The DREW Carey Show is finally available on streaming after years of unavailability.
While many fans of the ’90s sitcom were excited by this news, some were left disillusioned by the show’s low points.
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All nine seasons of The Drew Carey Show are available to stream for free on TV Line.
The ABC comedy quietly appeared on the ad-supported streaming service Plex – the first time the ’90s hit was available online.
Earlier this summer, “The Price is Right” host Drew Carey told the outlet, “The show is not syndicated… because of the music rights and stuff.”
“We will try to change that and bring it back to market,” he continued.
The multi-camera sitcom created by Drew and Bruce Helford (Roseanne, George Lopez) premiered on September 13, 1995.
Set in Cleveland, Ohio, the series revolves around the retail office and personal life of everyman Drew Carey, who played a fictionalized version of himself.
The cast included Diedrich Bader and Ryan Stiles as Drew’s best friends Oswald and Lewis, Christa Miller as Drew’s lover Kate, Kathy Kinney as Drew’s colleague Mimi, and former Late Late Show host Craig Ferguson as Drew’s boss Nigel Wick.
A total of 233 episodes were produced over nine seasons; the series finale aired on September 8, 2004.
MIXED BAG
In the comments section of the article, fans commented on the comedy series’ streaming debut.
“It was about time!” commented one excited fan.
A second wrote: “Great! I miss this show! I don’t think you can even buy it on DVD.”
However, one commented: “Like most long-running shows, the last few seasons haven’t been that great.”
“I remember Miller dropped out at some point, and a little Mimi goes a long way. I assume the music rights are for the theme songs? I had no idea it wasn’t going to air.”
It is not in syndication … because of the music rights and so on
Drew Carey
Elsewhere in the thread, another commenter agreed, writing, “ABC botched last season by showing the episodes in the wrong order.”
“As I recall, the show was renewed for three seasons, then ratings dropped sharply in the first season (7) and plummeted completely in season 8. Halfway through season 8, ABC gave up on the show, so Carey and his team became more experimental and quirky in the final season,” they recalled.
The commentator continued: “It was burned down in the summer of 2004, but it was completely out of service, so you couldn’t really follow the trail.”
A third critic claimed: “The last few seasons have been terrible.
“Miller left, the brother kept showing up (at least) and was basically gone, and Mr. Wick left too. As I said, Mimi, who was great in medium to small doses, took on a larger role, and her character just couldn’t handle that load.
“It had nothing to do with the actress or her talent/ability/effort, it was just the character and the script. Sometimes a little is just enough and more is not better. Plus, she was at her best when she was working with Wick and Drew, and when Wick left, it really hurt that dynamic.”
They continued, “Compared to the earlier seasons with Drew Carey, the last few years have been truly awful. Mainly because there was no gradual decline. I mean, The Simpsons isn’t as good today as it was at its peak. But the show is still OK, and the decline from the peak of awesomeness to the current ‘still above average’ level took a VERY long time.”
“The last few years of the show have left a terrible taste in everyone’s mouths,” the commentator concluded.
TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES
As the countdown to the next episodes continues, “The Price is Right” recently revisited one of the show’s most memorable moments.
The long-running CBS series is taking a break before the game show returns next month.
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The show’s official Instagram account shared a clip from a past episode that became famous after host Drew Carey was forced to kick the flip-or-flop machine.
The recap video begins with Drew explaining the rules of the game to a contestant who is about to win.
“You can flip the first two numbers…or you can flip the last two numbers,” Drew told her.
“Or you can flip-flop,” he added. “Flip-flop or flip-flop. Good luck!”
After setting her guess at $9,782, the contestant tried to press the buzzer to find out if her price was correct.
The reveal was ultimately disappointing as Drew and the contestant discovered that the button was broken.
At one point, the comedian, who has hosted “The Price is Right” since 2007, even kicked the machine, which made fans at home burst with laughter.
In response to the Instagram video, one user commented: “Not Drew kicking it! (laughing emoji)”
Another said there was “nothing better than being at a live taping of The Price is Right,” the longest-running game show on American television.
“It looks like the game console almost flopped (laughing emoji),” read a third comment.
A fourth person praised Drew’s “comic timing,” while a fifth fan said he has “gotten so good at hosting the show.”
Finally, Drew was able to press the button and the studio erupted in cheers when it turned out that the contestant had correctly estimated the price of the object.
“At least it worked in the end,” read the caption of the Instagram video.
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