MovieChat Forums > Kevin Can Wait (2016) Discussion > What Really Kills This Show

What Really Kills This Show


It's not the premise, or the fact that general sitcoms are a tired formula. That's not really the problem. Kevin James isn't the problem either. He's a competent sitcom star as he's proven before on King of Queens. However, there's a major difference between the two shows, one that I think will kill this show shortly:

The supporting cast are awful. A formula sitcom absolutely needs a strong supporting cast if the star is not off the charts talented. James, as I said, is competent but not a major talent. On the King of Queens, he had a strong supporting cast around him, including two actors that I would call extremely talented (Patton Oswalt, who really has deserved to anchor his own sitcom or even dramatic series by now, and especially Jerry Stiller, who most certainly got the best gags and made the most of them). Sure, Gary Valentine is back, but he was always the weakest core performer on King of Queens. The rest of the cast are nonce's. Ryan Cartwright, for example, looks every bit closer to 40 than to a college student and his whiny, nasal Midlands accent sounds off place in this sort of sitcom. Taylor Spreitler doesn't show much aptitude for comedy and her character is a cardboard cutout. Erinn Hayes has been in some funny roles over the years and she certainly has talent, but the writing fails her. She's just generic sitcom wife #584.

Of the other supporting players, as I mentioned before, Valentine is a weak performer who has a job through nepotism. Leonard Earl Howze is the token black friend. Again, standard tropes prevent him from being much else right now. He doesn't get much dialogue or focus, especially when compared to Victor Williams, who occupied the spot of "black best friend" on King of Queens. Lenny Venito is probably the strongest anchor performer, to be expected, as he's an experienced sitcom veteran.

That's really this show's problem in a nutshell. The supporting cast simply isn't talented enough or given enough decent material to keep a show like this going in the long run.

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Oh well, as you describe it, the show is done. I guess I'll catch him on True Memoirs of an International Assassin on Netflix.

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Definitely don't agree that Patton Oswalt is an extremely talented actor, ugh. But as far as Kevin/wait goes, yes, the supporting cast is very weak. Chale is cringingly bad.

With a new head writer, hopefully this show will start getting funnier and stray away from safe, bland Tim Allen sitcom territory. KoQ is one of my all time favorite shows. I don't want my last impression of Kevin James to be this show in its current form.

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@houstonhacker

We can agree to disagree on the talents of Patton Oswalt. Personally, I really enjoy his work.

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I also agree the cast doesn't come together for me. It's not the worst show ever but definitely not King of Queens!

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It could get better if they give it a chance. The first season of King of Queens wasn't the best season.

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I hope so! I love sitcoms and the more good ones the better!

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The younger daughter will mysteriously disappear I have a feeling.

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Valentine has been missing for the last 2, if not 3, episodes.

Mott has been absent for 2, I think.

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Another pointless subplot involving Valentine. As if anyone would be dumb enough to break into the offices at a baseball field to try and prove your dedication for a job.

His character is a complete jackass and so is Valentine.

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It's hard to believe the man who poured his heart into King of Queens for nine years is behind this mess. Or that the network of Stephen Colbert would allow anything as riotously non-PC as TKOQ--or anything funny, for that matter--on it's airwaves today.

The bitchy wife becomes a supportive, agreeable yet liberated helpmate. The cranky old nutcase in the basement is now a thoughtful young intellectual. Go right down the line. This show is basically King of Queens with all its funny elements sanitized for (or by) the safe-space generation.

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It would probably be funnier on HBO.

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It would probably be funnier on HBO.


No it wouldn't. Not with writers like these.

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Well, it would be nakedier on HBO.

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