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, though completely a guy's
guy, constantly struggles to keep the world around him in a delicate
emotional balance. Meanwhile, his wife Carrie, though utterly
feminine, 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.
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