American television sitcom (2016–2018)
Kevin Can Wait is an American television sitcom starring Kevin James that aired on CBS from September 19, 2016, to May 7, 2018. The series was created by James, Rock Reuben, and Bruce Helford, marking James' second starring role in a CBS sitcom, following "The King of Queens" (1998–2007). The show was directed by Andy Fickman.
The series began with James portraying Kevin Gable, a recently retired police officer from Nassau County, New York, and a father of three, who is married to Donna Gable (played by Erinn Hayes). However, in the second season, Donna's character is written out, having died, and the new female lead is Vanessa Cellucci (played by Leah Remini), Kevin's former rival from the police force who becomes his partner at their security company, Monkey Fist Security. While the first season centered on Kevin's family life and his transition into retirement, the second season shifts focus to his new career, partnership with Vanessa, and his life as a single parent.
On May 12, 2018, CBS canceled the series after two seasons.
Plot.
"Kevin Can Wait" follows Kevin Gable (James), a newly retired Nassau County police officer living in Massapequa, New York, on Long Island, with his wife Donna (Hayes) and their three children: daughters Kendra (Taylor Spreitler) and Sara (Mary-Charles Jones), and son Jack Cole (James DiGiacomo). Initially excited about his retirement and plans to spend carefree days with his friends—fellow retired officers Goody (Leonard Earl Howze), Duffy (Lenny Venito), and Mott (Chris Roach)—Kevin soon realizes that financial and family pressures complicate his plans. His eldest daughter, Kendra, returns home from college with her unemployed fiancé, Chale (Ryan Cartwright), and the couple moves into the family’s garage. Meanwhile, Sara struggles with anger management issues, and Jack, the youngest, is a hypochondriac with anxiety, regularly seeking help from the school therapist.
During the first season, Kevin takes on various odd jobs to supplement his pension while dealing with the family’s challenges, including Kendra and Chale’s wedding. The first season primarily focuses on Kevin’s interactions with his family, particularly Donna, though he is frequently shown spending time with his group of friends. Most scenes take place at the Gable household or at Enzo’s, a local bar where Kendra works and Kevin socializes with his friends.
Season 2 begins more than a year after the events of the first season finale. By this time, Donna has died, leaving Kevin a widower raising his three children. He now works full-time with his former rival, Vanessa Cellucci (Leah Remini), at their security company, Monkey Fist Security. With Kevin’s reentry into the workforce and Vanessa's more prominent role, the second season also introduces more supporting characters who had not appeared frequently in the first season. The Monkey Fist Security office becomes a key location, and the second season focuses more on Kevin’s life as a single parent and his new career.
Cast and characters.
Notable guest stars.
Several members of James' family appear in the series (in addition to James' brother and regular cast member Gary Valentine); his wife Steffiana De La Cruz appears in "The Back Out" and daughters Shea and Sienna James appear in various roles throughout both seasons. Remini's husband Angelo Pagán appears in "Business Unusual". Theme-song performer Mike DelGuidice and writer Mike Soccio have also appeared in the series in minor roles.
Production.
Development.
In October 2015, it was announced that Kevin James would star in a new family-comedy television series for CBS, with Rock Reuben as executive producer and Bruce Helford serving as showrunner. On May 12, 2016, CBS placed an order for the series.
The show premiered during the 2016–17 network television schedule, airing at 8:00 p.m. On October 17, 2016, CBS ordered a full season of 22 episodes. In November 2016, Helford exited the series after the first 13 episodes due to creative differences. Rob Long, a "Cheers" alum, took over as showrunner. On January 6, 2017, two additional episodes were ordered, bringing the total to 24 episodes for the first season.
The series was filmed entirely on Long Island at Gold Coast Studios in Bethpage, New York. The pilot episode was filmed on April 1, 2016, with production for subsequent episodes beginning on August 5, 2016.
On March 23, 2017, CBS renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on September 25, 2017, and concluded on May 7, 2018. The initial order for Season 2 was 22 episodes, which was later increased to 24 episodes.
Casting.
