Kevin Can Wait

''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

Main

* Kevin James as Kevin Gable: the patriarch of the Gable household. As the series started, Kevin, a recently retired cop married to wife Donna, solves family problems with his down-to-earth principles and some help from Donna. After Donna's death between the first two seasons, the widowed Kevin becomes a helicopter parent who goes to work at a security firm with his ex-partner, Vanessa Cellucci. Kevin is a generally good man at heart, although he tends to sometimes get distracted in his goals. He cares deeply about his family and friends, and is willing to do most anything to help them.
* Erinn Hayes as Donna Gable (Season 1): Kevin's wife and the matriarch of the Gable household for the first season, Donna is a school nurse until she quits in the first-season finale (also her last physical appearance in the series). Donna dies before the second season. The episode "The Fantastic Pho" reveals that Kevin and Donna had first met at a bar, and "The Might've Before Christmas" reveals that Vanessa urged Kevin and Donna to get together.
* Taylor Spreitler as Kendra Gable-Witt: The elder Gable daughter, Kendra is a 21-year-old college student (she gets into Columbia Law School in the first-season finale) who also works as a waitress at Enzo's. She has the most prominent role of the three Gable children in the series. In the pilot, she reveals her engagement to her parents and moves back in with her fiancé Chale. Kendra is the most responsible and dependable of the Gable kids. She also shows a tendency to nag, particularly at Chale's expense. She plans her wedding during the first season and marries Chale in the Season 2 premiere after he faces deportation. Following the death of Donna, Kendra becomes the surrogate matriarch of the family.
* Ryan Cartwright as Chale Witt: Kendra's English fiancé and then her husband. He moves into the Gables' garage with Kendra. Chale is shy and soft-spoken, but very intelligent. Kevin is initially hostile to Chale, but their relationship improves over the course of the series. During Season 1, Chale is unemployed but working on an app that he believes will be a huge success. In the Season 2 premiere, Chale marries Kendra as he faces deportation. Chale begins working at Enzo's with Kendra in "Plus One Is the Loneliest Number" and is promoted to manager (and temporarily stops working on his app) in "The Kevin Crown Affair".
* Mary-Charles Jones as Sara Marie Gable: the younger Gable daughter, has anger-management issues and is somewhat a tomboy, as she excels at and loves sports, watches football and frequently fights. She also has a rebellious streak; she has been suspended, stolen her father's money, created a secret second Facebook account and snuck off with her boyfriend. Despite her hostility, she does love her family. In the first season, Sara appears mostly in short, cameo roles, but she becomes more prominent in the second season.
* James DiGiacomo as Jack Gable: the Gables' 11-year-old hypochondriac son, is the weakest of the children and somewhat dim-witted. Though he frequently tries to make friends, he finds little success. In the first season, Jack appears mostly in short, cameo roles, but he becomes more prominent in the second season.
* Gary Valentine as Kyle Gable: Kevin's older brother, is a firefighter with the New York City Fire Department of below-average intelligence. Kyle is a bachelor and has a crush on Vanessa (much to her dismay). At the fire department, Kyle is mainly a cook who does not actually fight fires often. As a part of Kevin's group, he is frequently seen with Kevin's friends and at the Gable household.
* Leonard Earl Howze as Tyrone "Goody" Goodman:
Tyrone is Kevin's friend from the police force. He is married to Didi, who is a good friend of Donna's. In the second season, Goody begins working for Monkey Fist Security.
* Lenny Venito as Duffy (Season 1): Duffy is Kevin's friend from the police force. He has been divorced three times. Duffy was written out in the second season without any explanation for the character's absence.
* Christopher Brian Roach (also credited as Chris Roach) as Mott: one of Kevin's retired officer friends, and is usually regarded as the dimmest of the group. He is married to Cindy, and has seven young, rambunctious kids. In the second season, Mott begins working for Monkey Fist Security.
* Leah Remini as Vanessa Cellucci (Season 2, Guest appearance in Season 1): Kevin's former partner and rival on the force, is introduced in the two-part first-season finale. Vanessa becomes Kevin's partner in the second episode of Season 2 with her own struggling company, Golden Phoenix Security (later Monkey Fist Security). Vanessa has several exes, many of whom she has dumped for ridiculous and unbelievable reasons.

