Kevin Can Wait reshuffle sees Hayes out, Remini in
What kind of a world is one in which Kevin James rules?
The one we’re living in, it turns out.
On Tuesday, at the Television Critics Association press tour, CBS confirmed that it would be disposing of Erinn Hayes’s character on Kevin Can Wait by killing her off — a drastic move, unless the actual actor passes away ( ex. John Ritter in 8 Simple Rules).
“The character will have passed away and we will be moving forward in time catching up at a later date,” CBS programming head Thom Sherman said, via Variety. He then explained why the series creators didn’t opt to have the original character depart due to a divorce or simply move away: “This was the best way to move forward.” Sure.
Earlier this summer, CBS elected not to bring Hayes back for the show’s second season in favour of making room for Leah Remini, who also had a brief guest arc on Kevin Can Wait as an undercover cop, and James’s character’s former partner. It also doesn’t hurt that Remini has been experiencing a second wave of television notoriety thanks to her A& E Scientology documentary series.
While Hayes was let go, Remini was hired as a “series regular,” but is clearly being prepped to take on costar duties, because what is a family sitcom without a wife?
When Kevin Can Wait debuted last year, criticism seemed to focus on the age ( and conventional attractiveness) difference between James and Hayes. James has a history of co-starring — in television or film — alongside a woman vastly more conventionally attractive and, as a result, has become the face of schlubby sitcom dads partnered with hot TV wives.
Take, for example, King of Queens, which ran from 1998 to 2006, and co-starred Remini.
When asked if the new formula for Kevin Can Wait would essentially be a repeat of King of Queens, Sherman said: “No, don’t think so. I think the show speaks for itself and stands for itself. Obviously the chemistry between Kevin and Leah was amazing in the stunt episode we did at the end of last season, and we decided we want to continue that.”
When the news of Hayes’s firing came in June, she tweeted: “True, I’ve been let go from the show. Very sad, I had a great experience season 1. Thank you for all the support from our wonderful fans.”
The show will jump forward by nine or 10 months, while all of the originally cast children are also set to return and say hello to their new mommy when it returns next year.