The King of Queens: Season 01 (1998) Reviews

Season one of the CBS sitcom The King of Queens introduces the world to blue-collar delivery truck driver Doug Heffernan (Kevin James) and his white-collar wife, Carrie (Leah Remini), who works for a New York law firm. Comfortably ensconced in their home in Queens, NY, Doug and Carrie are a happy couple -- especially Doug, who in his basement has set up his own private "domain," complete with the 70-inch television that his wife has bought him. This blissful situation evaporates when Carrie's widowed, tactless, constantly kvetching dad, Arthur Spooner (Jerry Stiller), moves in with the Heffernans and immediately takes over the basement, forcing Doug and his buddies Deacon (Victor Williams), Spence (Patton Oswalt), and Richie (Larry Romano) to use the garage as their new hang-out headquarters. Even worse, Carrie's irresponsible sister, Sara Spooner (Lisa Rieffel), a would-be actress, has all but moved into Doug's bathroom (but only for a few episodes, after which Sara disappears without explanation or fanfare). During the rest of the season, Doug begins to grow a bit jealous of Carrie's fast-lane Manhattan lifestyle; more relatives (mostly Doug's) invade the sanctity of the Heffernan home; Arthur tries gamely to be "one of the guys," generally causing more trouble than he's worth; Doug and Carrie attend adult-education classes, with disastrous results; the Heffernans clash with their uptight new neighbors, the Sackseys; and Ray Barone (Ray Romano) of Everybody Loves Raymond fame pays a visit to his friend and kindred spirit Doug. At season's end, and despite worries that their careers won't allow it, Doug and Carrie consider having a baby. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi