The King of Queens is an American television sitcom created by Michael J. Weithorn and David Litt which revolves around Doug and Carrie Heffernan, a loving blue-collar couple from Queens, New York, who share their humble home with her eccentric father, Arthur.
The series aired in the USA on CBS from 21 September, 1998 to 14 May, 2007. There are 207 half-hour episodes in nine seasons.
The King of Queens originally aired in South Africa on e.tv, ending its run on Sunday 6 April, 2008. It later aired on DStv's Sony Entertainment Television (SONY) channel (first six seasons only) and on Comedy Central (from Season 7). See "Seasons" below for seasonal broadcast dates and times.
Season 9 premiered on Comedy Central on Friday 21 February 2014, at 20h05. New episodes broadcast daily at the same time, on weekdays. There are 13 episodes in the ninth and final season.
Synopsis
Set in the working-class suburb of Queens, New York, the show follows Doug Heffernan (Kevin James), an amiable deliveryman, and his wife, spitfire secretary Carrie Heffernan (Leah Remini), as they explore the everyday challenges of love, life, family and marriage.
Doug and Carrie deal with day-to-day domestic realities that reflect our times and enable us to laugh at ourselves. Their love for each other ultimately carries them through each dilemma they face, whether it's Doug's fixation with food or Carrie's obsession with expensive clothing.
Doug and Carrie also have to deal with the third, high-maintenance member of the Heffernan household Carrie's twice-widowed father, Arthur Spooner (Jerry Stiller), who lives in their basement. His constant presence and often bizarre behaviour add to their daily adventures.
Doug and Carrie have stumbled upon an unorthodox solution to reduce their burden and keep Arthur happy his regular excursions with gullible dogwalker Holly (Nicole Sullivan).
Doug's friends Deacon Palmer (Victor Williams), Spence Olchin (Patton Oswalt) and cousin Danny Heffernan (Gary Valentine) round out the cast with their "guy" humour and diverse perspectives.
In a manner that evokes The Honeymooners, The King of Queens finds inspiration in life's everyday situations. Throughout, the series showcases James' physical comedy, Remini's hard-edged wit, and Stiller's unique comic presence.
The King of Queens is produced by Hanley Productions, Inc. and CBS Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television. The series was created by Michael J. Weithorn and David Litt.
Tom Hertz serves as showrunner and executive producer, while Kevin James, Tony Sheehan and Jeff Sussman are all executive producers.
Background
The show debuted on CBS on September 21, 1998 (the very same day that Will & Grace debuted on NBC). One of the most popular sitcoms in American primetime television history, 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 in the US on May 14, 2007, which made The King of Queens the last longest-running 1990s sitcom to date. In total 207 episodes were aired.
Seasons
Note: broadcast details for the original run of the show on e.tv are incomplete. The first six seasons aired on SONY, after which the show moved to Comedy Central.
Season 1 (25 episodes)
Channel: SONY | Premiere: 1 Mar 2012 | Finale: 4 Apr 2012 | Weekdays, 19h00
Season 2 (25 episodes)
Channel: SONY | Premiere: 5 Apr 2012 | Finale: 9 May 2012 | Weekdays, 19h00
Season 3 (25 episodes)
Channel: SONY | Premiere: 10 May 2012 | Finale: 13 Jun 2012 | Weekdays, 19h00
Season 4 (25 episodes)
Channel: SONY | Premiere: 13 Nov 2012 | Finale: 25 Dec 2012 | Tue/Thu, 18h15
Season 5 (25 episodes)
Channel: SONY | Premiere: 27 Dec 2012 | Finale: 6 Feb 2013 | Tue/Thu, 18h10
Season 6 (24 episodes)
Channel: SONY | Premiere: 7 Feb 2013 | Finale: 12 Mar 2013 | Weekdays, 18h10
Season 7 (22 episodes)
Channel: Comedy Central | Premiere: 5 Dec 2013 | Finale: 16 Jan 2014 | Tue-Fri, 20h05
Season 8 (23 episodes)
Channel: e.tv | Premiere: 6 May 2007 | Finale: 7 Oct 2007 | Sundays, 19h30
Channel: Comedy Central | Premiere: 17 Jan 2014 | Finale: 20 Feb 2014 | Weekdays, 20h05
Season 9 (13 episodes)
Channel: e.tv | Premiere: 13 Jan 2008 | Finale: 6 Apr 2008 | Sundays, 19h30
Channel: Comedy Central | Premiere: 21 Feb 2014 | Finale: 11 Mar 2014 | Weekdays, 20h05