100 Fun Facts About The King of Queens

On which network did The King of Queens air from 1998 to 2007?

CBS landed the show only after NBC, which had developed the pilot, passed on it; it then ran for nine seasons, mostly as a Monday-night staple.

What did Kevin James first try on Long Island in 1989?

Stand-up comedy: Kevin James had played college football at SUNY Cortland before he first tried it at a Long Island club in 1989 and traded sport for punchlines.

Who plays Carrie Heffernan on The King of Queens?

Leah Remini grew up in Brooklyn, and for a show called The King of Queens, none of its three lead actors actually came from Queens.

In which Queens neighbourhood do the Heffernans live?

Rego Park is home to the Heffernans' made-up address, 3121 Aberdeen Street, but the house seen on screen actually stands across the Hudson in Cliffside Park, New Jersey.

What is the full name of the delivery company Doug Heffernan drives for?

International Parcel Service, IPS for short, is the show's thinly veiled UPS, and Doug drives its trucks until the final episodes, when he quits for a sales job at Carrie's urging.

What is Carrie Heffernan's job for most of The King of Queens?

Legal secretary at a Manhattan law firm is Carrie's job for most of the run; after the firm lets her go, she lands a new post at a real-estate company.

Who plays Carrie's father Arthur Spooner?

Jerry Stiller planned to retire after Seinfeld, but Kevin James begged him to take the part, telling him he couldn't do the show without him.

Why does Arthur move in with the Heffernans in the pilot?

He burns down his own house, which turns out to be uninsured, so he takes over the den where Doug had just set up his prized 70-inch TV.

Who plays Doug's best friend and co-worker Deacon Palmer?

Victor Williams plays Deacon, the level-headed family man of the group, until he is caught seeing another woman in season three and his marriage to Kelly breaks up for a while.

Which comedian plays the nerdy Spence Olchin?

Patton Oswalt once stood completely motionless through an entire opening scene at Doug's 40th birthday party, an in-joke the writers set up to see whether anyone would notice.

Gary Valentine plays Doug's cousin Danny, but what is he to Kevin James in real life?

Brother: Gary Valentine is Kevin James's older brother, and the surnames differ because each invented a stage name, Gary borrowing their father's middle name.

What does Holly Shumpert do for a living on The King of Queens?

Dog walker: Doug and Carrie are so worn down by Arthur that they pay Holly to take him along on her daily rounds with the dogs.

Which celebrity plays himself as the Heffernans' next-door neighbour on The King of Queens?

Lou Ferrigno plays himself from the third season on, and the running joke is that his neighbours can't stop making Incredible Hulk cracks, which he can't stand.

Kevin James's guest spots on which comedian's sitcom led to The King of Queens?

Ray Romano gave his friend a recurring part on Everybody Loves Raymond, which led to the new show, and later returned the favour by playing Ray Barone in four King of Queens episodes.

Where do Doug and Carrie fly to in the finale of The King of Queens?

China is where the Heffernans race each other to collect the baby girl they are adopting, only for Carrie to discover on the trip that she is pregnant as well.

Arthur Spooner's actor was already famous for playing which Seinfeld character?

Frank Costanza, the inventor of Festivus, revived the actor's career in his sixties, and like Arthur he was a short-fused father from Queens.

Whom does Arthur marry in the King of Queens finale after his intended bride walks out?

Veronica, Spence's mother, says yes after Arthur, jilted minutes before the ceremony, refuses to call the wedding off and proposes to her on the spot.

In the King of Queens finale, which game show does Doug stay home watching rather than attend Arthur's wedding?

The Price Is Right keeps a sulking Doug on the couch, yelling at the contestants' bids, until Deacon turns up and hauls him to the ceremony anyway.

On his 40th birthday, what does Doug Heffernan decide he finally wants to do?

Riding a roller coaster he once chickened out of is Doug's answer when Carrie presses him, on his 40th birthday, to want more from his life.

What is Spence Olchin's day job on The King of Queens?

Subway token clerk Spence is the group's sickly science-fiction fan, and once he moves in with Danny the two are soon bickering like an old married couple.

Which band performs The King of Queens theme song?

