Recently, upon scrolling on X (formerly Twitter), I kept seeing Kevin James. A new meme blew up using a Getty image of James from the hit sitcom The King of Queens. The show premiered over a quarter-century ago, but this meme is a reminder of its staying power and how it’s arguably the best sitcom ever.

The meme itself saw Kevin James, in a stock photo from The King of Queens, leaned against his kitchen counter. He has his puppy-dog look in his eye with his signature smirk — like Ryan Gosling’s Ken in many ways. What prompted this to go viral is beyond me, but it felt timely given my recent rewatch of The King of Queens.

You see, The King of Queens has always been my favorite sitcom. I was introduced to it at a young age, instantly falling in love with the characters. While it was uber-popular back in the day, I rarely find anyone in my generation who appreciates it (hence why I had to put my girlfriend onto it). Every year, I go through a kick of rewatching the series. In 2023, that happened to begin shortly before this meme. Seeing Kevin James on my X feed felt like a sign — a sign to evangelize The King of Queens’ greatness.

The last of the “Golden Age”

In many ways, The King of Queens was one of the last of the “Golden Age” of sitcoms. The show overlapped with another classic, Everybody Loves Raymond, which similarly depicted everyday, mundane life. This type of sitcom is nearly extinct. And while the mockumentaries and streaming shows have since taken its place, The King of Queens still reigns supreme.

It all begins with the clear understanding the writers had of their show. The King of Queens is about a blue-collar family in Queens, New York. It’s not glamorous — nor are the situations the main characters find themselves in. Finding the perfect double-date couple, dealing with in-laws, and getting out of already arranged plans are the (oftentimes relatable) struggles our main characters navigate.

The King of Queens follows Doug (James) — the underachieving, lazy husband to Carrie (Leah Remini), a secretary at a big law firm. They both have average blue-collar jobs where they punch in and punch out. The theme song, written by Billy Vera, sums up their lives best: “I don’t care cuz all I wanna do/I cash my check and drive right home to you.”

At the end of the day, The King of Queens is about those hours you spend with your loved ones after work. Those four-to-six hours you have with them post-work? That’s what this show was written about.

You could argue that The Office also depicts everyday life. The show’s mockumentary gimmick did follow an office in Scranton, Pennsylvania, but there’s still disparity between the two. Of course, The Office made it a point that their workers were miserable. Their boss, Michael Scott (Steve Carrell), hits close to home for some with ignorant bosses. For some, that’d make watching it less fun because why would you want to watch your work life after getting off of work?

For The King of Queens, they’re playing out relatable scenarios. They’re not just exclusive to blue-collar workers. The key is that The King of Queens remembers to laugh. It’s a sitcom first, whereas The Office is attempting to play like a documentary. So that humor is largely reliant on cringe-humor instead of satirizing everyday life.

The real star of the show

The real star of the show is Jerry Stiller. He plays Arthur, Carrie’s father. In-laws are typically given the sitcom treatment, but Stiller made Arthur his own. While overbearing, he’s not Marie (the late Doris Roberts), nor is he the menacing type like Robert De Niro in the Meet the Parents series.

In fact, you can tell that Arthur loves Doug. He’s just very, very, peculiar — from his obliviousness to overstepping boundaries to constantly feeling one-upped by Doug’s parents. Stiller plays the part to perfection — retaining his adorable nature despite constantly wrecking havoc. Leah Remini is similarly well-cast. Carrie is often played as the stern “adult” of the two. The disappointing glares she sends Doug’s way pop through the screen making you, the viewer, feel like you were an accomplice.

Supporting players

There are also the supporting characters. Patton Oswalt plays Spence — the hopeless romantic and resident nerd of your friend group. Oswalt has perfected this character throughout his career. Then there’s Doug’s best friend, Deacon (Victor Williams), and his wife Kelly (Merrin Dungey). The bond they share is relatable; they often clash but they’re also each other’s “work wife.” Danny Heffernan (played by Kevin James’ real-life brother Gary Valentine), Doug’s cousin, is like the younger sibling who idolizes you. All three of these guys make up Doug’s main friend group. Like it or not, you probably have a Spence, Deacon, and Danny in your life. It’s up to you to decide who’s who.

It’s no secret that The King of Queens is the product of a different age. Some jokes and stereotypes don’t hold up in 2023, despite its themes generally withstanding the test of time. There’s an episode revolving around Spence’s TiVo and Deacon’s son’s sexuality is constantly in question in the middle seasons. Perhaps there’s no greater example than Doug’s archetype of the American husband. The stereotypically lazy, impotent husband is something that Everybody Loves Raymond similarly leaned into. In order to enjoy The King of Queens, you have to adjust to the constantly conniving Doug. That said, Carrie isn’t completely blameless. The writers occasionally balance it out by making Carrie the antagonist of the episode (like when she found a “loophole” in buying luxury clothes).

Even still, the two retain their likability despite their characters’ flaws. Oftentimes, Doug gets his hand stuck in the cookie jar, yet James always finds a way to play it off whether it’s the loss of words or pathetic attempts at formulating an excuse. Take that viral Kevin James meme, for example. The casting department outdid themselves with The King of Queens.

The King of sitcoms (and Queens)

More shows like The King of Queens need to be made. The show took a lighthearted approach to highlight the average 9-5 crowd. Kevin James going viral may not have intended to bring The King of Queens back to pop culture relevance, but that’s exactly what it did. For those who know Kevin James from 2010s films like Paul Blart: Mall Cop or Zookeeper, give this sitcom a chance. The characters are irresistible.

To riff on the great Nicole Kidman, “Everyday life feels good in a place like this.”