I was very pleasantly surprised last month to receive an e-mail from one of my favorite home media distributors Mill Creek Entertainment asking if I was interested in receiving a review copy of their “The King of Queens” complete series blu-ray release. I remembered enjoying that show quite a bit when I was younger so I jumped at the chance to revisit it.
The show followed the everyday life of everyman delivery man Doug Heffernan and his wife Carrie Heffernan. The show was relatable with a strong supporting cast of characters who added a great deal to the humor. While the show was far from ground breaking, it was one of the funnier shows of it’s era and was great escapism for around twenty minutes.
Let me start this review by saying I am not the biggest Kevin James fan out there mainly due to stories I have heard of the performer and how he has allegedly treated members of the service industry. As someone who reviews films and shows on the side but makes their primary income as a cashier at a grocery store, I don’t like hearing about celebrities who are rude to people making far less money than them but make an honest living. Some of us current unknowns are even quite funny and talented, so getting lucky and discovered is no excuse to treat people poorly. The reason I write this is because I really do enjoy Kevin James as a comedian and some of the stories you hear can really sour your opinions on someone you might have otherwise looked up to. It’s hard for me to watch this show now even though I find it quite funny.
Aside from Kevin James, the show boosted a slew of other extremely talented actors and actresses. I adored Jerry Stiller as Doug’s father-in-law Arthur Spooner. Doug and Arthur’s relationship was often the backbone of the episodes. Kevin James and Jerry Stiller also played off each other fantastically. It’s easy to see why Stiller remains Hollywood royalty after watching this show. Leah Remini was often hilarious and also less shrill than most sitcom wives and it was fairly refreshing to see a sitcom wife played with more realism (at least in my opinion).
The character of Doug appeared in several other television shows including “Cosby”, “The Nanny”, “Becker”, and most prominently “Everybody Loves Raymond” (Ray Romano’s character of Ray Barone also appeared on episodes of “The King of Queens”). In addition to Ray Romano, the show also featured fantastic guest appearances from comedic masterminds like Patton Oswalt and stars of yesteryear like “The Incredible Hulk” himself, Lou Ferrigno. These guest stars are among the highlights of this show for me.
So, “The King of Queens” is definitely one of the standout sitcoms of the late 90s and 2000s and is now available as a complete set on both DVD and Blu-ray thanks to Mill Creek Entertainment. Mill Creek Entertainment was kind enough to send a review copy of the show on Blu-ray and it looks amazing. I had some of the DVD seasons released by Sony years ago and the Blu-ray set is a giant step up as far as picture quality is concerned in my opinion. It is definitely worth a buying the set if you need a laugh!
Overall Grade: B+
To Binge or Not to Binge Verdict: BINGE
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