Billy Vera and the Beaters sing 'Baby All My Life I Will Be Driving Home to You', which arrived in season two; the first season opened with only an eight-second shot of a passing subway window.

In one season-three episode, why are Doug and Deacon stuck at home for weeks?

Their union is on strike, and by the third week the idle pair have teamed up with Arthur as a trio of pranksters, driving Carrie and Kelly up the wall.

Who created The King of Queens?

Michael J. Weithorn and David Litt wrote the pilot together, and Weithorn closed the circle nine years later by writing the double-length finale himself.

Which pub-restaurant is the regular hangout on The King of Queens?

Cooper's was modelled on a real Queens ale house, since renamed Yerman's Irish Pub, though the gang's scenes there were recreated on a studio set.

Where was Doug Heffernan born, a fact he only discovers in season five?

Montreal: Doug's overprotective parents had kept his Canadian birth from him all his life, and the secret finally slips out when he goes to visit them.

What was Carrie Heffernan's original first name on The King of Queens?

Simone was her given name until Arthur staked it in a poker game when she was small and lost, which is how she came to be called Carrie instead.

Which King of Queens character was quietly written out in season three so his actor could join another sitcom?

Richie Iannucci vanished when Larry Romano left to star in the NBC sitcom Kristin, which was cancelled after only six episodes; cousin Danny was promoted to fill the gap.

Which King of Queens character vanished after the first season and was later treated as if she had never existed?

Sara Spooner, Carrie's half-sister, was dropped because, as Kevin James later explained, the writers could not think of storylines for her.

Which talk-show host plays Doug's sister Stephanie on The King of Queens?

Ricki Lake plays Stephanie as a gym teacher convinced their parents favour Doug, who once takes a substitute-teaching job at her school and manages to get himself fired.

Which university did Deacon Palmer attend on The King of Queens?

St. John's University, a real campus in Queens, is Deacon's alma mater, which makes him a college graduate who spends the series driving a delivery truck alongside Doug.

What are the names of Deacon and Kelly Palmer's sons on The King of Queens?

Major and Kirby are the reason the Palmers keep calling on Spence, who ends up babysitting the boys and even works for the family as a 'house boy' in one episode.

Which MADtv alumna plays Holly Shumpert on The King of Queens?

Nicole Sullivan came to the show from MADtv's original cast, and when she returned for the finale she was heavily pregnant, so Holly turns up expecting too.

What job did Doug Heffernan hold before he became a delivery driver?

Nightclub bouncer: a flashback episode shows Doug still working the door when his roommate brings Carrie home as his own date, and the future couple can barely stand each other.

Although it is set in Queens, where was The King of Queens actually filmed?

Culver City, California: the show was taped before a live audience on Stage 28 at Sony Pictures Studios, and only the opening-credits scenes were shot around New York.

In which 2016 sitcom did Kevin James later reunite with his King of Queens co-star?

Kevin Can Wait cast him as a retired cop, and his old sitcom wife first guest-starred as his former police partner, then joined the cast outright once his on-screen wife was written out.

What is Kevin James's real surname?

Knipfing is the name he was born with in Mineola, New York; he left a sports-management degree unfinished and took the stage name James as he started out.

Which 2009 hit comedy did Kevin James co-write and star in, two years after The King of Queens ended?

Paul Blart: Mall Cop, about a hapless security guard, was a big enough hit to spawn a 2015 sequel and became his signature film role.

Which future Breaking Bad star played the Heffernans' pushy neighbour Tim Sacksky?

Bryan Cranston turned up in the early seasons as the annoying man next door, at one point roping Doug into a pyramid scheme dressed up as a way to get rich selling water filters.

On The King of Queens, which date is Spence Olchin's birthday?

February 14: the group's unluckiest romantic was born on Valentine's Day, and in one early episode he storms out of his own birthday party on it.

In the flash-forward that ends The King of Queens, where does Arthur turn up?

Back in the Heffernans' basement: a year on, Arthur walks in with a suitcase, announces that his fourth marriage didn't work out and heads straight downstairs.

The opening credits of The King of Queens show Doug, Carrie and Arthur in which Queens park?

Flushing Meadows Park and its Unisphere anchor the title sequence, a rare glimpse of the real borough in a sitcom that was otherwise shot on a studio stage.

