The series was created by Michael J. Weithorn and David Litt, who also served as the show's executive producer, and stars Kevin James and Leah Remini as Doug and Carrie Heffernan, a working-class couple living in Rego Park, Queens.

Most scenes take place in the Heffernans' home, but other common locations include Doug and Carrie's workplaces, the restaurant/pub "Coopers", and the residences of friends and family.

During its run, it brought in solid ratings (usually ranking in the Top 40, and peaking at #19 in its fourth season) for the most part and was a Monday night staple, competing with shows such as the long-running drama 7th Heaven.

[11] The King of Queens was partly inspired by the classic television sitcom The Honeymooners, the characters of Doug and Carrie being loosely based on the Kramden couple, with some similar mannerisms and deadpan expressions.

Starting with the entire 2nd season, the show added a new theme song called "Baby All My Life I Will Be Driving Home to You", which was written by series writers Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa, composed by Jonathan Wolff and Scott Clausen, and performed by Billy Vera and the Beaters.

It then cuts to scenes of Doug, Carrie, and Arthur spending time around Queens, including local landmarks such as the Unisphere and Flushing Meadows–Corona Park.

In the season 2 sequence, James' starring credit was placed over a shot of the Brooklyn Bridge with the Manhattan skyline, but was edited after the September 11 attacks that felled the World Trade Center.

The website's consensus reads: "Strong chemistry among its charming leads can't help The King of Queens rise above its toothless humor and dated sitcom set-ups.

"[21] However, Clint Morris of FilmThreat lauded the series, praising James as "one of the funniest guys to grace the TV tube since Bill Cosby.

"[22] By the ninth and final season, the show received largely positive critical reviews with an 85% "fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The website's consensus reads: "The King of Queens would never reign as a critical darling, but the series bowed out with dignity as an unassuming and undemanding sitcom worth having a beer with.

The reunion was held to benefit Henry Street Settlement, a New York City social services, health care, and arts organization where Stiller got his start in theater.