Summary
Doug’s love of classic literature is subtly portrayed through hidden details in The King of Queens, such as hiding books at work and expressing interest in joining a book club. Carrie, despite vocalizing her disdain for reality shows, secretly has a guilty pleasure for them, as hinted by various hidden details throughout the series. Lou Ferrigno, who plays himself in the show, is hinted to have a collection of Hulk memorabilia, with subtle references scattered throughout different episodes.
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More than 15 years after it ended, there are still questions about Richie’s disappearance and what happened to Carrie’s sister on The King of Queens, and luckily the answers may be revealed by the many hidden details in the show. Sitcom The King of Queens centers around married couple Doug (Kevin James) and Carrie Heffernan (Leah Remini) who live a quiet life until Carrie’s father Arthur (Jerry Stiller) moves into their home, who clashes with Doug in hilarious ways and impedes on what should be a blissful life for Doug and Carrie.
A sitcom spinoff of Everbody Loves Raymond, The King of Queens developed its own legacy with a show full of quirks, oddities, and mysteries. It would be easy to dismiss Doug and Carrie as sitcom tropes, with him as the lazy husband and her as the nagging wife, but they have layers and complexities, as do the characters around them. Meanwhile, other details in The King of Queens flat-out don’t make sense, whether they’re a dropped storyline or a conflicting backstory. However, between plotholes and character nuances, there are many intriguing The King of Queens hidden details.
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Related 10 Things That Make No Sense About King Of Queens Sitcoms aren’t always the most logical, but these are some major mistakes from The King Of Queens.
Doug Is A Reader
Hints Of Doug’s Love Of Literature Are Peppered Throughout The Show
The recent Doug King of Queens memes are a reminder that while he’s depicted as a goofy average Joe in King of Queens who loves BBQs, cars, and beer, he’s also deeper than first appears. The show has subtle references to Doug’s collection of classic literature books. In season 5, episode 24 “Taste Buds,” Doug hides books in his toolbox at work. In season 7 episode 14 “Hi, School,” Doug impresses Carrie with his vast knowledge of classic literature, and in season 7, episode 12 “Gym Neighbors,” he even expresses interest in joining a book club.
Carrie Hides Her Weird Obsession With Reality Shows
Carrie Seemed Embarrassed By Her Guilty Pleasure Viewing
Throughout The King of Queens, Carrie often vocalizes her disdain for reality shows. However, they’re secretly a guilty pleasure of Carrie’s, as one The King of Queens’ hidden details hints that she’s addicted to them. In season 6, episode 24 “Awful Bigamy,” Carrie gleefully mentions that her and Doug’s bigamy scandal would make a great reality series. In season 1, episode 8 “Educating Doug,” Carrie quietly becomes obsessed with The Bachelor, and in season 4, episode 2 “Sight Gag,” she’s all about a reality show called Patricia’s Ultimate Style.
Lou Ferrigno Has A Collection Of Hulk Memorabilia
The Hulk Actor Was His Own Biggest Fan
Lou Ferrigno, who famously played the Hulk in the 1970s series, plays himself in the King of Queens cast and is one of Doug and Carrie’s neighbors. It’s no secret that the sitcom plays on Ferrigno’s previous role and makes a pun about it any chance it gets. However, the show took it a step further when it hinted that Ferrigno has a collection of Hulk memorabilia.
Throughout King of Queens, there are very subtle hints to Ferrigno’s collection, such as in season 2, episode 10 “Roamin’ Holiday” when Lou gives Doug a signed Hulk action figure, and in “Hi, School” when Lou reveals his favorite possession, which is a Hulk lunchbox.
Related The King Of Queens: 10 Storylines That Have Aged Poorly The King of Queens reigned for seven seasons as a sitcom hated by critics but adored by fans. In retrospect, maybe it’s the critics who were right.
Doug Is A Talented Musician
Doug Even Proves Himself A Songwriter
Not only does Doug come off as surprisingly cultural with his classic literature references, but other hidden details hint at the character being a talented musician. Several episodes see Doug masterfully playing the guitar, such as in season 8, episode 9 “G’Night, Stalker” when he plays a version of The Beatles’ “Blackbird.” Doug also played a song that he wrote for Carrie in season 4, episode 11 “Depo Man,” and in season 8, episode 19 “Emotional Rollercoaster,” Doug combines his love of playing the guitar with his other love, as he wrote a song about his love of food.
