The King of Queens: The Complete Series
Studio: Sony Years: 1998-2007 Rated: Not Rated Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Seasons 1-6) and 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen (Seasons 7-9) Languages: English Dolby Digital 2.0 Subtitles: Close Captioned |
The Program
A blue collar situation comedy in the tradition of The Honeymooners, the series The King of Queens probably surprised everyone involved in its production by finding a loyal audience and remaining on the air for nine seasons. Unlike Seinfeld, which ended while still at the peak of its popularity, The King of Queens almost did not have a ninth season. The series was nearly cancelled by CBS after season eight, and the network commissioned only thirteen episodes (including the hour-long finale) for the final season. During its run the show received only one Emmy nomination, and it benefited greatly by being paired with Everybody Loves Raymond. Still, nine years is an impressive achievement.
Kevin James stars as Doug Heffernan, a parcel deliveryman for International Parcel Service in Queens, N.Y. Leah Remini co-stars as Doug’s wife, Carrie. In a twist on the tired scenario of a man having to live with his overbearing mother-in-law, The King of Queens instead requires its title character to share his home with his father-in-law, Arthur (Jerry Stiller). The dynamics of the characters are set in the very first episode. Doug takes delivery of a big-screen television which turns his basement into a wildly popular recreation room. However, Doug’s life changes dramatically when father-in-law Arthur's wife dies and his house burns down. Arthur moves in with Doug and Carrie, and the rec room becomes his bedroom.
If you are contemplating purchasing this set, you probably already know all that you need to know about the show. It was not my favorite sitcom, but it is funnier than most and the main characters have a great deal of appeal.
This set contains all 207 episodes, spread out over 26 discs (plus a bonus disc). The packaging does not list the running time and I have not tried to time it. The set has not received the first-class treatment which Sony has given to Seinfeld, but fans of The King of Queens are unlikely to be disappointed.
The Video
I received this just last week so there was no way that I could look at every episode. A check of each season failed to turn up any video problems. The show probably looks as good as when each episode originally aired. The first six seasons are presented in the show’s original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. Apparently the network began to air the show in high-definition in season seven, because seasons seven through nine are presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen.
The Audio
The Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack is nothing special, but satisfactory. There is very little in the way of stereo directional effects, but that appears to have been the intention of the producers. The dialogue is clear and always intelligible.
The Supplements
As I understand it, the single series releases of The King of Queens contained no extras whatsoever. The extras in this set are all included on a bonus disc which is packaged with the season nine discs. The extras include a series retrospective, a brief “Thanks to the Fans” featurette, a celebration of the show’s 200th episode, profiles of the show’s characters with comments from the actors, and a featurette about the show’s writers. There is also an index card-sized episode guide which includes a brief synopsis and credits for each of the show’s 207 episodes.
If you already own seasons 1-8, are the extras worth the cost of the complete series set? In my estimation the answer is no, but devoted fans of the series may feel otherwise.
Other Features
The menu allows the choice of playing all episodes or selecting individual episodes.
The Packaging
The packaging for this set is fairly clever. All 27 discs are packaged in fold-out cases, three discs per case, one case per season (the season nine episodes are spread over two discs, and the third disc in the case is the bonus disc). The cases are stacked on end in a cardboard box which is shaped like a snub-nosed International Parcel Service truck, with photographs of the three lead characters sitting in the truck. The episode guide is stored under the “hood” of the truck. The truck comes packed inside a flexible plastic box.
The Final Analysis
The desirability of this set depends upon your fondness for The King of Queens. Fans who do not already own seasons 1-8 can pick up the entire series for a street price of less than $20 per season, so the set is attractively priced.
Equipment used for this review:
Toshiba HD-XA2 DVD player
Sharp LC-42D62U LCD display
Yamaha HTR-5890 THX Surround Receiver
BIC Acoustech speakers
Interconnects: Monster Cable
Release Date: November 6, 2007
