Earlier this summer, CBS decided not to bring Erinn Hayes back for the second season of “Kevin Can Wait,” and then cast Kevin James’ former TV wife, Leah Remini, in a series regular role. 
 
 On Tuesday at the Television Critics Association press tour, CBS executives revealed that Hayes’ character will be killed off, in order to handle the casting shakeup. 
 
 “The character will have passed away and we will be moving forward in time catching up at a later date,” CBS programming boss Thom Sherman explained of the storyline, speaking at TCA, held in Beverly Hills, Calif. 
 
 When asked by a reporter if “Kevin Can Wait” is “morphing” into ‘King of Queens’ by reuniting James and Remini — who guest starred on the Season 1 finale of “Kevin Can Wait” — Sherman answered, “No, don’t think so. I think the show speaks for itself and stands for itself. Obviously the chemistry between Kevin and Leah was amazing in the stunt episode we did at the end of last season, and we decided we want to continue that.” 
 
 When Remini appeared in the Season 1 finale, she played Vanessa Cellucci, an undercover cop and the former partner of James’ retired cop character. She will reprise that same role as a series regular in Season 2. Remini and James co-starred on “King of Queens” for nine seasons from 1998-2006 on CBS. 
 
 Related Leah Remini Joins 'Kevin Can Wait' Season 2 
 
 In June when news broke that Hayes would not be returning for Season 2 of “Kevin Can Wait,” Hayes said she was “very sad” and confirmed that the departure was not her call, tweeting, “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.” 
 
 At the time, sources told Variety the decision was based on a different creative direction, and was not a reflection of Hayes’ performance. 
 
 At TCA today, when Variety asked CBS president Kelly Kahl if Hayes had any say in the way her character would be written off the show, he replied, “No, I don’t think so.” 
 
 Speaking with a small group of reporters immediately after his panel with Kahl, Sherman also addressed the decision to kill of the Donna character, rather than write her off in a different way, such as divorce or a move in location. “The discussions went on,” Sherman explained. “We talked about other things. Ultimately this what was decided with the producers that this was the best way to move forward.” 
 
 Kahl explained that “Kevin Can Wait” will have a nine or ten month time-jump when the show returns so that the TV family can have some time to cope with the death of their mother and wife. Kahl also confirmed that all of the kids will be back for Season 2. ||||| CLOSE CBS comedy 'Kevin Can Wait' will look considerably different when it returns in the fall for its sophomore season. USA TODAY 
 
 Erinn Hayes and Kevin James in CBS comedy 'Kevin Can Wait.' (Photo: Jeffrey Neira, CBS) 
 
 BEVERLY HILLS — CBS comedy Kevin Can Wait, which fired Erinn Hayes at the end of last season, is killing off her character and will fast-forward nine months or so when it returns Sept. 25. 
 
 Hayes' exited as Donna Gable after filming was completed on the first season. That paved the way for Leah Remini, who paired with Kevin star Kevin James on CBS' long-running The King of Queens, to reunite permanently after she guest-starred in two May episodes. 
 
 MORE: What to expect from your favorite TV shows 
 
 "Obviously, the chemistry between Kevin and Leah was amazing in the stunt episode(s) we did at the end of last season, and we decided we want to continue that," Thom Sherman, senior executive VP at the network, told the Television Critics Association Tuesday. 
 
 Expect more comic moments this fall between 'King of Queens' alum Leah Remini and Kevin James when Remini joins CBS' 'Kevin Can Wait' as a series regular. (Photo: Jeff Neumann, CBS) 
 
 Sherman denied that the reunion signals that Kevin is "morphing" into Queens. But even Remini, making headlines with her A&E Scientology series, is reprising Doug and Carrie Heffernan, the married couple they played on the series that aired from 1998-2007. 
 
 Kevin, a former cop, and Remini, who plays his ex-partner, Vanessa Cellucci, are "literally Doug and Carrie, as cops," Remini told USA TODAY last spring. 
 
 Kevin was last season's most-watched new comedy. 
 
 Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2wiS2Xu
– When the CBS sitcom Kevin Can Wait returns next season it will manage to look very different and yet very familiar at the same time. How so? The network has made the bold decision to kill off co-star Erinn Hayes, who played the wife of Kevin James' character on season one, and give James a new love interest in the form of Leah Remini. Which means that James and Remini will essentially be resurrecting their long-running King of Queens partnership, notes USA Today. “The character will have passed away and we will be moving forward in time catching up at a later date,” CBS programming boss Thom Sherman explained to a gathering of TV critics on Tuesday, per Variety. He pushed back against the notion that the show will become a slightly different version of King of Queens, though Remini herself suggested otherwise previously. The two Kevin Can Wait characters are "literally Doug and Carrie as cops," she said, referring to their former iterations of Doug and Carrie Heffernan.