In the King of Queens finale, what makes Doug refuse to attend Arthur's wedding?

A secret apartment in Manhattan, which Carrie had promised to give up, enrages Doug all the more because he had just quit his delivery job at her request.

Where does Arthur's wedding take place in the King of Queens finale?

Poughkeepsie is where Deacon delivers a reluctant Doug, who then gets too drunk to give his best-man toast and leaves Deacon to make it instead.

Which singer do Doug and Deacon hire for a private concert while blowing $5,000 in winnings in a single day?

Eddie Money plays the Heffernans' house because the pair are racing to spend every dollar of a secret boxing bet before their wives can find out about it.

Doug Heffernan is a devoted fan of which NFL team?

New York Jets: Doug is so loyal that he bristles at anything to do with the division-rival Miami Dolphins.

Doug and Carrie Heffernan were loosely modelled on the central couple of which classic sitcom?

The Honeymooners gets an open salute in a 2001 episode, when a guilt-ridden Doug dreams in black and white that he is Ralph Kramden, with Carrie as Alice and Deacon as Ed Norton.

What kind of animal is Spence Olchin's pet, Allen?

A pug called Allen belongs to Spence, whose list of ailments includes asthma and a peanut allergy the writers forgot when an early episode showed him eating Peanut M&M's.

What is the day job of Doug's friend Richie Iannucci?

FDNY firefighter Richie calls Doug 'Moose' and fancies himself the ladies' man of the group, even admitting to a fling with Doug's sister.

In which state do Doug Heffernan's parents, Joe and Janet, live in a retirement community?

Florida: on one visit there Doug learns that his parents have quietly replaced his childhood dog three times rather than tell him it had died.

On The King of Queens, why do roommates Danny and Spence legally marry each other?

To get a free TV: the plasma set was a sales-pitch giveaway open only to married couples, so the bickering roommates tied the knot to qualify.

Which 1970s film star plays the coach Doug Heffernan meets on a delivery to his old high school?

Burt Reynolds guest-starred as Doug's former coach, and the package drop-off ends with Doug caught up in the school's sports team all over again.

Which Saturday Night Live alumnus plays The Beast, Doug Heffernan's classmate turned vice principal?

Adam Sandler played Jeff Sussman, who teams up with Doug at their high school reunion to take revenge on their old principal.

Which animals do Doug Heffernan and Deacon Palmer have to deliver to Albany on Valentine's Day?

Penguins were the cargo, two of them, and the trip forces Carrie to cancel dinner and take a newly dumped Holly out on the town instead.

Which birthday gift from Doug Heffernan goes wrong for Carrie because he picks a cheaper doctor?

Laser eye surgery was Doug's surprise, but the bargain doctor he chose leaves the couple panicking when Carrie's sight does not return properly.

The comedian who plays Spence Olchin on The King of Queens voiced the lead in which Pixar film?

Ratatouille was his first starring film role, as the voice of Remy, and the Oscar-winning film arrived in the year his sitcom ended.

Doug Heffernan briefly becomes a vegetarian after hitting which animal on his delivery route?

A chicken barely survives the collision, and Doug's sudden convictions leave Carrie having to eat meat in private.

Which classic sitcom mother plays Lily, a wife of Arthur Spooner seen in a Thanksgiving flashback?

Florence Henderson played Lily, the new wife Arthur was busy fighting with in 1993 on the day Doug came over to meet the family.

What does Carrie Heffernan discover straight after adopting a baby in The King of Queens finale?

She is pregnant, so the closing scene a year later shows Doug and Carrie struggling to cope with two small children in a hectic house.

The actress behind Carrie Heffernan later won Emmys for a docuseries about which organisation?

Church of Scientology exposés became her second act: she co-produced and hosted Scientology and the Aftermath from 2016 to 2019, winning two Primetime Emmys.

Which Cheers star plays herself as a client Carrie Heffernan struggles to sell a condo to?

Kirstie Alley appeared as herself, and getting her to buy the condo turns out to be far more work than Carrie expected.

Which tool does Doug Heffernan accidentally shoot himself with at work before a loan interview?

