Here's how Kevin Can Wait explained the demise of Donna Gable - and why it spelled doom for the CBS sitcom itself. Kevin James became a star thanks to his sitcom The King Of Queens, where he played main character Doug Heffernan. While the show attracted mostly lukewarm reviews it was a solid hit with audiences, mostly thanks to the chemistry of the cast, which included Leah Remini, Jerry Stiller, and Patton Oswalt.
The King Of Queens came to an end in 2007, which allowed Kevin James to focus on his film career, including comedies like Paul Blart: Mall Cop and Grown Ups. He returned to TV in 2016 with the sitcom Kevin Can Wait. This time he played Kevin Gable, an ex-cop looking forward to retirement with his wife Donna and their children. He soon has to return to work due to his small pension and finds spending time with his family and their various issues not nearly as relaxing as he envisioned.
The dynamic of Kevin Can Wait would have been pretty familiar to fans of James' previous show, but following the end of season 1, it was announced Erinn Hayes (Bill & Ted Face the Music) wouldn't be returning as Donna for season 2. Instead, Leah Remini, who played James' wife Carrie on The King Of Queens, was promoted from guest star to the new female lead. Kevin Can Wait's season 2 premiere only has a couple of references to Donna's death, mentioning she died a year before but not offering any details on how.
Kevin James later explained Donna's death was a creative choice since they felt like they were running out of ideas for her character. He also cited the fact the original premise found Kevin as a single parent. The move didn't sit well with fans of Kevin Can Wait or critics, though, and many felt the coldness of her demise was a mark against the show. It also appeared to be a blatant ploy to reunite James and Remini, making the show an unofficial King Of Queens sequel
The gamble didn't pay off and ratings for Kevin Can Wait season 2 continued to drop until it was canceled in 2018. Donna's death also became a dominant conversation around the show and the ensuing controversy around it never diminished. It was announced in late 2018 that Rashida Jones (Parks And Rec) was developing a comedy with the working title Kevin Can F--- Himself, which explores the sitcom trope of the slobby, funny husband married to an attractive, nagging wife. This show will take place from the perspective of the wife, and from the title alone is clearly taking aim at the Kevin Can Wait situation.