The Good
Yet another solid season of one of the most consistently good TV shows currently on TV!
The Bad
No Extra Features.
The King of Queens: The Complete Eighth Season could be forgiven for showing some age, especially considering how solid the other seasons of this show have been. Well, amazingly this show seems to be getting better. Where else can you find a couple like Carrie (Leah Remini) and Doug (Kevin James) who could pull off having a stripper pole placed in their bedroom? ("Pole Lox" episode). The "Shear Torture" episode shows what can happen when Doug begins getting more haircuts then Carrie thinks she should. In "Fresh Brood" we see a hilarious look at what kind of parents of Doug and Carrie could be. Lastly, the final episode in the set, "Acting Out," deals with a sensitive issue when Doug and Carrie want to put Arthur (Jerry Stiller) in a retirement home. Now before you start getting upset at them, he did start a fire in the basement!
What makes this show so good after all these years is the chemistry between all the characters, and how this show isn't afraid to tackle taboo, off color subject matter. Mixing the surreal with the everyday, The King of Queens manages to capture life in very real way. It shows us humanity while also accentuating the comedy that is needed to get by in life.
And this doesn't even mention the guest stars like Kirstie Alley, Ray Romano and Huey Lewis!
Features
No Extra Features.
Video
1.78:1 - Anamorphic Widescreen. Having never seen a sitcom in the widescreen format on DVD before, I actually had to check the system specs on the back cover of this box to make sure everything was where it needed to be. I usually have complimentary things to say about how Sony brings these shows to DVD, but there is something about the widescreen format that really helps these shows stand out. The colors seemed so much more concentrated and so well composed (and I thought the Full Screen versions looked great!). Once again, a technology leader sets the bar high in all viewing areas.
Audio
Dolby Digital. Mastered in High Definition. English Stereo. The audio was also top notch. Since this is a sitcom it's really hard to talk about the audio being that great, as they don't really do anything to utilize it in that way. However, with the widescreen look and the sound mastered so well, I could see some people with next generation players inquiring about this show being available on HD-DVD and Blu-ray. Overall, the audio is as crisp as it can be for this kind of release.
Package
Kevin James, Leah Remini and Jerry Stiller are all present and accounted for on this animated front cover. The back features another shot of our fearless cast (I always wonder if they took new promo shots for this or if the design people utilized old pictures?), three shots from the show, a tiny description of what this season is about and system specs. The three discs that make up this set are stored in one piece of artwork which features our cast in different outfits and in different locations. All of the episodes are listed out on a separate three fold, which says what episodes go on what discs and they even offer a cast list for each show.
Final Word
Does this show have to go off the air?
I understand that all good things must come to an end and that the purpose of DVD is to allow us to have these moments forever, but The King of Queens: The Complete Eighth Season really made me realize just how special this show is. While I always thought the writing and acting were good, there seems to be something special about it here. I didn't feel that the husband and wife jokes, situations or fights were at all pedestrian. I never felt like I was watching something being rehashed, even though at it's core Doug and Carrie are pretty much ensconced in the same argument. Yet, that is was what makes this show work, they are such good actors that their problems don't ever feel familiar, just fun.
If you own no other seasons of this great show (or if you have been collecting them) The King of Queens: The Complete Eighth Season is certainly one to own.
The King of Queens was released .