IF you've been watching Channel 9 over the past few weeks, chances are you've seen ads announcing the small-screen return of beloved Aussie comedy Kath & Kim.

The brief ads tease that the beloved mother-daughter duo "are back" - but if you were excited to see what Kath and Kim would be up to in 2017 (Would Kath be busy training for Ninja Warrior in the backyard at Fountain Lakes?

Would Kim be Australia's foxiest Trump supporter?) we have some slightly disappointing news.

Nine will simply be airing repeats of the show, which originally aired from 2002 to 2007. While Kath & Kim first aired on the ABC before moving to Channel 7, Nine has now acquired the rights to all four seasons of the show and will be airing them from the first episode on.

Nine could hardly be accused of false advertising - their ads show classic moments from the show's past, not new footage - but their reticence to use the word "repeats" in advertising has clearly still led to some confusion among viewers.

Over on Nine's Facebook page, each teaser trailer posted to advertise the show has attracted dozens of comments from fans asking if the episodes are new or old.

If you were expecting to see all-new Kath & Kim tonight, console yourself with this - a 15-year-old Kath & Kim repeat is still a hell of a lot funnier than most of what's on television in 2017.

Tonight's second episode is the stone-cold classic Gay, in which Kath suspects Kim may secretly be a lesbian - leading to this spectacular emotional breakdown:

Kath and Kim - gay

"I need to get out and go inside myself ... To search my chasms for meanings." Incredible.

Kath & Kim double-episode repeats kick off tonight, 9:10pm on Nine.