One of the very few television programs that I watch, this one is pure escapism into a comedic fantasy setting! I would love to live there, especially with Carrie, played by Leah Remini. She is a hot suburban housewife but also street-tough with a stereotypical New York persona. It’s also obvious that she rules the roost at the Heffernan household, trying to keep her juvenile husband, Doug (Kevin James) and her nut-case father, Arthur (Jerry Stiller) in line. A very difficult task, indeed.
But this article is all about Doug, a sometimes stand-up comedian in real life, who manages to get into trouble at home and at work on a regular basis. A corpulent but nice guy who is his own worse enemy at times, he is someone you would want as a friend. Really. Despite his character flaws and intimidating size, he has a heart of gold and provides a counterbalance to Carrie’s devious personality. This Ying and Yang is beautifully brought out in a number of episodes, whereby Carrie schemes to get revenge on someone and Doug has to step in and assert himself, albeit at much peril to his own safety — and nipples. Carrie is fond of tweaking them when she’s uber-mad at Doug. That in itself is a hilarious visual!
Doug’s relationship and interactions with the other characters, particularly his work mate, Deacon, always delivers the laughs. Deacon, who is Black, is a primary character on the show, as they are each other’s best friends. This leads into some sidesplitting situations, where the writers inject the race issue into the episode but in a tasteful way. The show last night involved Doug and Deacon inside a drugstore. Doug and Carrie have been picking up another couple’s photos, using the close spelling of their last names to confuse the counter clerk. Doug needs to get to the counter without the security guard seeing him, so he tells Deacon “create a distraction. Deacon reluctantly agrees to the shenanigan, and replies, “alright, I’ll walk by the watch aisle”. These subtle forays into the race card add depth to the rest of the zaniness in the show.
His father-in-law, Arthur, provides another avenue for Doug’s personality to shine through. Although he’s not too keen at Arthur living with them (because Arthur burned his own house down!), there is a true love-hate relationship there. Despite the fact that this is a comedy, there are some tender moments where Doug’s big-hearted sensitivity becomes obvious.
What is the attraction for this show? For us guys, I think it’s because Doug comes across as a real person. He’s believable to the average male, as most of us have done the same dumb things that guys do. He’s got a great sense of humor, and it comes across naturally in an easy manner. He’s our Arthur Miller “everyman”, where all of us can relate to some aspect of Doug’s life. His love of food, sports, boy-toys, blue-collar job, etc., resonates with a large segment of the males in America.
If you are as old as I am, or are a TV trivia expert, you might agree with my theory on this: The King of Queens is the second iteration of the classic show, The Honeymooners. I say “second”, as The Flintstones was the first. Fred Flintstone was the cartoon equivalent of Jackie Gleason, and now I see the parallel between Doug and Jackie Gleason. Both are hapless, well-meaning souls, controlled by strong wives with sharp wits (and tongues). It may not be purely coincidental that the producers based the show on the old classic.
The writing is superb and not forced or artificially contrived, like so many other so-called comedy shows. In fact, Kevin James is one of the writers. It’s one of those gems you can’t get enough of, thanks to Doug Heffernan and his wacky life in Queens, New York.
