Kevin Can Wait

Because I don't believe one should judge a whole series on a pilot, I gave this show a neutral rating of 5/10. I am a big fan of Kevin James and King of Queens. The comedic timing of James and Remini (and the very talented Jerry Stiller) on that show made for perfect chemistry. Kevin Can Wait introduces us to Kevin Gable, a just-retired cop, his wife, Donna (Erinn Hayes), their children, and his recently-retired cop buddies. For some reason, the creators of this show thought pairing a working-class, overweight guy who loves afternoon drinking (beer, of course) and go-karts with a gorgeous, much younger, school nurse would be a good idea. As talented as Ms. Hayes is, she and KJ are simply mismatched. Leah Remini was also a bit too gorgeous but that was offset by her strong NY accent and her toughness. I like that Kevin James' brother is back (Gary Valentine), playing a firefighter who still works, albeit as the cook for his firehouse, but I'm waiting to see whether the supporting cast will come anywhere near the talent of Victor Williams, Patton Oswalt, and Nicole Sullivan, who provided so many laughs as Kevin James' friends in King of Queens.

Yes, I am making a lot of comparisons between this show and one that went off the air 9 years ago, but Kevin Can Wait's main character is not much different than Doug Heffernan who is not much different from Kevin James' standup character. So these comparisons are fair. I believe this show has promise, and I will watch more episodes and post again.

Funny but nothing really new in terms of story and characters. The most interesting and funny one was "Chale" played by Ryan Cartwright. He should have deserved much more attention.

Bad decision to fire Erinn Hayes. She was one of the few good things about the show and her character was a way better fit than Leah Remini's. The show's story relied heavily on Kevin and Erinn's interaction. Now that they've removed her, it's just painful to watch. The other characters don't have what it takes to carry the show, and inserting Remini just doesn't make sense at all. What were the producers thinking? Still watching but might stop soon if there's no improvement.

I can't remember having written a review before, but I just had to vent about how they've made a mess out of a pretty decent show.

This was mostly a cute show last season, but the season 2 cast change is a big mistake: the firing of talented Erinn Hayes is a tragedy, as is the hiring of Leah Remini. I have zero interest in seeing The King of Queens II - 10 years later. The character interaction between James and Remini is stale. I cringed trying to watch the first episode ... bad jokes, canned laughter ... huge mistake.

Kevin James retires from the Nassau County, Long Island Police force after twenty years (started at 21 this makes him 41). With his partial pension he and Wife Donna, played by Erinn Hayes, work through season one deciding how they'll make up some income by renting out their garage as an apartment (Common on Long Island). The chemistry was being built by wife Donna redirecting Kevin's mistakes along the way. The family was deadpan except for "Chale" the eldest daughters nerdy boyfriend in Country via a Visa and the retired friends were something that could of and should of been built upon. Chale fast became a season one bright spot as the chemistry between him and Kevin was wrought with tension and humor. THIS was something the audience expected would grow in Season Two, However show runner Rob decided the ratings were not up to par. The Ratings took a nose dive in season two as Donna was mysteriously killed off without explanation in the season two opener. Leah Remini was brought in to recreate the King Of Queens TV show, much to the viewers despair. The show needed to build on season one's characters of friends and family but has instead focused on Remini and James opening a P.I. agency. In short, the fun was taken out of the show, something even the canned laughter can't save as the ratings are showing. They left no room to bring back Kevin's wife Donna (Erinn Hayes) and the show is trapped in a corner. The friends and family are now all but forgotten as they were dropped from focus as a point of tension and laughter. Kevin James is likable and Leah Remini's old shtick doesn't work here. I don't see an out for this show to rebound and reconnect with the audience which is a shame. I liked season one but season two might just be it's downfall. It was a family show you could watch with your children (who know and love Kevin James) but that has been removed from the show in favor of the downtrodden banter James and Remini had in King Of Queens. If you want that, watch those re-runs, their still on.