It’s not the most inspirational item one could have on their bucket list, but it was on mine nonetheless.
And earlier this week, I was able to mark it off as completed.
So you may be curious what it was.
- parachute out of a plane? nope…
- meet Bruce Springsteen? nope…
- put an entire class of students to sleep? nope… (but I’ve gotten close)
- watch every episode of King of Queens, in order? yes!
The King of Queens is an American television sitcom that ran on CBS from September 21, 1998 to May 14, 2007, a total of nine seasons and 207 episodes.
Yes, that’s right, I watched 207 episodes of the show over the past five months. Like I said, nothing to be proud of. And this is the second time I’ve written about the show.
It started sometime during COVID, I think when we switched to YouTube TV this past summer. With YouTube TV, you just have to pick the show you want to be recorded, and it will go out and find what station(s) the show is on and record it. It then offers the episodes by season for the viewer to watch.
There are lots of TV comedy series that have had better ratings than King of Queens, but for whatever reason, the show resonated with me, and I always found something to laugh about in every episode.
I was already familiar with most of the shows, having watched them either when they first aired or catching a rerun every now and then over the years. It seems to be a staple of cable TV. But just to be sure, I embarked on this bucket list item of watching every episode in order.
Now that I’ve accomplished my goal, I don’t know what to do with all the free time I now seem to have. Maybe the New York Times crossword puzzles…
I had often thought the show was a bit like The Honeymooners, one of the early classic sitcoms. This was confirmed for me when one of the episodes (Season 3, Episode 17) paid homage to The Honeymooners. Doug dreams that he is Ralph Kramden, Carrie is Alice Kramden, and Deacon is Ed Norton. The sequence was filmed in black and white, and the audio quality (including audience reactions) matches a 1950s style.
Here is some background on the show, courtesy of my good friend, Wikipedia:
The King of Queens stars Kevin James and Leah Remini as Doug and Carrie Heffernan, a working-class couple living in Rego Park, Queens, New York City. All the episodes were filmed in front of a live studio audience. The ninth and final season concluded with a double-length finale episode, making The King of Queens the last American live-action sitcom that premiered in the 1990s to end its run. During its run, it brought in solid ratings (usually ranking in the Top 40, and peaking at #19 in its fourth season) for the most part and was a Monday night staple. In 2003 the show moved to Wednesday evenings.
The show exhibits undertones of the original 1950s TV production The Honeymooners, starring Jackie Gleason and Audrey Meadows. Doug (Kevin James) and Carrie Heffernan (Leah Remini) are a working-class couple living at “3121 Aberdeen Street” in Rego Park, Queens, New York, along with Carrie’s father, Arthur Spooner (Jerry Stiller). Doug works for the fictional International Parcel Service (IPS) as a delivery driver, while Carrie works as a secretary in Manhattan, first for a law firm and later for a real estate firm. Their lives are plagued by the demands of Arthur; so much so that they eventually hire Holly, a professional dog walker, to spend time with him as she walks dogs in the park. Doug Heffernan represents the “everyman” with his love of sports, TV, junk food, and his wife. His constant deceit and schemes through various situations leave him humiliated as his plans backfire. (sounds a lot like Ralph Kramden…)
I’m sure I’ll still watch an episode now and then, especially when I’m in the mood for a laugh.
But for now, it’s time to think of a 12-letter word for 20 across, “Hoped-for experience at a casino”…
I can say that I have never watched one single episode of this. I have heard of it, just never watched it.
“Everyone Loves Raymond” was one of our favorite comedies. Watched every episode of that and BBT.
Hmm…so Arthur is a dog? Having to keep an eye on him all the time sounds like another fictional Arthur that I may know. 😂
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Arthur is Kevin James’s father -in-law on the show…
and Raymond sometimes appears on King of Queens…
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Oh oops! Well then he reminds me of the other Arthur even more. 🙂
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I can see the similarities. And Arthur on the TV show does go to a senior center on a frequent basis…
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😄
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Leah Remini is pretty entertaining when she rants about Scientology.
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I think she’s just as famous for her Scientology headlines as for her acting career…
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Probably.
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I doubt I’ve watched every episode, but I know I’ve watched quite a few. My wife and I both like the show. I think Jerry Stiller adds quite a bit to the comedy. He’s funny as hell.
