Kevin James Is Ruling Out a King of Queens Revival — Here’s Why

Doug Heffernan won’t be sittin’ in traffic on the Queensborough Bridge tonight — or any time soon, for that matter.

During a sit-down on NBC’s Today, Kevin James ruled out the possibility of a King of Queens revival, for one reason and one reason only: “You cannot do it because of Jerry,” he said, referring to the loss of his beloved co-star, Jerry Stiller. “How do you do that without Jerry? He was amazing.”

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The hit CBS comedy premiered in 1998 and ran for nine seasons, through 2007. James and Leah Remini played marrieds Doug and Carrie Heffernan, who shared a roof with Carrie’s eccentric father, Arthur Spooner (Stiller). Victor Williams, Patton Oswalt, Gary Valentine and Nicole Sullivan also starred.

James previously paid tribute to Stiller upon his death in 2020, referring to his on-screen father-in-law as “one of the most kind, loving, and funny people to ever grace this earth.”

More recently, Remini marked the 25th anniversary of KOQ on Instagram. “I want to let you all know that I see the comments where you say that you fall asleep every night to The King of Queens — that it got you through a rough day and tough times in your lives, that you laughed for the first time in your day watching us, or that you watch several episodes a day, or that you and your family bond over watching the episodes in syndication,” she wrote in September. “One fan commented that her family is a three-generation King of Queens household: her mom watches it, she watches it, and now her daughter watches it. It means the world to me, and I’m so grateful for this experience that lives on and on.”

James and Remini previously reunited for the short-lived CBS sitcom Kevin Can Wait, which ran for two seasons and ended in 2019. Two years later, they were joined by the rest of the KOQ ensemble for a virtual reunion:

Both King of Queens and Kevin Can Wait are available to binge on Peacock. James’ new comedy special, Kevin James: Irregardless, dropped on Prime Video Tuesday.

Do you agree with Kevin James that it’d be impossible to recapture the magic of KOQ’s original run without Jerry Stiller? Watch his Today interview, then let us know in Comments.

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