Fans have not been happy since Kevin Can Wait announced that it would be killing off one of its main characters, Donna (Erinn Hayes), and inserting Vanessa (Leah Remini) into the lives of Kevin and his kids.
Kevin James, who produces and stars in the series, has stayed fairly quiet about the entire incident since last season’s finale, but he finally broke his silence over the weekend. During an interview with New York Daily News, James said that the creative team behind the show felt that there was no other direction in the future.
Videos by PopCulture.com
“I get that people are like ‘Woah, why would you do this?’ ” James acknowledged. “But it really felt like a thing like this was needed for this show to drive forward.”
More: Are Kevin and Donna Going to Get Together in Season 2?
When the Season 2 premiere rolled around, Donna’s death was just mentioned in passing by Kevin, and it wasn’t brought up again. James went on to reveal that Donna’s inclusion didn’t give the show enough to work with, and that they needed more in order to survive past Season 2.
“The plot of the show didn’t have enough drive,” James said. “If we got through a second season, I wouldn’t see us getting through a third one. We were literally just running out of ideas.”
James’ explanation as to why the series wrote Donna off does make some sense, but it doesn’t explain why her death wasn’t addressed aside from a joke or two in the premiere.
Up Next: Kevin Can Wait Ratings Dropping Following Donna’s Death
Kevin Can Wait airs on Monday nights at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.
Most Viewed
-
(Photo by Ben Curtis – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images) -
US singer Miley Cyrus attends the 97th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 2, 2025. (Photo by Angeka Weiss/AFP via Getty Images) -
Antique TV set with color bars, on black background. 3D rendering -
NEW YORK CITY – DECEMBER 19: "Toil and Trouble" – Elsbeth is thrown into the world of television after the showrunner of a long-running police procedural is brutally murdered in his office, and although it appears to be the act of a disgruntled fan, she begins to suspect the show's longtime star Regina Coburn (Laurie Metcalf) who yearns for artistic fulfillment. Meanwhile, Judge Crawford (Michael Emerson) continues to be a thorn in Elsbeth's side, on the CBS original series ELSBETH, Thursday, Dec. 19 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs). Pictured (L-R): Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni and Carra Patterson as Kaya Blanke. (Photo by Michael Parmelee/CBS via Getty Images)
