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Everybody Loves Raymond

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Everybody Loves Raymond
File:Everybodylovesray.jpg
Ray (Ray Romano), Robert (Brad Garrett), and Frank (Peter Boyle)
Created byPhilip Rosenthal
StarringRay Romano
Patricia Heaton
Brad Garrett
Doris Roberts
and Peter Boyle
Country of originUSA
No. of episodes210
Production
Running time30 Minutes
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseSeptember 13, 1996 –
May 16, 2005

Everybody Loves Raymond, sometimes referred to in the abbreviated form Raymond, was a popular and long-running American sitcom that was produced from 1996 to 2005 and broadcasted on CBS.

The show revolved around the life of Ray Barone, a sportswriter from Lynbrook, Long Island who lives with his wife, Debra, his daughter, Ally, and his identical twin sons, Geoffrey and Michael. Unfortunately for them, Ray's rather quirky and brash parents, as well as his self-doubting brother Robert, never give Ray or his family a moment of peace, and he finds himself and his wife being constantly dragged into their myriad squabbles.

Cast

Main characters

  • Raymond "Ray" Barone (Ray Romano), the main character. Ray is a sportswriter for Newsday. Ray is a pushover and feels he never gets a break.
  • Debra Barone (Patricia Heaton), Ray's wife. Much of the show's humor is derived from Debra's constant attempts to deal with the many quirks of her "in-laws". Debra is a control freak, and hates it when Ray plays golf.
  • Robert Barone (Brad Garrett), Ray's brother, is an NYPD police officer. Though Robert is four years older than Ray, he constantly feels as if he's stuck in Ray's shadow, and lets his feelings be known.
  • Marie Barone (Doris Roberts), the matriarch of the family. She is obsessed with cooking and with having a clean house. Marie always concerns about her son Raymond, whom she spoils with lots of food and often criticizes Debra's cooking. Although the other characters recognize Marie's extremely manipulative nature, they are powerless to do anything about it.
  • Frank Barone (Peter Boyle), Marie's husband and the father of Ray and Robert. A complete slob and pig in every episode. Often spotted on the show minus a pair of pants, Frank often tells Marie "shut yer yap", yet in many episodes, a sort of love between Frank and Marie is evident.

Supporting cast

  • Amy MacDougall Barone (Monica Horan), Robert's wife since the 2002 season. Other cast members often crack jokes about her large mouth, saying things such as "When she smiles it might envelope her face."
  • Alexandra (Ally) Barone (Madylin Sweeten), Ray and Debra's eldest child and only daughter.
  • Geoffrey and Michael Barone (Sawyer Sweeten and Sullivan Sweeten, respectively), Ray and Debra's identical twin sons.
  • Hank MacDougall (Fred Willard), Amy's father, is an austere, religious family man.
  • Pat MacDougall (Georgia Engel), Amy's mother, a polite, soft-spoken woman who enjoys jigsaw puzzles.
  • Peter MacDougall (Chris Elliott), Amy's brother, is an eccentric comic book-obsessed geek.

Recurring characters

Show background

File:Everybodylovesray1000.jpg
Debra (Patricia Heaton), between Amy (Monica Horan) and Marie (Doris Roberts)

Based on the real life experiences of Ray Romano, Everybody Loves Raymond premiered on September 13, 1996, on CBS. The show was produced by HBO, Worldwide Pants (owned by David Letterman) and Where's Lunch?. It originally held the Friday night time slot, a time period traditionally known for its poor ratings. Everybody Loves Raymond was no different. CBS executives, however, saw a promising series, and moved the show to a better slot on Monday nights, where it outshone its competition. It continued to hold that time slot until the end of its run. For a few years in a row in the late 1990s, the show consistently held Top 5 ratings. The series finale was broadcast on May 16, 2005, though old episodes are still rerun in syndication.

Robert and Amy's wedding

The episode that could be reasonably argued to be the biggest moment on the show, while not necessarily the highest rated, was the May 19, 2003 episode in which Robert married his long-time on-again, off-again love, Amy McDougal. With the marriage came a slew of new recurring characters, including Amy's parents and brother. However, a rumored spin-off featuring Robert and Amy never materialized.

DVD releases

DVD Name
Release dates
Region 1
Region 2
Region 4
The Complete 1st Season September 14 2004 January 17 2005 N/A
The Complete 2nd Season December 14 2004 July 4 2005 N/A
The Complete 3rd Season May 3 2005 January 16 2006 N/A
The Complete 4th Season September 13 2005 May 1 2006 N/A
The Complete 5th Season December 6 2005 N/A N/A
The Complete 6th Season May 9 2006 N/A N/A

