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In the sitcom The King of Queens, comedian Kevin James has created a new archetype: the sensitive lug. This deceptively simple comedy bounces along because delivery man Doug Heffernen (James), though completely a guy's guy, constantly struggles to keep the world around him in a delicate emotional balance. Meanwhile, his wife Carrie (Leah Remini), though utterly feminine (and one of the sexiest women on television), uses the kind of no-nonsense rational approach that's usually a man's province. Add to this mix Carrie's father Arthur (Jerry Stiller), whose life as a fussy, self-absorbed retiree makes him more like their child than an adult, and you've got the building blocks for an excellent and durable show. The first season of The King of Queens quickly found its voice with stories firmly rooted in the everyday world, rarely spinning off into absurdity--and why should it, when there's such a wealth of humor to be found in petty neuroses (when Doug gets assigned an attractive young woman as a trainee at work, he gets hurt when Carrie isn't remotely jealous), ill-advised scheming (to weasel out of a traffic ticket, Carrie agrees to go out on a date with the cop who pulled her over), and juggling obligations to friends and family (just about every episode). Brilliant comic bits abound; one classic moment features Doug and Carrie having a furious argument in absolute silence at a cello concert--a scene that fuses deft physicality, well-developed characters, and sheer silliness. The King of Queens is a delight. --Bret Fetzer
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