Guest Author - Amy Ralston Young

Another hit show is preparing to say farewell. CBS’s “The King of Queens” returns Monday, April 9 with the series’ last seven original episodes. With its style reminiscent of “The Honeymooners” and its great cast, “The King of Queens” final countdown is not to be missed.

Starring Kevin James and Leah Remini, “The King of Queens” began its ninth and final season last December and after a short hiatus, returns to CBS’s Monday night line up, following “Two and a Half Men.”

Set in the working-class suburb of Queens, New York, the show follows Doug and Carrie Heffernan through the challenges of life. Doug (Kevin James) is a deliveryman for the fictitious IPS. He enjoys sports, hanging out with his friends, and food – which often leads to problems in his marriage. Carrie is a fiery legal secretary whose own penchant for expensive clothing and shoes does not exactly sit well with her husband.

Carrie’s father Arthur (Jerry Stiller) lives with the couple. His constant presence and strange antics add to their adventures. When the tension at home gets too much to handle, you can find Doug with his best friend Deacon (Victor Williams), who also works for IPS. Deacon is the ultimate family man and his wife Kelly (Merrin Dungey) is one of Carrie’s closest friends. Doug’s friend Spence (Patton Oswalt) and his cousin Danny (Gary Valentine) round out the principal cast.

Everyday it seems Doug finds himself in another mess – getting his hair cut a little too often to be near a busty hairdresser, staging a robbery to get rid of an unwanted anniversary present, or using their tax return to buy an ice cream truck. Although he could fix the situations faster if he talked it out with Carrie, Doug usually tries to handle it on his own, disastrously of course.

In its nine seasons, “The King of Queens” has received 14 awards and another 3 nominations, including an Emmy nod. The show is currently broadcast in syndication on TBS and My Network TV. For all of those who want to catch up on the show from its beginning, seasons 1 through 7 are available on DVD.

Hanley Productions, Inc. and CBS Productions produce the show in association with Sony Pictures Television. Michael J. Weithorn and David Litt created the series. The series is executive produced by Tony Sheehan, Kevin James, David Bickel, Ilana Wernick, Chris Downey, Rock Reuben and Jeff Sussman.