"Kevin Can Wait" Canceled at CBS after 2 Seasons
by Nellie Andreeva
May 12, 2018


CBS has opted not to pick up a third season of its Kevin James comedy series "Kevin Can Wait".

This is one of the biggest casualties at CBS this season. The network had set out to shake things up on Monday, where its ratings fortunes had fallen. It has now canceled "Kevin Can Wait", "Superior Donuts" and "Scorpion" and only has renewed "Man with a Plan".





Fueled by the popularity of its star Kevin James and boosted by "The Big Bang Theory" as a lead, "Kevin Can Wait" got off to a blazing start in fall 2016 and went on to become a sturdy Monday 8 PM anchor. The series ranked as the most watched and highest rated new comedy last season. But there was some ratings decline over the course of the season.

Additionally, midway through Season 1, the series parted ways with co-creator and showrunner Bruce Helford, who now steers ABC’s "Roseanne" revival.





And after the end of last season, the show made a controversial casting change, letting go of original female lead Erinn Hayes, whose character was killed off, and bringing in James’ "The Kings of Queens" co-star Leah Remini.

The move had been acknowledged as a mistake. Viewers did not take it well, and ratings for "Kevin Can Wait" posted steep declines in Season 2, sending the series from the top of the heap to the bubble list.

"Kevin Can Wait" still has been doing a decent job opening the night and ranks as CBS’ top Monday program this season though its numbers have been declining.

http://deadline.com/2018/05/kevin-can-wait-canceled-2-seasons-1202383262/

CBS cancels Kevin Can Wait after ratings decline following TV wife's death (http://deadline.com/2018/05/kevin-can-wait-canceled-2-seasons-1202383262/)

Canceled after two seasons (http://forums.previously.tv/topic/47971-all-episodes-talk-the-king-of-queens-with-kids/?page=11), Kevin Can Wait "is one of the biggest casualties at CBS this season," says Deadline's Nellie Andreeva, pointing to its "blazing" Season 1 start. Ratings, though, declined over the course of Season 1, prompting Kevin Can Wait to kill off Kevin James' wife character Donna, played by Erinn Hayes. But that controversial decision, which included bringing in James' King of Queens co-star Leah Remini, backfired. "The move had been acknowledged as a mistake," says Andreeva. "Viewers did not take it well, and ratings for Kevin Can Wait posted steep declines in Season 2, sending the series from the top of the heap to the bubble list." Kevin Can Wait also parted ways with co-creator and showrunner Bruce Helford during its first season, and he now is in charge of the hit Roseanne revival. Last week, Verne Gay explained Kevin Can Wait's struggles in the wake of Donna's death: "A weird black hole has existed at the center of Kevin this season (https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/kevin-can-wait-review-1.18386544) because it's finally occurred to fans, viewers, really anyone, that Kevin hasn't a clue what happened to Donna and couldn't care less, either. Successful sitcoms float on a cloud of fake goodwill and bonhomie, even the most seditious of them (Seinfeld). By bumping off Donna, Kevin couldn't even fake that." ALSO: CBS has also canceled Mark Feuerstein's 9JKL. (http://tvline.com/2018/05/12/9jkl-cancelled-season-2-cbs-comedy/)

Not surprised at all

Season 2 was OK. I liked that Sarah got a bit more screen time and Kendra and Chale were great, but the loss of Donna seemed really unnecessary. Why couldn't he work with Vanessa and have Donna still around?

I was expecting the show to return next season, so I am surprised. I really like a lot of the supporting actors on this show, along with Kevin and Leah.

Kevin Can Wait co-stars Kevin James and Leah Remini thank fans following cancelation (http://deadline.com/2018/05/kevin-james-leah-remini-react-kevin-can-wait-cancellation-1202389578/)
“I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything in the world… Okay, maybe a season 3 (https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/8izk8y/kevin_can_wait_canceled_by_cbs_after_2_seasons/). Love to all," James joked on Instagram. James' former co-star Erinn Hayes hasn't formally responded to the news, but she did "like" a tweet (https://imgur.com/a/9UyJYbG) about the cancelation.

CBS Brass on Decision to Cancel Kevin James Comedy "Kevin Can Wait"
by Nellie Andreeva
May 16, 2018


Probably the biggest casualty at CBS this season was the Kevin James comedy "Kevin Can Wait", canceled after two seasons as the network’s Monday 8 PM anchor.

Fueled by the popularity of its star and boosted by "The Big Bang Theory" as a lead, "Kevin Can Wait" got off to a blazing start in fall 2016. The series ranked as the most watched and highest rated new comedy last season. But it suffered some ratings decline over the course of the season.

And after its end, the show made a controversial casting change, killing off lead Erinn Hayes’s character and bringing in James’ "The Kings of Queens" co-star Leah Remini. The move had been acknowledged as a mistake. Viewers did not take it well, and ratings for "Kevin Can Wait" posted steep declines in Season 2, sending the series from the top of the heap to the bubble list.




