*The show was first pitched to [[NBC]], but after NBC wanted to make changes that the producers didn't like, they pitched the idea to [[CBS]], and CBS picked up the show.
*The show was first pitched to [[NBC]], but after NBC wanted to make changes that the producers didn't like, they pitched the idea to [[CBS]], and CBS picked up the show.
*The kitchen in the show is the same kitchen used in ''[[Kenan & Kel]]''. {{Fact|date=June 2007}}
*The kitchen in the show is the same kitchen used in ''[[Kenan & Kel]]''. {{Fact|date=June 2007}}
*In season 5, episode 15 Carrie and Holly go to a restaurant, on which facade is written "Established 1998". Probably this is a gentle hint to the fact that the show started in 1998.
Doug Heffernan — played by Kevin James — Doug is best known for his goofy words, immature mannerisms, and screaming. Doug's parents paid for him to go to college, but he dropped out. If he isn't delivering parcels, he's with his buddies, watching sports television, or bickering with his wife who is always telling him what to do. The main reason Carrie and Doug are a squabbly couple is due to Carrie's giving Doug orders, then Doug disobeying those orders behind her back and being dishonest about it. Carrie often finds out about his dishonesty. This ends up in them having an argument in which Doug is often called names about his being overweight and Carrie is accused of being mean and screamed at by Doug. Doug's disobedience in eating fatty foods after Carrie has told him not to is another common reason why the two have some disagreements.
Carrie Heffernan — played by Leah Remini — Doug's wife. Carrie dropped out of college, but is a hard-working paralegal. Carrie loves fancy footwear, fancy dresses, enjoys shopping for them, and owns way too many of them. Carrie's best friend is Deacon's wife, Kelly Palmer. She's not crazy about any of Doug's friends, but is closest with Deacon out of all of them. Although Carrie's usually in the right and knows what's best, ironically she'll sometimes behave just as wrongly and unscrupulously as Doug. Carrie can be overly bossy and smart-mouthed at times. She's even been judged by Holly and Doug as being scary when she gets upset.File:KingofQueensCast.jpgLeah Remini, Jerry Stiller and Kevin James in a scene from The King of Queens.
Arthur Spooner — played by Jerry Stiller — Arthur, Carrie's widowed father, is the classic oddball of the family. He lives in the basement of the Heffernan house because he accidentally set fire to his own home in the pilot episode. Arthur is mostly known for his irascible outbursts for no apparent reason. He tells a lot of questionable stories of what he claims he's been through in his past. Arthur's usually seen causing regular chaos and getting on someone's bad side with his antics, craziness, and obnoxious behaviors. Carrie and Doug sometimes have trouble being romantic or just spending time together because of Arthur's getting in the way. What with all of his bad behavior, Arthur still has a way with making Doug and Carrie feel guilty about something in the end. Arthur also tries to cause trouble with, and pick on Doug's friends. He's able to and often does towards Spence, but he is not as successful when he tries it towards Deacon, who often refers to him as, "the old man."
Deacon Palmer — played by Victor Williams — As Doug's best friend, Deacon is the classic "family man". He's often seen hanging out with Doug, whether it's at their lunch break, over the weekend, or for a family gathering. Although he is often experiencing relationship problems, Deacon always has time to chill out and have fun.
Spence Olchin — played by Patton Oswalt — Spence, another friend of Doug's, is often viewed as the nerd of the group. Not only is he very paranoid, he also takes an interest in science fiction and comic book conventions, interests that his friends don't share. He is of Albanian heritage and used to work as a subway token collector. In one episode he is a "house boy" for Deacon and Kelly. This character is based heavily off the actor who plays him, Patton Oswalt.
Danny Heffernan — played by Gary Valentine — Danny Heffernan, Doug's cousin, is also seen hanging out with Doug, Spence, and Deacon. At the beginning of the show, Doug didn't like his cousin very much and they were distant. As the show progressed, they become buddies and regularly hang out along with Deacon and Spence. Danny even becomes Spence's roommate in a small apartment. The two often fight like a married couple, which becomes the common "joke" for those two in later seasons. Danny also used to own a Pizza Place and is divorced. Gary Valentine and Kevin James are brothers in real life. They both created last names for acting. Valentine is his father's middle name.
Recurring characters
Kelly Palmer , Deacon's wife - Merrin Dungey — As Carrie's best friend, Kelly is Deacon's typically agreeable, soft-spoken wife and the two of them have two children together. Kelly and Deacon have experienced some serious relationship problems, much more serious than the petty arguments between Doug and Carrie. On one occasion Deacon mentions being hit in the head with a frying pan.
Holly Shumpert (2001-2005, 2007) — played by Nicole Sullivan — Holly is a cheerful yet insecure dog walker hired by Doug and Carrie to walk Arthur. She is often seen arriving at the Heffernan house to pick up Arthur but is also a family friend of the Heffernans. She is often viewed as a bit strange because of her unique habits and beliefs. She's also very patient, having the ability to put up with Arthur.
Richie Ianucchi (1998-2001) — played by Larry Romano — Richie was also one of Doug's closest friends, but was quietly written out of the show in the third season as per his request to work on a pilot on another sitcom, replaced by Danny. Richie was known as the ladies man among Doug's friends, even admitting to sleeping with Doug's sister. Richie is a FDNY firefighter.
