Because I don't believe one should judge a whole series on a pilot, I gave this show a neutral rating of 5/10. I am a big fan of Kevin James and King of Queens. The comedic timing of James and Remini (and the very talented Jerry Stiller) on that show made for perfect chemistry. Kevin Can Wait introduces us to Kevin Gable, a just-retired cop, his wife, Donna (Erinn Hayes), their children, and his recently-retired cop buddies. For some reason, the creators of this show thought pairing a working-class, overweight guy who loves afternoon drinking (beer, of course) and go-karts with a gorgeous, much younger, school nurse would be a good idea. As talented as Ms. Hayes is, she and KJ are simply mismatched. Leah Remini was also a bit too gorgeous but that was offset by her strong NY accent and her toughness. I like that Kevin James' brother is back (Gary Valentine), playing a firefighter who still works, albeit as the cook for his firehouse, but I'm waiting to see whether the supporting cast will come anywhere near the talent of Victor Williams, Patton Oswalt, and Nicole Sullivan, who provided so many laughs as Kevin James' friends in King of Queens.
Yes, I am making a lot of comparisons between this show and one that went off the air 9 years ago, but Kevin Can Wait's main character is not much different than Doug Heffernan who is not much different from Kevin James' standup character. So these comparisons are fair. I believe this show has promise, and I will watch more episodes and post again.
