King of Queens

The series King of Queens has long been over, but the nostalgic factor is huge. It's a show about normal people in a normal world, and there's something calming and refreshing about that. It's also about a couple young in their lifecycle together pre-kids and early marriage, and in some regards, I'd consider it a 'coming of age' story for learning how to be an adult.

I had someone remark to me recently that they felt stuck in the paradox of choice and longed for the days when cable TV was more prominent so they could come home and turn to a channel, leaving the “what to watch” question up to network producers. While I generally agree that the democratization of media and entertainment brought through streaming is better, it’s hard to argue that we’re better off as consumers. Today, trying to consume all that’s available on streaming feels like trying to take a sip from a firehose. Another important element factors in: The increasingly large stakes to the entertainment we consume. It seems as if every new show has to have some fundamentally important message or complicated storyline for us to feel like it’s worth watching. If we’re not hooked on the addictive feeling of, “I have to find out what happens next episode right this instance!” it feels like our time is being wasted. That’s why I turned to King of Queens this year. No, it’s not flashy. It’s been off the air for years. The storyline will not blow you away. The dialogue is so corny I embarrassingly make sure it’s quiet enough that my neighbors can’t hear me watching it. But it is relatable, normal, low-stakes, and a fine show to unwind and veg out to. Sometimes, we need that.

Peace. There’s a great deal of comfort and coziness to the show. I found myself warmed by the relatability and normalcy of the situations the characters on the show would get into in each episode.