History Trivia / TheDrewCareyShow

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Only the first season is available on DVD, and it's likely to stay that way for the forseeable future. Copyright issues over music have prevented further seasons from being released, as Drew Carey is insistent on the DVD release being identical to the broadcast. For a while, reruns on Laff TV was the only legal way to watch the show, but the channel pulled thw show off their schedule sometime in Fall 2019.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Only the first season is available on DVD, and it's likely to stay that way for the forseeable future. Copyright issues over music have prevented further seasons from being released, as Drew Carey is insistent on the DVD release being identical to the broadcast.

* RetroactiveRecognition: A pre-Series/{{NCIS}} Creator/PauleyPerrette as Drew's girlfriend Darcy for the three episodes where he was in a band.

** Diedrich Bader has gone onto a prolific voice-acting career, particularly for Series/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold
** Christa Miller would join her husband Bill Lawrence on Series/Scrubs over at NBC.
** Ryan Stiles would join Drew for the American version of WhoseLineIsItAnyway and come back for the revival hosted by Aisha Tyler.
** And of course, Craig Ferguson would succeed Craig Kilborn as host of TheLateLateShow before returning to his successful stand-up career.

* CastingGag: [[Series/HappyDays Marion Ross played Drew's mom. Tom Bosley played Mimi's dad.]] When [[Series/ThePartridgeFamily Shirley Jones]] played an older love-interest of Drew, they ''had'' to bring his mom in for them to meet. And Danny Bonaduce played her adult son.

** Greg Proops appeared as himself in all the "Drew Live" episodes (along with several other ''[[WhoseLineIsItAnyway Whose Line?]]'' cast members). But, then he bizarrely turns up in an episode a few seasons later playing a Winfred-Louder employee.

* RetroactiveRecognition: A pre-Series/{{NCIS}} Pauley Perrette as Drew's girlfriend Darcy for the three episodes where he was in a band.

* ActorAllusion: Craig Ferguson really is a recovering alcoholic and briefly had a cocaine problem. Fortunately though he had no problem mining this for laughs playing Mr. Wick.

** RetroactiveRecognition: A pre-Series/{{NCIS}} Pauley Perrette as Drew's girlfriend for three episodes.

** Greg Proops appeared as himself in all the "Drew Live" episodes (along with several other ''[[WhoseLineIsItAnyway Whose Line?]]'' cast members). But, then he bizarrely turns up in an episode a few seasons later playing a Winfred-Louder employee.

** StephenFry and Hugh Laurie were both offered the role of Mr. Wick initially.

** Greg Proops appeared as himself in all the "Drew Live" episodes (along with several other ''[[WhoseLineIsItAnyway Whose Line?]]'' cast members. But, then he bizarrely turns up in an episode a few seasons later playing a Winfred-Louder employee.

* YouLookFamiliar: Robert Torti had a recurring role in season 1 as Kate's boyfriend Jay, who broke up with her and left the show early in season 2. Torti returned a few seasons later in "What's Wrong With This Episode? IV" as Nick, who also is dating Kate.

* ExecutiveMeddling: The only reason why Steve (Creator/JohnCarrollLynch) stopped dressing in drag halfway in the show. ABC executives told the producers to make Lynch dress masculine due to "negative audience feedback."

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Only the first season is available on DVD, and it's likely to stay that way for the forseeable future. Copyright issues over music have prevented further seasons from being released, as Drew Carey is insistent on the DVD release being identical to the broadcast. Another issue is the fact that Drew Carey no longer has a good relationship with ABC after the handling of the show's final season and the way the network unceremoniously pushed him out after he spent a decade doing everything they asked of him.

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: The show was a ratings hit so ABC gave it a two season renewal after the seventh season. Then ratings started to fall during the eighth but ABC found themselves contractually obligated to produce and pay for two full seasons of a show they didn't want. The network, realizing that the contract didn't obligate them to broadcast the show at a decent time, got back at the show by putting it in strange time slots and burning off the final season during the summer of 2004.

** They really wanted Christa Miller to come back for the series finale. The proposed idea was that Kate would appear in a dream sequence, and would speak to Drew convincing him that marrying Kellie is the right thing to do and that they really are meant for each other. ABC execs refused to allow a guest appearance because they felt it would be like free advertising for ''Scrubs'', which was airing on NBC, a rival network (which is ironic given that ABC would air ''Scrubs'' years later anyway).

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Only the first season is available on DVD. Copyright issues over music have prevented further seasons from being released, as Drew Carey is insistent on the DVD release being identical to the broadcast. Another issue is the fact that Drew Carey no longer has a good relationship with ABC after the handling of the show's final season and the way the network unceremoniously pushed him out after he spent a decade doing everything they asked of him.
* ScrewedByTheNetwork: The show was a ratings hit so ABC gave it a two season renewal after the seventh season. Then ratings started to fall during the eighth but ABC found themselves contractually obligated to produce and pay for two full seasons of a show they didn't want. The network, realizing that the contract didn't obligate them to broadcast the show at a decent time, got back at the show by putting it in strange time slots and burning the last episodes off during the summer.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: At tapings for ''ThePriceIsRight'', Drew sometimes does Q&As with the audience, and has revealed a few things about his old sitcom:

** ABC execs originally didn't want Ryan Stiles appearing on both Drew's show and ''WhoseLineIsItAnyway'' at the same time and originally told him to choose one or the other. It wasn't until Drew got the job to be the host of ''Whose line?'' that they backed off the issue.

** A bit where Drew complains about his pants bunching up when he sits down (making it look like he had an erection) came from a censorship complaint.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Only the first season is available on DVD. Apparently music copyrights are preventing further seasons from being released.

** A bit where Drew complains about his pants bunching up when he sits down (making it look like he had an erection) came from a complaint made by an exec behind the scenes.

* ThrowItIn: Mimi was not intended to be a regular member of the cast but her actress was so impressive in the first episode that the producers hired her to be Drew's arch rival. A bit where Drew complains about his pants bunching up when he sits down (making it look like he had an erection) came from a complaint made by an exec behind the scenes.