Recurring

* Bas Rutten as Rutger van der Kamp, the Gables' annoying Dutch neighbor who becomes Kevin's friend. He lives with his aunt and his long-term girlfriend. During the first season, he works in the warehouse at a big-box store. In the second season, Kevin and Vanessa hire him at their security company, though they are frequently unable to pay him.
* Jim Breuer as Father Philip, the priest at the Gables' Catholic church.
* Joe Starr as Enzo, the owner of Enzo's, and Kendra's (and later Chale's) boss.
* Saidah Arrika Ekulona as Didi, Goody's wife and a friend of Donna's. She frequently worries about Goody's safety as a cop. (Season 1)
* Chris Weidman as Nick Dawson, a rookie cop who is the new partner of Kevin's former partner. (Season 1)
* Jackie Sandler as Cindy, Mott's wife.

Notable guest stars

* Ray Romano as Vic Margolis, an annoying hot-tub salesman, whose son befriends Jack ("Beat the Parents") and he and Kevin were old friends.
* Noah Syndergaard as Halloween Viking ("Hallow-We-Ain't-Home")
* Adam Sandler as Jimmy, Kevin's former partner ("Who's Better Than Us?", "A Band Done"); his nephew, Jared Sandler, also guest starred with him ("Who's Better Than Us?")
* Billy Joel as himself ("Kevin's Bringing Supper Back")
* Harry Connick Jr. as himself ("Kenny Can Wait")
* Chazz Palminteri as Vincent Cellucci, Vanessa's critical father ("Plus One Is the Loneliest Number")
* Loni Love as Yvette, a sassy pawn shop owner ("The Owl")
* Florencia Lozano as Wendy, Kevin's neighbor who frequently brings him food after Donna passes away in hopes of winning his affections ("Cooking Up a Storm", "The Whole Enchilada")
* Ricardo Chavira as Frank, Kevin and Vanessa's former co-worker who now owns a rival security company ("Monkey Fist Insecurity", "Delivery Guy")
* Chris Knowings as Omar, a worker at the Corn Dog House that Kevin and Vanessa visit. (Delivery Guy)
* Ali Landry as Lisa, a vivacious single woman whom Kevin meets at the airport on the way to Florida ("Flight or Fight")
* Ralph Macchio as Alviti, a real-estate investor who wants to buy Enzo's and turn the property into a parking lot ("The Smoking Bun", "Phat Monkey")
* Chris Rock as Dennis, a member of Kevin's old band Smokefish ("A Band Done")
* Mike DelGuidice as Ronnie, a member of Kevin's old band Smokefish ("A Band Done")
* Sal Governale as Lance Grafton, a music manager ("A Band Done")

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.

Episodes

Series overview

Season 1 (2016–17)

Season 2 (2017–18)

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''.

Ratings

Overall

Season 1

Season 2

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.

See also

* '' Heaven Can Wait'', the phrase to which the title of the sitcom alludes
* '' Man with a Plan'', another CBS sitcom often compared to and partnered with ''Kevin Can Wait''
* '' 8 Simple Rules'', a sitcom also compared to ''Kevin Can Wait''
* '' Kevin Can F**k Himself'', a dramedy inspired by the controversial firing of Hayes

Notes

References

External links

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{{Andy Fickman

2016 American television series debuts
2018 American television series endings
2010s American multi-camera sitcoms
American English-language television shows
Television series about marriage
Television series about siblings
Television series about widowhood
Television series by CBS Studios
Television series by Sony Pictures Television
Television series created by Bruce Helford
Television shows directed by Andy Fickman
Television shows filmed in New York (state)
Television shows set on Long Island
CBS sitcoms