Arthur Has A Strange Antique Collection
The Weirdest King Of Queens Character Has Many More Quirks
Arthur provided the funniest moments on The King of Queens and his bizarre collection of antiques is just one example of his strange antics. Arthur’s collection of antiques is hinted at, such as a stash of antique doorknobs in “Taste Buds,” and his odd-shaped rocks in season 2, episode 21 “Big Dougie.” However, Arthur has somehow managed to maintain the quality of these antiques, which is especially difficult with vintage postcards, which he proudly shows off in season 3, episode 17 “Inner Tube.”
Spence Is Allergic To Peanuts, But He Eats Peanut M&Ms
Was The Allergy Fake Or Was Spence Just Hungry?
In season 4, episode 4, “Friender Bender,” Spence (Patton Oswalt) is babysitting Deacon (Victor Williams) and Kelly’s (Merrin Dungey) kids. When Kirby finds out Spence is allergic to peanuts, he teases him for it as Spence tries to explain his allergy. However, earlier in the show, Spence’s allergy is non-existent.
In season 1, episode 4, “Richie’s Song,” Spence eats expired peanut M&Ms that he finds in Doug’s car. When Spence asks Doug if they’re peanut M&Ms, Doug says yes, and then Spence just eats them anyway. Either Spence is lying about his allergy, or he likes peanut M&Ms so much that he’s willing to face the consequences.
Related The King Of Queens: 10 Best Episodes According To IMDb The King of Queens was one of the funniest yet underrated shows on television in the 2000s. These are the best episodes according to IMDb.
Doug’s Uniform Is Too Tight In The King Of Queens
Doug’s IPS Job Came With Its Challenges
Doug’s blue-collar job was a central part of King of Queens, but the required wardrobe was a nuisance. Kevin James hated wearing the IPS uniform because it was too snug (via TV Guide). Sometimes he’d ask the producers if he could just not be wearing the uniform at all, even when he’s shown at work. The actor explained, “The shorts were tight and they’d cut into my hips, I’d feel like writing scenes around it, like, ‘Oh, I don’t need a uniform.’ They’d be like, ‘But you’re at work!’ And I’d be like, ‘Whatever. I show up without it!'”
Continuity Errors In The Story Of How Doug And Carrie Met
The Couple Cannot Get Their Own Love Story Right
Doug and Carrie meeting for the first time often changes. In some episodes, they talk about how they knew each other in middle school. In season 1, episode 9 “Road Rayge”, “their song” comes on TV and Carrie talks about them dancing to it as children. However, in season 2, episode 17 “Meet By-Product”, a flashback shows Carrie meeting Doug at a bar where he’s working as a bouncer. Richie (Larry Romano) brings Carrie on a double date, which doesn’t work out, and Doug has to convince Carrie to give him a second chance.
Spence Stood Completely Motionless For Three Minutes
The Writers Wanted To Know If Viewers Noticed
In an appearance on The Howard Stern Show, Patton Oswalt mentioned that in season 8, episode 19, “Emotional Rollercoaster,” Spence stands completely motionless for about three entire minutes. The scene is Doug’s 40th birthday party and the whole thing was a prank. Oswalt claimed that all of the writers on the show were big cannabis consumers and thought it would be weird to include this to see if anyone noticed. It turns out, that people did notice. Oswalt commented, “All the writers were stoners, they were always pulling weird pranks” (via Youtube).
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Carrie’s Sister May Or May Not Exist In The King Of Queens
Is Carried An Only Child Or Not?
Sara Spooner (Lisa Rieffel), Carrie’s younger sister, appears in the first six episodes of season 1. She’s shown as an aspiring actress who doesn’t know how to handle responsibilities. Later on, though, the show refers to Carrie as an only child. In season 3, episode 2 “Roast Chicken”, Doug mentions Carrie’s sister, but this is the only other time she’s acknowledged. Doug doesn’t say her name, just that Carrie’s sister had an event, so he could get out of another one.
Richie Silently Disappears From The King Of Queens
Doug Never Mentions His Best Friend Again
In the earlier seasons, Doug’s relationship with Richie is one of his longest-running friendships. Richie is the reason that Doug and Carrie get together in the first place. However, after those first few seasons, Richie disappears entirely and his sudden absence is never acknowledged in the rest The King of Queens. The real reason it happened was that the actor left the show. Romano asked to be let out of his contract with King of Queens after landing a role on another sitcom (via Looper).
Leah Remini Was Pregnant During The King Of Queens Season 6
King Of Queens Was One Of Many Sitcoms To Disguise Actors’ Pregnancies
During season 6 of King of Queens, Remini was pregnant. To explain her changing figure, the producers decided to have her character lose her job and then lounge around the house eating all day. This way, they didn’t have to hide her stomach as much and could refer to her weight on-screen to make it more believable.