A staple gun goes off while Doug is fooling around, and rather than go to hospital he struggles through Carrie's loan interview in pain.

What does Doug Heffernan grab all for himself during a rough plane landing, leaving Carrie furious?

The oxygen mask goes straight onto Doug's own face, and Carrie concludes that he would never help her if she were in real danger.

Which holiday does Arthur Spooner forbid at home because his poor family once relied on it for food?

Halloween meant hours of collecting sweets to feed his family while the neighbours pitied him, and Doug's lavish decorations put Arthur in hospital.

Which kind of class does Carrie Heffernan join at Doug's heavy urging, only to prove a slow learner?

Pole dancing lessons were Doug's idea, while Arthur drags Carrie to children's events to steer her away, convinced the class could ruin her life.

Which Will Smith film gave Kevin James his first starring movie role while The King of Queens was airing?

Hitch made him a film lead in 2005 as Albert, one year after a brief cameo in 50 First Dates.

Spence Olchin and Danny Heffernan pose as security staff to sneak into which rock singer's concert?

Huey Lewis is the star they bluff their way in to see, while Doug gatecrashes Carrie's ladies' night with her co-workers at a hotel.

What is Carrie Heffernan told could cost her a promotion, sending her to Spence Olchin for coaching?

Her accent is the obstacle she is warned about, while Doug spends the same episode taking his poker-playing mother to Las Vegas to hustle strangers.

The actress who plays Carrie Heffernan earlier played Stacey Carosi on which teen sitcom?

Saved by the Bell gave her the recurring part of Stacey Carosi, after she had starred with Halle Berry in the short-lived Living Dolls.

What does Doug Heffernan buy with the couple's tax refund in the final season of The King of Queens?

An ice cream truck becomes Doug's side business, and a sceptical Carrie warms to the idea once she sees how excited he is about it.

Doug Heffernan sets up his sister with Carrie's boss so he can watch which event in high definition?

The Super Bowl plan collapses when the heartbroken boss breaks his remote and the set sticks on a movie channel, so the guys miss the game.

Which film actor plays the therapist who traces Arthur Spooner's yelling back to his childhood?

William Hurt played the therapist, and by the end of the episode it is Doug, not Arthur, who keeps going back for sessions.

Which actor-director plays Sean McGee, the grade-school bully Doug Heffernan refuses to forgive?

Jon Favreau played Sean McGee, who once accused Doug of licking a trash can and has grown up to be a district attorney with a possible job for Carrie.

What does Carrie Heffernan sell so that she and Doug can buy a hot tub and a satellite dish?

Her engagement ring fetches a large sum, but Doug grows to dislike the dish and Arthur spoils the hot tub by turning up the heat.

Which costly problem does Arthur Spooner discover at home while Doug and Carrie are on vacation?

Mold damage is the bad news Arthur phones through, and the repair bill climbs so high that Doug has to ask his father for the money.

What does Doug Heffernan fake to hide that he has forgotten the name of Carrie's work friend?

A heart attack is what Doug stages to escape the awkward moment, in an episode aptly titled Name Dropper.

A child's drawing makes Arthur Spooner so self-conscious that he asks Doug and Carrie for what?

Dental braces are what Arthur wants after seeing how Deacon's young son drew him, and Doug and Carrie are reluctant to say yes.

Which Desperate Housewives star plays Debi, a neighbour who overhears a big Heffernan fight?

Marcia Cross played Debi, and Carrie works hard to convince her and her husband Mike that the Heffernans are better than the row they heard.

Which honour at the gang's regular pub goes to Deacon Palmer, infuriating Doug Heffernan?

A namesake sandwich for Deacon infuriates Doug, in the same episode in which Holly announces she is moving away with her boyfriend.

Which future professional wrestling star was a friend and teammate of Kevin James in high school?

Mick Foley sat one spot below him on the Ward Melville High School wrestling team and took over the top position when a back injury ended James's season.

Spence Olchin insists he is allergic to which food, a claim Deacon Palmer's son refuses to believe?

Peanuts are the danger, and when the boy he is babysitting decides he is merely scared, Spence takes extreme measures to prove him wrong.

Which stand-up comedian plays Trish, an ex of Doug Heffernan whom Carrie uses for discounts at Saks?

