Poll...How many times did you laugh during first show KCW, KOQ
Me KCW-Zilch,nada, zero
Me KOQ-15-20
To be honest, the King of Queens pilot wasn't that great. Although the problem is for me is that I didn't start watching KOQ from the start, so when I eventually caught up and watched from the beginning, I already knew the characters, so it was hard to compare.
The KCW pilot was meh for me. Half the problem was that I had seen the preview trailers so many times that I had already seen most of the funnier scenes and punchlines. The episode was essentially the trailers just padded out, the only bits not really covered were the interviews for the garage parts, which was largely unfunny but I suppose necessary to the plot.
I think the other issue with any half hour long comedy pilot is the lack of time to set the scene. Many scenes/lines are superfluous in the sense of comedy but necessary in explaining who is who and what is what.
For example, the cop friends ripping Valentines character for not doing any to real firefighting wasn't especially funny, but it was needed to set up that Valentine once again is a complete loser because he is essentially a chef dressed in a firefighter uniform.
All the pilot did was introduce the characters and set the general tone, which is simply that Kevin's view of a peaceful retirement drinking in the daytime, eating junk food and playing childish games is not going to happen because there is so much going on with the family.
I think once it get established, it has major potential.
KOQ pilot is when Arthurs wife at the time Tessie dies. There's her hilaarious funeral meal.He subsequentially burns his house down with a hotplate.. Doug makes the epic decision to give up his TV/play room downstairs to let Arthur live there. It's classic Arthur from this episode forward. The hot sister who I didn't mind is axed. Carrie is hot in the first couple years. Patton Oswalt character is odd here. But most of the characters are setup from the pilot with some minor retooling as shows go on. It's a great great episode.
You can see the seeds of brilliance for future episodes in the brilliant casting of characters.
To say KCW needs time to evolve from zero quality to all of a sudden turn funny is asking a lot.
What difference does it make when in sequence you watch a sitcom. It's not a soap opera where you have to watch in order
Next your going to say Jim Belushi is brilliant?
The loud Laugh Track told me I needed to laugh 87 times.
I chortled once.