Kevin James is one of the greatest comedy actors and I was very excited about his new show.
The pilot was mediocre, but the show picks up pace and by the third episode, I could clearly see again the magic that made Doug in KoQ such a beloved character.
However, not the same can be told about most characters we're introduced because they're either non-believable, generic or plain boring. Most importantly, his wife, a total miscast and a very bland actress, who even when her lines should be hilarious, she somehow manages to ruin the fun out of them. Everybody compares her to Carrie and the fact that there's no chemistry between them and I agree. A strong personality should be opposed by another and unfortunately both in appearance and acting she is very dull.
The others are mostly ordinary and boring, the colleagues with the classical black guy thrown in the mix, the one liner little kids and the smart, determined teen who somehow is in loved over her heels with ... a geek?
This brings me to the script itself, a far-fetched pile-up of illogical ideas, talking about non-believable characters and nonsensical premises, a slob fat cop retired at 50 living in a big house with a trophy wife and his teen daughter who is disgusted at any interaction with her geek emotional boyfriend, yet she sacrifices anything to be with him and someday even marry him. Man, that was though to watch, even if, surprisingly, the English geek boyfriend plays so well, he's the only one actually having a chemistry with Kevin and the only genuinely funny character outside Kevin.
Fortunately, we still have Kevin and even though most characters seem just props for his antics, he totally delivers the old Doug as we know him.
I know it's probably hard to impossible, but I think what most of KoQ fans think: bring Leah Remini (Carrie), as the wife in second season and we'll have another nine years of classical humor bliss.
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