Janeane Garofalo played Trish, whom Carrie quickly tires of but keeps around for the discounts, much as Doug once used her himself.

Which Saturday Night Live star plays Denise, whose wedding Spence Olchin later tries to stop?

Rachel Dratch played Denise, who enters the story when Doug's attempt at a kindly flirt is mistaken for sexual harassment.

The words that made Carrie Heffernan want to marry Doug came from a film starring which TV star?

Erik Estrada said the line first, a horrifying discovery for Carrie, who had treasured Doug's words ever since they were dating.

In which game does Doug Heffernan help Arthur Spooner take on a rival at a seniors' contest?

Shuffleboard pits Arthur against a rival with Doug in his corner, while a sick Carrie milks Holly's home cooking for all it is worth.

To which city do Doug Heffernan and friends drive so Spence Olchin can stop an ex's wedding?

Memphis is the destination for Doug, Deacon, Danny and Spence, while Arthur spends the episode filling in for a senior-center employee.

What does Carrie Heffernan find in Arthur Spooner's room that he had selfishly kept from her?

Her college acceptance letter turns up while Arthur is in hospital for an angioplasty, just as Carrie is doubting whether she still loves her father.

Which kind of birthday party for Deacon Palmer is soured by Doug Heffernan's jealousy?

Paintball becomes a real battle because Carrie has just named Deacon among the men she finds attractive, and Doug cannot let it go.

In which sport does Doug Heffernan drop Carrie from his side to save its sponsorship?

Bowling is only for fun, but the local ale house threatens to stop paying unless the constant losing ends, and Carrie is the weak link.

What is Doug Heffernan trying to catch when he lands in jail at a baseball game with Arthur Spooner?

A foul ball puts Doug behind bars, on an outing meant as an apology after Arthur overhears Doug insulting him.

The actor behind Arthur Spooner of The King of Queens plays Maury Ballstein in which comedy film?

Zoolander was meant to have its director playing Maury, the hero's agent, but with the lead role and the directing to handle he gave the part away.

Which veteran comedian shot a pilot as Arthur Spooner before the role was recast and reshot?

Jack Carter filmed the pilot only because the actor Arthur was written for had turned the part down; he then changed his mind and the scenes were reshot.

Which actress played Kelly Palmer on The King of Queens while also playing Francie Calfo on Alias?

Merrin Dungey was at one point in 2001 appearing on three series at once: The King of Queens, Alias and Malcolm in the Middle.

Which Batman actor agrees to join Spence Olchin at a Fantasy Fest after he has invited another star?

Adam West says yes after Spence has lined up another famous companion, leaving him to choose between the two while Carrie frets over Doug's attractive hairdresser.

Which Parks and Recreation star plays an eye-patched stranger outside the Heffernans' Thanksgiving?

Nick Offerman played the man with the eye patch, whose wait outside the house makes for a tense Thanksgiving dinner with friends.

Which member of the Monkees plays the band leader at a wedding Doug and Carrie Heffernan attend?

Peter Tork led the band at the wedding of a man Carrie once slept with, something Doug learns only just before the ceremony.

Which star of The Love Boat plays Stu, the uncle who asks Doug Heffernan to find his son a job?

Gavin MacLeod played Uncle Stu, father of Danny, and Doug quietly asks his boss to interview his cousin without hiring him.

Spence Olchin, who moved to New York from West Virginia, is said to be of which European heritage?

Albanian is the heritage given to Spence, the angst-ridden science-fiction fan whose character was based largely on the actor who plays him.

Where is Doug Heffernan's cousin Danny working when Arthur Spooner is sent to him for a weekend?

A pizza place is where Danny puts Arthur to work, on a weekend arranged because Doug and Carrie could find nobody else to take him.

Which Beverly Hills Cop actor plays Dr. Crawford, who hires Danny Heffernan as his landscaper?

Judge Reinhold played Carrie's new gynaecologist, and the trouble starts when Danny's landscaping bill comes in higher than his estimate.

Which singer-actress plays the old singer Arthur Spooner trains and then gets engaged to?

Lainie Kazan played the singer, in the episode where Carrie wants to move to Manhattan and Doug insists on staying in Queens.