Premiering in 1995 and running for nine seasons, The Drew Carey Show was a staple of ABC’s late-‘90s sitcom lineup. It delivered a quirky, working-class perspective laced with absurdist humor and musical numbers that set it apart from its peers. Starring comedian Drew Carey as an everyman caught in the corporate grind of a Cleveland department store, the show was never a critical darling, but it carved out a loyal fanbase and left behind an unusual legacy in the sitcom canon. Season 1: Establishing a Blue-Collar Charm The show began with a relatively grounded tone, chronicling Drew Carey’s life as an assistant director of personnel at Winfred-Louder, a fictional department store. Surrounded by a cast of lovable misfits—his cross-dressing brother Steve (John Carroll Lynch), best friends Lewis (Ryan Stiles), Oswald (Diedrich Bader), and Kate (Christa Miller)—the first season set the foundation for the show’s offbeat voice. What made the early episodes refreshing was the commitment to por...