Sara Spooner (1998) — played by Lisa Rieffel — Carrie's sister. Little is known about her, as she was written out of the show after the first few episodes. She initially moved in with her father and took the room upstairs. When she was written out of the show, the room was used as an office instead. Future episodes refer to Carrie as a single child with her sister not even existing.
Veronica Olchin, Spence's mother — Grace Zabriskie in the first season episode 'S'ain't Valentine's'. Anne Meara (Jerry Stiller's wife) from 2003 (Meara also appears in 'S'ain't Valentine's' as a woman named Mary whom Arthur meets at the Senior Center).
Father McAndrew, Priest at the Heffernan's Church — Joe Flaherty
Tim Sacksky, the Heffernan's neighbor — Bryan Cranston (returned unexplained for one episode (3x22) after moving out in episode 2x22 due to ripping off Doug in a water filter pyramid scheme. After that, the Sacksky's were never heard of again.
Dorothy Sacksky, Heffernan neighbor — Dee Dee Rescher
The King of Queens ended its 9 season run on May 14, 2007 with a one-hour good-bye. Doug is stunned to learn Carrie didn't give up her apartment like she promised so they could start over. At Arthur's wedding, Doug makes it official that they are through. Doug and Carrie, who were going to adopt a Chinese girl, Ming-Mei, together, each rush home from the wedding to get their passports, seeing who can get to the child first. Carrie gets home first and hides Doug's passport, so it looks like Carrie wins. However, on the plane, Carrie reclines her seat and finds that Doug is sitting behind her; Deacon had found his passport. On the plane, Doug and Carrie make-up and once again decide to adopt the Asian girl together. Carrie later finds out she is pregnant, meaning that they now have two children, their adopted child and their biological child.
As for Arthur, at the beginning of the episode he is planning to marry Ava St. Clair. At the wedding, Carrie finds out that she is only marrying Arthur because she thinks he is gay from all the flamboyant things he does. Realizing the truth about Arthur, Ava leaves. When Arthur finds out, he makes a last minute change and decides to get married to Veronica Olchin, who has always had a crush on him. One year later, in the final scene, Doug and Carrie are taking care of their children when Arthur walks in their house with a suitcase exclaiming, "It didn't work out!" After clips from the past nine years, it fades to black with the words "Thanks For The Ride" written on the screen in cursive. The song playing while the clips were rolling is "Milk & Honey" by Million Billion.
The series finale was #12 in the Nielsen ratings with 13.61 million viewers. The season average is #33 with 11.4 million viewers, which is higher than the past two seasons.
Show background
Based on the lives of blue-collar couple Doug & Carrie Heffernan, The King of Queens debuted on CBS on September 21, 1998. For most of its run it was a Monday night staple, competing with shows such as the long-running drama 7th Heaven. In 2003, when scheduled against The West Wing and Nanny 911, it dropped slightly in the ratings. The final episode aired on May 14, 2007, which made The King of Queens one of the longest-running sitcoms of the 1990s. The show is currently in syndication worldwide and airs on TBS in the United States.
Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton, Peter Boyle, Brad Garrett, and Doris Roberts from Everybody Loves Raymond have all appeared on the show as their characters from Everybody Loves Raymond. Romano appeared on the show four times, while Heaton, Roberts, Boyle and Garrett have appeared only once. Leah Remini never appeared on Everybody Loves Raymond. However, in earlier episodes of Raymond, Kevin played "Kevin", a fellow sports reporter and in later episodes he made slight cameos as "Doug".
Kevin James inked a deal with CBS to pay him $500,000 per episode in the 2005-2006 season.
The show is also mentioned in Will & Grace. When Will injures his foot and becomes reliant on his medication, he remarks, "You know, King of Queens ain't so bad." [citation needed]
The King of Queens was the last live action American sitcom that debuted in the '90s to go off the air.
Inbetween scenes, when shots of the front of the Heffernan's house are shown, the front door is shown on the left side with no porch and three small windows. When there is an actual scene in the front of the house, the door is in the middle with a stained glass window, and there is a porch, with a window to each side.
In Season 2, Episode 20, while driving to Philadelphia, Deacon is holding what is clearly a cup from In-N-Out, a restaurant with no locations East of Nevada.
The King of Queens is the 12th longest running sitcom in TV history.
The King of Queens is the 4th most syndicated show.
The show was first pitched to NBC, but after NBC wanted to make changes that the producers didn't like, they pitched the idea to CBS, and CBS picked up the show.
In season 5, episode 15 Carrie and Holly go to a restaurant, on which facade is written "Established 1998". Probably this is a gentle hint to the fact that the show started in 1998.
Season 1 has been scheduled for a Region 2 release in the UK on January 29, 2007[1] but the set
will not contain the special features contained in the Region 1 set. The set will be distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment (through its rights to distribute CBS-owned programs) instead of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment which distributes the Region 1 sets. Seasons 1 to 7 were released in Germany and Austria by Koch Media, all special features of the Region 1 version were included, Koch Media will also release the final seasons in the German speaking countries.
United States