“The numbers,” CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl said when asked by Deadline about the rationale behind "Kevin Can Wait’s" cancellation.

“It was a strong show for us, it’s had a lot of decline this year, it was heading in the wrong direction. The numbers were going down as the year went on and looking forward, it didn’t look like a show that was going to be strong enough to anchor a night for us going forward.”




As for the controversial casting changes after Season 1, “the show made a choice at the beginning of this year, we agreed to go along with it, and unfortunately the audience did not respond to it,” CBS EVP Thom Sherman said.

http://deadline.com/2018/05/kevin-can-wait-canceled-cbs-executives-reaction-reasons-kevin-james-1202391972/

As for the controversial casting changes after Season 1, “the show made a choice at the beginning of this year, we agreed to go along with it, and unfortunately the audience did not respond to it,” CBS EVP Thom Sherman said.

http://deadline.com/2018/05/kevin-can-wait-canceled-cbs-executives-reaction-reasons-kevin-james-1202391972/

Sweet, sweet justice for Erinn.

‘Kevin Can Wait’: CBS Admits That Viewers Were Not Happy With Erinn Hayes' Character's Death (http://www.indiewire.com/2018/05/kevin-can-wait-erinn-hayes-death-kevin-james-cbs-1201965247/)

I'll miss the show. I didn't have a problem with Leah because it reminded of The King of Queens which I liked. They could have kept Kevin married and just added Leah to the mix. That might have kept more viewers invested in watching the show.

Canceled TV show fun facts: 51% of this season's new shows weren't renewed for a second season (http://tvline.com/gallery/cancelled-shows-fun-facts-2018/#!11/reverie-season-pilot/)
The 51% figure is better than last year, when 54% of new shows didn't survive, according to TV Line, which also notes that Kevin Can Wait (http://forums.previously.tv/topic/47971-all-episodes-talk-the-king-of-queens-with-kids/?page=11) was the highest-rated cancelation this season. Also notable: three shows from last year's upfronts have yet to premiere: Sarah Shahi's Reverie, Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman's Making It and Chris Hardwick's The Awesome Show, which doesn't have a premiere date.

Maybe another network will bring them all back.

I'll miss the show. I didn't have a problem with Leah because it reminded of The King of Queens which I liked. They could have kept Kevin married and just added Leah to the mix. That might have kept more viewers invested in watching the show.

This show was widely perceived as a stealth King of Queens reboot even though Leah Remini’s character wasn’t his wife. Kevin Can Wait was made by Kevin James own production company (ergo, he keeps a bigger piece of the profits), whereas King of Queens is owned by the CBS. I would assume that's the reason behind making a 'new' show, instead of a reboot of a show Kevin James doesn't own.

Kevin James also set himself up as the lead writer for more money. But he isn't really a writer so he didn't "plan out" the show in broad strokes where there is a goal or episode note they can work towards. He has said in interviews that they were struggling on storylines after season one. James needed to learn he is not a lead writer and should have just stuck with creative input to keep the tone of the show he wanted.

This show was widely perceived as a stealth King of Queens reboot even though Leah Remini’s character wasn’t his wife. Kevin Can Wait was made by Kevin James own production company (ergo, he keeps a bigger piece of the profits), whereas King of Queens is owned by the CBS. I would assume that's the reason behind making a 'new' show, instead of a reboot of a show Kevin James doesn't own.

Kevin James also set himself up as the lead writer for more money. But he isn't really a writer so he didn't "plan out" the show in broad strokes where there is a goal or episode note they can work towards. He has said in interviews that they were struggling on storylines after season one. James needed to learn he is not a lead writer and should have just stuck with creative input to keep the tone of the show he wanted.

Didn't know he owned the production company and was the lead writer. He should have hired some talented writers and maybe the show could have lasted another season or two.

I'll miss the show. I didn't have a problem with Leah because it reminded of The King of Queens which I liked. They could have kept Kevin married and just added Leah to the mix. That might have kept more viewers invested in watching the show.

I personally think he wanted to bring Leah on for ratings and used that as an excuse. The wife's death came out of no-where in the off-season and was only addressed in a badly timed joke in the Season 2 premiere. To say they didn't handle it well is an understatement. For what it's worth, James said the original idea was that he was going to be a single father but then they added in the wife.

Regardless, they ended up alienating whatever small audience they had. And, given how many shows are competing for air time, it’s hard to justify giving KCW (http://www.looper.com/123452/real-reason-kevin-can-wait-canceled/) this slot with flagging support, especially when Kevin James himself admitted that he was running out of ideas.

"Kevin Can Wait" Canceled at CBS after 2 Seasons
by Nellie Andreeva
May 12, 2018


CBS has opted not to pick up a third season of its Kevin James comedy series "Kevin Can Wait".

This is one of the biggest casualties at CBS this season. The network had set out to shake things up on Monday, where its ratings fortunes had fallen. It has now canceled "Kevin Can Wait", "Superior Donuts" and "Scorpion" and only has renewed "Man with a Plan".





