silence of the Lambs.” Ferguson also gets the only good monologue in the movie later on, a moving piece about the loss of his wife.

Sex and Skin: There are a few references to the deed and post-coitus banter, but nothing too crazy.

Our Take: Oh, how I’m now dreaming of a sexy Craig Ferguson rom-com. There is so much wasted potential in Then Came You, a movie that is clearly straight from the heart – Gifford was inspired to write it after her own loss – but lacks the actual screenwriting required to make it more than painfully cheesy fodder. Ferguson is really the star here, charming and funny in all the ways he was when he had his own show, but a little more up close and personal – plus, that salt and pepper stubble, I mean… He’s a babe, and he’s what makes Then Came You as watchable as it is. Scruffy Scottish king.

The cornily written dialogue might be passable if any of the conflicts in the film felt high stakes, but unfortunately, they don’t. The characters seem to come up to obstacles, look at them, and immediately overcome them, or there’s some kind of unearned reaction – like Annabelle freaking out after Howard picks at her in front of a group of men. It’s all over the place, and it loses sight of itself frequently, even if it has the best intentions. With the exception of the two leads, none of the other performers are given much to do – I questioned why Elizabeth Hurley was even there – which only speaks further to the lack of necessary conflict in the film. And some of the sequences are so nonsensical and out-of-place I double-checked to see if I was still watching the same movie.

There’s certainly room for a middle-aged, widowed couple rom-com out there, and with a little polishing – and maybe the help of a talented writer – Then Came You might have stepped up a level or two. I also wonder about Gifford acting in the film as well, but it does add to the personal feel of the story, which is one of its strong points. (There’s also the great running bit of Howard pretending to have a full staff and putting on quite the show to play every role). Ferguson and Gifford actually have a bit of chemistry, but it isn’t enough to save Then Came You from itself. I wish there was more to hold onto here, but a little charm and sweetness (and Craig Ferguson sex appeal) can’t seal the deal alone.

Our Call: SKIP IT. Then Came You has a big heart and features Craig Ferguson at his absolute hottest, but it’s so corny it’s hard to recommend. (That said, your Hallmark movie-loving mom might LOVE it).

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.

Watch Then Came You on Hulu