In January 2016, Taylor Spreitler was cast as Kendra. In February 2016, additional cast members were announced, including Ryan Cartwright, Mary-Charles Jones, James DiGiacomo, Leonard Earl Howze, and Erinn Hayes. In March 2016, Lenny Venito and Gary Valentine joined the cast.
In September 2016, it was revealed that Ray Romano and Gina Brillon would appear as guest stars on the show. In November 2016, Adam Sandler was also confirmed to guest-star. In March 2017, it was announced that Leah Remini, who had starred alongside James in "The King of Queens", would guest-star in the final two episodes of the first season.
In June 2017, Remini was promoted to series regular starting with Season 2. Shortly after, it was announced that Erinn Hayes would not return for the second season. According to a report in "Variety", sources confirmed that Remini would reprise her role as Detective Vanessa Cellucci, the character she had played in the first-season finale. Hayes' departure was attributed to creative reasons and "not a reflection" of her performance. In August 2017, it was revealed that Hayes' character would be written off by being killed before the start of Season 2, with the new season set to take place seven to ten months after the events of Season 1 to accommodate Remini's character.
Cancellation.
On May 12, 2018, it was announced that CBS had officially canceled "Kevin Can Wait" after two seasons due to declining ratings, the network's desire to have an ownership stake, and the need to clear space for three new sitcoms in the Fall 2018 schedule.
Reception.
Critical response.
During its first season, "Kevin Can Wait" received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics. On the review aggregator review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 30%, based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 3.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Kevin James proves a likable, funny lead, but "Kevin Can Wait" relies too heavily on predictable, unfunny jokes and a series of lackluster subplots to stand out from the crowd." On Metacritic, the series has a score of 39 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews."
The retooling of the series in Season 2, which involved the firing of Erinn Hayes and the addition of Leah Remini, also garnered negative reviews. Critics compared the revamped show unfavorably to James and Remini's previous series, "The King of Queens", assessing it as an inferior imitation.
Donna Gable's death.
The replacement of Erinn Hayes with Leah Remini and the way the show handled the death of Hayes' character, Donna Gable, became a source of controversy for "Kevin Can Wait". Criticism was particularly directed at the episodes "Civil Ceremony" and "Grief Thief." In the Season 2 premiere, "Civil Ceremony," Donna's death is briefly mentioned through a piece of mail, followed by a joke that many viewers found distasteful. In the episode "Grief Thief," the characters use a single-parents' support group to avoid work and meet potential romantic partners, which also received backlash. Additionally, the show's sparse mention of Donna after her death, the cause of which is never explained, has been another point of contention.
Viewers and critics were divided over the show's retooling. Some appreciated the change, feeling that the chemistry between Kevin James and Leah Remini improved the series, while others believed that the firing of Hayes, the introduction of Remini, and the handling of Donna's death, along with weak scriptwriting, lowered the show's quality. Despite the controversy, both Hayes and Remini spoke positively of each other, with Remini stating that she had been looking forward to working with Hayes, and Hayes asking fans not to place blame on Remini for her firing.
There were rumors that the addition of Remini was an attempt to save the show from cancellation by capitalizing on the successful chemistry between James and Remini from their time on "The King of Queens". However, James insisted the decision was purely creative, as the writers felt they were running out of ideas for the original concept and that he was unsure if the show would continue beyond a second season. He also revealed that the original concept of the show involved him as a single father, but the producers had initially given him a wife instead.
Despite the controversy, the show's ratings remained steady. As of December 1, 2017, "Kevin Can Wait" was averaging 8.2 million viewers (with delayed viewing) in the second season, competing against more established shows like "Dancing with the Stars" and "The Voice". The series also performed well in the coveted 18-49 demographic, ranking as the fifth-highest rated CBS program in that category.
In 2022, Hayes was cast in AMC's dramedy "Kevin Can F**k Himself", a show loosely inspired by her dismissal from "Kevin Can Wait".
Awards.
Kevin James received a nomination for Favorite Actor in a New TV Series at the 43rd People's Choice Awards in 2017.
Home media.
The complete first season of "Kevin Can Wait" was released on DVD by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on September 5, 2017, while the second season was released in Australia by Shock on May 8, 2019.
Notes.
 ;templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" / ;
References.
 ;templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" / ;