The ‘90s may just have been the heyday for sitcoms. On any given night, audiences had their pick of the crop, with favorites like Roseanne and Seinfeld during the first half of the decade and That ‘70s Show, Friends, and Everybody Loves Raymond raising raucous laughter during the latter half. Among the second lineup, a certain favorite titled The King of Queens squeezed its way into placement over at CBS, and now, nearly two decades since the title went off the air, it’s found its way back into homes around the globe. According to FlixPatrol, the Kevin James and Leah Remini-led series has laughed its way into the Top 10 on the network’s home streamer, Paramount+. Right now, folks in Australia, Germany, and more are getting a taste of what the comedic vibes were like back in the late 90s and turn of the millennium, pushing The King of Queens to the tenth spot on the sought-after chart.
Created by Michael J. Weithorn and David Litt, The King of Queens adopted a similar theme that many sitcoms of its time period did, focusing on a middle-class family doing its best to make ends meet. In the case of this particular series, the storyline followed Doug (James) and Carrie Heffernan (Remini), a couple living in Rego Park, Queens, with the latter’s widowed father (Jerry Stiller). While much of the action takes place in Doug and Carrie’s home (as all good sitcoms do), audiences tagged along with Doug during his working hours as a delivery driver for the fictional International Parcel Service, while Carrie spent most of her days as a legal secretary in Manhattan. But, as is the case for many of us, the main peaks of the drama came from Carrie and Doug’s ongoing struggle with their live-in family member.
The Likelihood of a ‘King of Queens’ Reboot Is Bleak
Even with a renewed interest in the sitcom of yesteryear and ongoing friendships between its main cast members, the chances of The King of Queens returning for a sequel series are slim. Earlier this year, during a conversation with Collider’s Steve Weintraub, James admitted that it would be difficult for the team to get back together again following the 2020 passing of Stiller. In his interview, the Grown Ups star said,
“To go back and to redo it, I just don’t think, because we don’t have Jerry. Again, A.I., if they do everybody, and there’s something where they can do you at any age… Yeah. I would never say no, but it feels hard because for me, he was such a part of it, man. He was the glue in that thing. I don’t know. I just can’t even picture it. I don’t know. It’s just a weird way to do it. Why? Why would you do that if you don’t have him?”
Head over to Paramount+ now to relive the magic of The King of Queens.
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Release Date
1998 – 2006
Showrunner
Rob Schiller
Directors
Rob Schiller