Greetings,
I recently posted my Top Ten list of Whose Line is it Anyway? games. Since Drew Carey was the host of that show, I briefly mentioned his sitcom, The Drew Carey Show. I may not have mentioned that it was one of my favorite comedies of all time. I know it was never critically acclaimed. I think some critics had a problem with the fact that the actors weren't exactly Shakespearean trained, but that was what I liked about it. They all just seemed like regular people who you might know in your own life. And it was funny. I'd like to think that would be the most important thing for a comedy show, but call me crazy.
Now I, like most fans, can admit that the show was a bit slow in the beginning, and it began to decline a little in the last couple of years, which seems to be the life cycle of a lot of shows. I think most of us consider the middle five or six seasons to be the best. And though there were later changes, it was within those years that the core and best known characters would lie. Those characters were led by the main man, Drew Allison Carey. Yes, his middle name was Allison. There's some trivia for you. He was joined by his lifelong friends Kate (Christa Miller), Lewis (Ryan Stiles) and Oswald (Diedrich Bader), as well as his generously eyeshadowed nemesis Mimi (Kathy Kinney), his brother Steve (John Carroll Lynch) and his boss at the Winfred-Louder department store, Mr. Wick (Craig Ferguson. Yes, THAT Craig Ferguson).
And so now I will share with you my Top Ten episodes of The Drew Carey Show. It was actually quite difficult for me to narrow this down, since there were a lot of great moments. But I did my best.
#10. "Two Weddings and a Funeral For a Fridge" (Season 3) - In this episode, we suffer a tragic loss. That of Bessie. And if you haven't figured it out by now, Bessie is Drew's refrigerator, a refrigerator that had been with the gang since childhood. Obviously, they're upset, so they all compete in the Winfred-Louder annual employee games to win him a new one. Unless, of course, Mimi gets in their way. Think that might happen?
#9. "Drew's Brother" (Season 3) - After losing his job and going through a break up, Drew's brother, Steve, suddenly shows up at his door asking for help. You can see that Drew and Steve love each other but also that there is a history of comical sibling abuse. Of course, I say 'comical', because I am an older sibling. So Steve is your typical older brother. Or is he? Well, surprise for us and Drew, it turns out that Steve is a cross dresser. Funny enough. Now I know some men may easily pass themselves off as a woman if dressed in drag, but the wonderful and underrated actor, John Carroll Lynch, who played Steve, is not exactly one of them. Yes, sir, it is a compliment that I find you more attractive as a man. Ironically, this is the same episode where, due to an allergic reaction, Mimi is forced to go two weeks without make up. Oh, the horror.
#8. "The Curse of the Mummy" (Season 7) - Here we have a guest appearance by Richard Chamberlain . . . as Mr. Wick's mother. I only have three things to say about this. Number One: Dear Richard Chamberlain, how did we not know? Number Two: What is it with this show and cross dressers? Number Three: A year. ONE WHOLE ENTIRE YEAR before I could watch The Thornbirds again! Thanks a bunch, one and all!
#7. "It's Halloween, Dummy" (Season 7) - In a nice change from Drew's past experiences, Winfred-Louder gets a new owner who loves him. Who is that owner? Why, it's Mr. Newsome played by Henry Winkler! Oh, classic! He plans to move Drew up in the company, but, alas, (spoiler!) he dies. He is literally scared to death by a fake spider while he is dressed like a turtle. It is the second funniest thing in this episode. The first would be Oswald's "mushroom" costume. If you can't figure it out, look it up online.
#6. "Batmobile" (Season 3) - Believe it or not, Drew won the actual Batmobile in this episode. Needless to say, everyone is quite excited, but none more than Lewis and Oswald who go so far as to take the car without permission while they are dressed in some very specific outfits. Yes, it is exactly what you think. And do not think Nolan Batman.
#5. "Hush, Little Baby" (Season 6) - This is the first episode after Mimi gives birth to her and Steve's son (yes, she married Drew's brother. More on that later). She is plagued by the fact that he will not stop crying . . . unless he is held by Drew. To make matters worse, Steve gets sick and has to move to Drew's house, and then makes Drew stay with Mimi and the baby. Nobody is happy about that, except for us, of course.
#4. "See Drew Run" (Season 2) - Due to Winfred-Louder's refusal to build a skywalk, the employees are forced to cross the street at a dangerous intersection. Now it wouldn't be a comedy if a few people didn't get hit by cars. No disappointment on that one. So, in protest, Drew opts to go on a hunger strike until they build the skywalk. Things begin a little slowly on that, to say the least, but the gang comes up with a hilarious and somewhat creepy looking way to get what they need. Oh, Drew, you and your big head.
#3. "Steve and Mimi Get Married" (Season 5) - Okay, a little back story. Soon after arriving, Steve begins a romance with Mimi, much to Drew's chagrin. No kidding. They date for a while, but it all culminates with this wedding episode. A lot happens here. Steve is mad at Drew for his attitude toward Mimi and wants it to stop, which is the basic plot of this one. But we also get some special appearances, like Joe Walsh in his recurring and extremely funny role of Ed, and Tammy Faye as Mimi's mother. I wonder how she got that part. Hands down though, I'd say the best part of this episode is Mimi's dress. I've seen a plethora of TV wedding dresses in my lifetime, but none better than this. None!
#2. "Drew Blows His Promotion" (Season 2) - Drew is offered a promotion if he remakes the store's safety videos, which he does. This coincides with his birthday, a day where his friends attack him with pranks. Lewis and Oswald criticize Kate for not pulling any good pranks, so she takes a copy of Drew's newly made video and adds amusing sounds. And what might they be? Well, let's just say that the sound editor's whoopee cushion was working overtime. It was meant to be shown at his party, but the tapes were switched and Drew got embarrassed in front of his bosses. At least, he entertained them. And us. No lie, the first time I saw this, I went into that 'I can't stop laughing, but I wish I could because it's replacing my breathing at the moment' type of laughter. Good times.
#1. "The Gang Stops Drinking" (Season 5) - After eating a meal that Kate prepares, the gang becomes very sick. They think it was her cooking, but it turns out that Mimi dosed their dessert with a drug that makes you vomit if you drink alcohol. Oh, did I mention they all drink a lot? So they must spend St. Patrick's Day sober. Tragic. But since the actress who played Kate looked a tad pregnant at the time, perhaps no beer was a good idea. Still, seeing them sit around the table at their favorite bar drinking not beer was a moment to remember, because I'm pretty sure it never happened again. Also, 'the night the toilet cried' is a phrase now in my vernacular. Thank you, Drew.
So there you have it. I tried my best to recall these episodes since I have not seen them in years. Yeah, this show is nowhere to be found anymore. Why, oh why can't they put it on DVD? It would make me so happy. Come on, Drew. Use some of that mojo that Bob Barker left lingering to make it happen.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
