Highlights
- The King of Queens deliberately chose not to include a child in the dynamics of Doug and Carrie's relationship, going against the norm of family-focused sitcoms.
- The decision was made by the studio, as they believed adding a baby could create a life raft for the show and impact syndication.
- Kevin James and Leah Remini's off-screen relationship resembled that of their characters, with ups and downs, but ultimately, they cared about each other just as much.
Despite not achieving the mainstream popularity of similar shows like Friends or The Big Bang Theory, The King of Queens certainly had their fair share of fans and a major following.
The show had a total of nine seasons which aired from 1998 until 2007, and centered on the lives of married couple, Doug and Carrie Heffernan (played by Kevin James and Leah Remini, respectively), and Carrie's father, Arthur Spooner, portrayed by TV legend, Jerry Stiller.
For close to a decade, the show was a firm fan favorite - earning it several awards nominations during its time on the screen.
Was The Goal NOT To Focus On A Traditional Family Unit?
The 90s sitcom aired during a time when most of the shows were focused on having a family unit to exhibit family values on the show.
It's somewhat ironic, then, that the show opted not to stick with the norm by including a child in the dynamics of Doug and Carrie's relationship. However, as it turns out, that was no coincidence. In fact, the show's creators specifically opted not to show the Heffernans become parents.
So, what was the reason?
Updated October 3, 2023: More than a decade on since The King of Queens aired its final episode, Leah Remini and Kevin James have continued to stay friends, and gushed over the impact the show had on their lives. In fact, in late September, both took to Instagram to share sweet tributes to their time on the show. One thing neither of them has spoken about over the years, however, is why their characters only became parents in the final season.
The Real Reason The Network Never Wanted Doug And Carrie To Have A Kid
The King Of Queens consistently delivered as a solid performer for CBS in its nine-year run, and even the reruns of the comedy show is still profitable. With the comedic antics of the trio, some might wonder why the couple Doug and Carrie never had kids along the way - especially since by the end of the show's run, they'd been married for years.
Although it's no big deal that the couple ended up not having kids of their own, it turns out that storyline did not come from the show's writers. Instead, it was decided by the studio.
Speaking to The Futon Critic, executive producer of the show, David Bickel gave a few reasons as to why that was the case.
For starters, he explained, there tends to be a perception amongst audiences that characters having a baby creates something of a life raft for the show, and even gives the impression that writers are out of other ideas.
There was also a pragmatic reason, on the network's end. That was, having seasons set "pre-baby" and "post-baby," was likely to impact syndication of the show.
Most hilariously, though, Bicket joked that for many viewers, there already was a baby figure in the cast: Carrie's father, Arthur.
Sure enough, Arthur Heffernan was known for his childish antics throughout the show's run, so adding an actual baby into the mix would have undoubtedly have changed the dynamic fans knew and loved so well.
The Constant Fighting Of Doug And Carrie Might Have Contributed To This Decision
As anyone who so much as drifted in and out of watching The King of Queens will know, one of the hallmarks of the show was Doug and Carrie's tempestuous relationship. To say the two fought like cats and dogs would be an understatement, at best.
However, it's for precisely that reason that them getting their baby when they did made for a full-circle moment for the couple.
As fans will remember, the show ended with Carrie and Doug finally adopting a baby girl - though, while en route to China to get her, they'd recently split up.
However, while aboard the plane, they ultimately reconciled, and even addressed some of the issues they'd faced throughout their marriage, leading up to that point.
Staying true to form, though, of course there were also copious references to Arthur's childish antics while Carrie was growing up.
Kevin James And Leah Remini's Portrayal Affected Their Off-Screen Relationship
Another possible reason why the network decided adding a baby to the mix might not have been a great idea? After years of working together, Kevin James and Leah Remini's relationship off-camera relationship had begun to look a lot like that of their characters.
As Leah -- who had accepted the project without reading the script -- revealed in an episode of Oprah's Where Are They Now?, she and Kevin had a bunch of ups and downs over the years.
In fact, she joked that sometimes, even when their characters had made up, they weren't on great terms, themselves.
"There were times when Kevin and I would argue about something really stupid and we had to kiss ... but we would make no eye contact," she shared, breaking into a slight smile.
However, in the same interview, she smiled that that was simply because they cared about each other just as much as Doug and Carrie did.
As Leah continued, "You know, if you don't care about somebody, you don't even bother to fight with them."
Close to two decades after the show wrapped, the two aren't on the same set every day, but they've continued to be close. As recently as April 2023, she posted a pic of herself with Kevin, gushing over him being one of her favorite people.
Sources: oprah.com, IMDb.com
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