Fueled by the popularity of its star Kevin James and boosted by "The Big Bang Theory" as a lead, "Kevin Can Wait" got off to a blazing start in fall 2016 and went on to become a sturdy Monday 8 PM anchor. The series ranked as the most watched and highest rated new comedy last season. But there was some ratings decline over the course of the season.

Additionally, midway through Season 1, the series parted ways with co-creator and showrunner Bruce Helford, who now steers ABC’s "Roseanne" revival.





And after the end of last season, the show made a controversial casting change, letting go of original female lead Erinn Hayes, whose character was killed off, and bringing in James’ "The Kings of Queens" co-star Leah Remini.

The move had been acknowledged as a mistake. Viewers did not take it well, and ratings for "Kevin Can Wait" posted steep declines in Season 2, sending the series from the top of the heap to the bubble list.

"Kevin Can Wait" still has been doing a decent job opening the night and ranks as CBS’ top Monday program this season though its numbers have been declining.

http://deadline.com/2018/05/kevin-can-wait-canceled-2-seasons-1202383262/

Good I never liked it anyway.

CBS Brass on Decision to Cancel Kevin James Comedy "Kevin Can Wait"
by Nellie Andreeva
May 16, 2018


Probably the biggest casualty at CBS this season was the Kevin James comedy "Kevin Can Wait", canceled after two seasons as the network’s Monday 8 PM anchor.

Fueled by the popularity of its star and boosted by "The Big Bang Theory" as a lead, "Kevin Can Wait" got off to a blazing start in fall 2016. The series ranked as the most watched and highest rated new comedy last season. But it suffered some ratings decline over the course of the season.

And after its end, the show made a controversial casting change, killing off lead Erinn Hayes’s character and bringing in James’ "The Kings of Queens" co-star Leah Remini. The move had been acknowledged as a mistake. Viewers did not take it well, and ratings for "Kevin Can Wait" posted steep declines in Season 2, sending the series from the top of the heap to the bubble list.




“The numbers,” CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl said when asked by Deadline about the rationale behind "Kevin Can Wait’s" cancellation.

“It was a strong show for us, it’s had a lot of decline this year, it was heading in the wrong direction. The numbers were going down as the year went on and looking forward, it didn’t look like a show that was going to be strong enough to anchor a night for us going forward.”




As for the controversial casting changes after Season 1, “the show made a choice at the beginning of this year, we agreed to go along with it, and unfortunately the audience did not respond to it,” CBS EVP Thom Sherman said.

http://deadline.com/2018/05/kevin-can-wait-canceled-cbs-executives-reaction-reasons-kevin-james-1202391972/

The audience did "respond" to it idiot. They stopped watching! LOL.

http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2018/11/kevin-can-f-himself.html

Some background. KEVIN CAN WAIT premiered two years ago and was an instant hit. It was the most successful new comedy of the season. It received a full-season order for the second season months before season one was even over. And CBS initially so wanted Kevin James that they agreed to build a soundstage for him in Long Island so he could do the show practically from home. To say he was the 800 pound gorilla was an understatement. Of course, you build the guy a studio what do you expect when he flexes his creative muscles?

From day one James ran the show. The original creator/show runner quit halfway through season one. James was notorious for rewriting every script.

One of his problems was the chemistry between him and his TV wife, Erinn Hayes. Admittedly, Hayes is not a gifted comedienne. She’s more of a dramatic actress. Anyway, the decision was made to drop her at the end of season one and replace her with Leah Remini. Remini and James were together on KING OF QUEENS. And Remini is much more facile when it comes to comedy. So there definitely were reasons for making the switch. It was a decision approved by CBS and the studio producing the show. Casting changes are not uncommon. We were forced by CBS to let Kevin Kilner go from ALMOST PERFECT (a stupid decision that ultimately killed the show – thanks, CBS).

But in this case, the real problem was how KEVIN CAN WAIT handled it. They decided to kill off the character. That’s pretty severe. They couldn’t say she had to care for her sick mother in California and keep the door open for guest appearances to keep her in the series? Erinn Hayes had fans and the general consensus was that killing her off was excessive and needlessly hostile.

And then in season two her death was completely swept under the rug. There were a few mentions in passing (mostly as jokes). So it was handled in a very callous manner. I don’t have to tell you who made those creative decisions. James dug in his heels and guided the show in season two, deaf to any network, studio, or staff concerns. The result: the ratings went down and CBS cancelled the show after season two.

It takes some doing to go from most successful new comedy to cancellation in one year. (Although Roseanne managed the same feat in the length of time it took to write and post one tweet.)

Wow. It's all coming together.

Was KJ ultimately responsible for the failure of “KCW”?

According to Ken Levine, above, Kevin James was.

How Kevin Can Wait Explained Donna's Death (& Why It Killed The Show) (https://screenrant.com/kevin-can-wait-wife-donna-death-cancellation-explained/)

I don't think so. The show was el-stinko way before that.