Later in her term, she’s usually seen wearing baggy clothing. A weight gain storyline, loose clothing, and props in front of bellies are all commonly used to hide pregnancies in shows, as Friends, Modern Family, and How I Met Your Mother all had cast pregnancies and similarly dealt with them.
Related The King Of Queens Cast: Where They Are Now Some actors from the King of Queens cast, like Kevin James and Patton Oswalt, are still big stars in the comedy world to this day. Where are they now?
Spence’s Mom Was Recast In The King Of Queens
Grace Zabriskie Was Replaced With Anne Meara
When the audience first meets Veronica, Spence’s mom, and Arthur’s on-and-off love interest, in season 1, she’s played by Grace Zabriskie. However, she was recast after that episode. The actress who replaced her and became synonymous with the character was Anne Meara, who was actually married to Stiller in real life until she died in 2015. The two are Ben Stiller’s parents, and it’s clear where the Tropic Thunder actor and director gets his comedy talent from.
Doug Was Born In Canada In The King Of Queens
Doug Didn’t Find Out He Was Canadian Until Later In Life
Where Doug was born is a little detail that’s extremely easy to miss because it’s quickly mentioned in one episode in season 5 and never again. In season 5, episode 23, “Dog Shelter,” Doug and Carrie visit his parents at their home in Florida. When they get there, they find out quite a few shocking details about Doug’s childhood.
It turns out that his parents lied to him to cover things up instead of dealing with confrontations or problems head-on. One of those secrets is the fact that Doug was actually born in Canada, and he went decades without taking advantage of his dual citizenship.
Carrie And Doug Had A Dog For A Few King Of Queens Episodes
The Hiffernans’ Adopted Pet Is Another Disappearance On The Show
Disappearing characters in long-running shows is common but The King of Queens is a bit unusual for featuring a disappearing dog. Doug and Carrie adopt a dog named Stanley that had previously belonged to their obnoxious neighbors, the Sackskys. The Sackskys were going to abandon him, so the Heffernans took him in. Though Doug and Carrie weren’t totally happy with the decision, they felt that they had a moral obligation. However, Stanley only appears in a few episodes before he mysteriously vanishes. No one ever acknowledges the dog in The King of Queens again.
Jerry Stiller Almost Didn’t Play Arthur
Stiller Was Always The First Choice For The Role
Imagining someone else in the role of Arthur is almost unthinkable. However, while Stiller was executive producer David Bickel’s first choice for the part, it initially went to veteran actor Jack Carter (History of the World: Part I). It’s unknown why Stiller was originally unavailable to play Arthur, but the studio went ahead and began filming the pilot episode with Carter as Arthur.
However, as soon as Stiller became available, Carter was recast and his scenes in the pilot were re-shot. In a 2006 interview with The Futon Critic, Bickel said, “And I’m thinking our lives would have really would have been so different — both of ours — by this one event.”
The Studio Decided Not To Give Doug And Carrie Children
The Show Wanted To Keep Focus On Arthur Rather Than A Child
Outside of wondering what happened to Richie on King of Queens, a lot of viewers had questions regarding why Doug and Carrie waited so long to have children. The couple doesn’t get pregnant until the series finale, and the topic of having children was occasionally a plot point on King of Queens.
However, the reason the pair had no children had to do with the studio. In the same interview, David Bickel mentioned that studios opted not to give the characters children because they felt that a child would separate The King of Queens into two eras: pre-baby and post-baby. It would’ve reportedly hurt the syndication and diminished Arthur’s role.
the king of queens
The King of Queens is a classic sitcom that aired on CBS for nine seasons from 1998-2007. The series stars Kevin James and Leah Remini as Doug and Carrie Heffernan, a working-class married couple who live in Rego Park, Queens. The supporting cast includes Victor Williams, Patton Oswalt, Larry Romano, Gary Valentine, Nicole Sullivan, and Jerry Stiller as Carrie’s father, Arthur Spooner, who lives with the couple.
Release Date September 21, 1998
Cast Kevin James , Victor Williams
Seasons 9
Story By kevin james
Writers Kevin James
Directors Rob Schiller
the king of queens
Cast: Kevin James, Victor Williams
Release Date: 1998-09-21
Seasons: 9
Genres: Sitcom
Story By: kevin james
Writers: Kevin James
Network: CBS
Streaming Service(s): Apple TV+, Peacock, Prime Video
Directors: Rob Schiller
Showrunner: Rob Schiller