Trivia

  • The name of the show was originally an inside joke intended to be ironic, that is, implying that not everybody loves Raymond. Romano wasn't keen on the name because he felt the irony would be missed. The rumored spin-off featuring Robert and Amy's family has sometimes been referred to as Everybody Likes Robert.
  • In the pilot episode, the twins were named Matthew and Gregory. Later on, the twins are called Michael and Geoffrey.
  • Jokes about Ray's large nose and "whiny" nasal voice, Robert's height, and Frank's baldness—all real-life traits of the actors portraying them—are often incorporated into the show's humor.
  • Amy's brother was originally introduced as "Russell", owner of a comic book shop, and played by comedian Paul Reubens in a one-time appearance. When the character reappeared, his name was Peter and was played by Chris Elliott. This was a rare lapse in the show's continuity, sometimes referred to as the "Chuck Cunningham syndrome".
  • A noticeable change from most family sitcoms is that the show's three children (who are real-life siblings) usually have extremely small parts, although at times each has been at the center of a particular plot line.
  • Each of the major adult actors and actresses, with the exception of Boyle, have received Emmy Awards for their performances, and the series has been honored as Best Comedy. Although he never won for the series, Boyle was nominated repeatedly for an Emmy (losing to co-star Garrett on multiple occasions).
  • In Raymond's early seasons, fellow stand-up comic (and friend) Kevin James frequently appeared as one of Ray's buddies. Kevin James later assumed the title role in his own CBS sitcom, The King of Queens, and Romano and Heaton guest-starred as the Barones (despite the fact that James was portraying a different character).
  • Although Raymond is set in Lynbrook, the houses seen as those belonging to Ray and his parents in establishing shots are actually located in the town of Merrick, though they actually are across the street from each other in real life.
  • Eagle-eyed viewers know that the Barone living room differs from the one seen in the show's pilot.
  • A box of Flutie Flakes is visible on top of the fridge in Ray and Debra's home.
  • Although on the show Robert is supposed to be four years older than Raymond, in real life, Ray Romano is three years older than Brad Garrett.
  • The title sequence changed during the first five seasons:
    • During the first season, Ray gives a speech about who he is, etc. while putting together a playhouse for his children. Eventually, he locks himself into the playhouse. Later in the season, Ray gives a similar speech while raking the leaves, as his family passes behind him on a conveyor belt.
    • For the second season, the same speech was given, this time with Ray sitting in a lawn chair, and the family flying around past him. Ray swats his parents with a fly swatter, and Robert is the only person who walks by, and Ray remarks to him "Hey you didn't...", while flapping his arms in a flying way.
    • For the third and fourth seasons, a more elaborate opening was used, showing Raymond and Debra attempting to hide from Frank, Marie, and Robert, who are approaching from across the street. In slow motion, we see Ray and Debra trying to stop a blasting stereo and locking the doors while the credits play over the footage. Staged to the strains of "Ode to Joy", this sequence (complete with the credits zooming into the screen) also spoofs an infamous teaser trailer for the feature film Die Hard). Sitting against the door, Ray thinks he has succeeded in hiding, but then his mother puts her hand through the mail slot and feels his hair.
    • The sixth season started with the announcement "It's another season of Everyone Loves Raymond!" in a booming voice with the family playing football, resulting in Marie losing a tooth and smiling with the "hole" in her teeth.
    • The seventh season featured a sequence of past clips, while playing to the Steve Miller tune, Jungle Love. The assortment of clips are mostly of Ray and his family dancing.
    • The eighth and ninth seasons did not include any special features. The opening credits simply flashed over the first extended scene.
  • Ray Barone's brother Robert is a police officer for the NYPD. In real life, Ray Romano does have a brother who is a police officer for the NYPD.
  • Monica Horan, who plays Amy on the show, is married to Philip Rosenthal, the show's executive producer and creator.
  • Chris Rock spoofed the show's title for his own show Everybody Hates Chris.
  • In a Halloween episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, Peter Boyle, who plays Frank Barone, dresses up as Frankenstein's Monster, reprising the actor's role from Young Frankenstein.
  • Occasionally family members can be seen reading the "Village Herald," a real weekly newspaper published in Long Island. The Village Herald is now the "Lynbrook/East Rockaway Herald." Karenlyn Barone (same last name as Ray's family) is the long-time editor.

Awards & Nominations

Awards Won

Emmy Awards:

  • Outstanding Comedy Series (2003, 2005) 2 wins
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Ray Romano (2002)
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Patricia Heaton (2000-01) 2 wins
  • Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Brad Garrett (2002-03, 2005) 3 wins
  • Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Doris Roberts (2001-03, 2005) 4 wins

Screen Actors Guild:

  • Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2003)

Award Nominations

Emmy Awards:

  • Outstanding Comedy Series (1999-2002, 2004) 5 nominations
  • Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Ray Romano (1999-2001, 2003, 2005) 5 nominations
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Patricia Heaton (1999, 2002-2005) 5 nominations
  • Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Brad Garrett (2000, 2004) 2 nominations
  • Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Peter Boyle (1999-2005) 7 nominations
  • Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Doris Roberts (1999-00, 2004) 3 nominations

Golden Globe Awards:

  • Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series-Comedy Ray Romano (2000-01) 2 nominations

Screen Actors Guild:

  • Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (1999-2000, 2002, 2004-06) 6 nominations
  • Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Ray Romano (2000, 2002, 2003-2005) 5 nominations
  • Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Brad Garrett (2004)
  • Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Peter Boyle (2002, 2004) 2 nominations
  • Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series Patricia Heaton (2002-2006) 5 nominations
  • Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series Doris Roberts (2004-05) 2 nominations
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