By Frank Lovece / Newsday
AMC is developing scripts for a possible series about the sitcom trope of the beautiful wife married to a goofy, less attractive husband, under the working title “Kevin Can (Expletive) Himself” — a direct reference to the Kevin James comedy “Kevin Can Wait,” which was filmed and set on Long Island.
Announcing the formation of writers’ rooms for this and an additional, unrelated series, the cable network said the show would examine “the secret life of a woman we all grew up watching,” the sitcom wife married to a man “who gets to be a jerk because she’s a nag and he’s ‘funny.’”
The potential series was created by “SEAL Team” staff writer Valerie Armstrong and would be produced under actors Rashida Jones’ and Will McCormack’s company Le Train Train (TNT’s “Claws”).
Erinn Hayes — who played such a beleaguered spouse on “Kevin Can Wait” before her character was written out of the series after season one — responded to the news on Twitter, writing, “omg,” followed by three laughing-until-I’m-crying emoji.
“This is such a weird little pilot,” Armstrong tweeted. “Thank you @iamrashidajones, Will, and @AMC — TV for thinking it might ever be a weird little show.”
Representatives for Hayes and the Mineola-born, Stony Brook-raised James did not respond to Newsday requests for comment. James has not commented on social media.
CBS’ “Kevin Can Wait” starred James as retired police officer Kevin Gable, married to Hayes’ character, Donna. After Leah Remini, James’ former co-star on “The King of Queens,” guest-starred on the season-one finale, the producers hired her as a series regular and dropped Hayes, explaining Donna had died. The change did not improve ratings and the series was canceled this year after two seasons.
When news of her departure broke in June 2017, Hayes had tweeted, “True, I’ve been let go from the show. Very sad, I had a great experience season 1. Thank you for all the support from our wonderful fans.” The following month she became the female lead of the Amazon comedy series “The Dangerous Book for Boys,” and later was cast in the independent feature “Holly Slept Over,” among other work.
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