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I agree; I don’t think it would be nearly as funny without Jerry Stiller…
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We went through a few of these marathons since COVID. Maybe we’ll check this one out next!
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it seemed to be a show that the fans loved, but the critics not so much…
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I thought it was funny when we watched it years ago!
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to me, it’s held up well over the years…
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One of the most underrated comedy shows of its time! I love King of Queens! I tend to gravitate to realistic representation of a group of people or marriage or family and this show really nailed it and made it hilarious!
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nice to find a fellow fan; it seems fans loved it, and the critics not so much…
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It is a shame when shows like King of Queens end. Seeing a sitcom taping is on my bucket list.
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that would be fun to experience…
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I also like the show, though I haven’t caught that many episodes. I like shows with everyday humor that people can relate to.
By the way, I think I might have the answer to the crossword. The problem is it is three words instead of one. Try it: streak of luck.
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that was the correct answer – thanks!
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Honeymooners was a favorite show of mine as a kid.
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I used to like that show as well…
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I liked King-Of-Queens minus the last episode.
I know the answer to your crossword.
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it did end kind of abruptly…
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“beat the house” maybe.
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Pete had it – streak of luck. But yours is a viable solution s well!
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one of my fav shows ever! wow, you are a championship level watcher!
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someone had to do it!
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It great to achieve a goal. Congratulations!
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🙂
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Whoa, and I thought I was badass for watching Game of Thrones AND Breaking Bad. 207 episodes though? That’s on another level!
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well I guess it’s good to be good at something!
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My ex enjoyed the show, so I’ve seen quite a few episodes, though it wasn’t my favorite. I always appreciated IPS because my dad was a supervisor for UPS. I did think the dog-walking/Arthur-entertaining angle was kind of funny. But as far as Stiller goes, my favorite performance of his was on Seinfeld, particularly the Festivus episode. “It’s time for the airing of grievances!” That was hilarious.
Good luck with the crossword. Or finding a new show to binge.
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the Festivus episode is one of the all-time greatest in the history of TV.
I think I’d rather get addicted to the crossword puzzles…
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I’ve never watched the show. It has probably aired here at some point but doesn’t ring any bells. Good luck with the crossword clue! What’s next on your bucket list? Being first in the street to put out the trash every week for a year, maybe?
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thanks for giving me a new goal!
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All part of the service 😂
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🙂
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I can’t wait for the blog post about all the excitement the challenge gave you 😂
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I could probably turn it into a weekly series 🙂
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I can see that working. Regular updates on how well you did, comments on your neighbours trash, could be a real winner…
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maybe it could lead to book and movie rights…
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Now all you have to do is write it and choose who you want to play you in the movie. I’m guessing not Danny De Vito…
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I’ve always thought George Clooney would do a good job…
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Is Peter Falk still with us? That mac would fit well in the movie…
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🙂
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It’s currently on morning tv here on England. It’s a quality comedy with great writing, and great characters, especially Jerry Stiller whose character cracks me up. It’s a little dated now but still makes me laugh out loud.
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The show wouldn’t be as good without Jerry Stiller. I think for the most part, it has aged well…
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I love the episode where Doug shows his wife how to pole dance. In real life, Leah was a “house student” of Sheila Kelly, who pretty much started the whole pole-as-a-workout movement in her house (thus “house student”).
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Doug was actually pretty good on the pole!
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I was very impressed!
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Such fun;) I’ve done this with several comedy series…Frasier, Mad about You, Dick Van Dyke.
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you mention a few classic ones there…
my son and I just watched the very first episode of the Beverly Hillbillies yesterday…
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Oh, my…I haven’t seen that one in years!
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it actually wasn’t too bad…
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That was a good show, and so was the Honeymooners. Way to go, Jim!
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thanks, Jennie!
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You’re welcome!
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I have finally joined the “craze” of binge watching since streaming services have made it so darn easy! I started with House of Cards and have since moved on to Orange is the New Black.
FYI I’ve restarted an old blog that should publish the third in a series I wrote around the recent passing of Norm Macdonald. That one talks about one of my favorite but no longer airing sitcoms. Here’s the link to the first post in the series.
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enjoy your binge watching – and thanks for the link to your latest blog post…
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Wow! You are truly the “King of the Binge Watchers.”
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I try… 🙂
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