Know Your Show: Everybody Loves Raymond #AtoZChallenge

Dr Roshan Radhakrishnan
39
This post is part of my #A2ZChallenge for April 2016 where my theme is TV Sitcoms.
For the letter E, I choose Everybody Loves Raymond.

Premise:

The show follows the life of a sarcastic sportswriter and the people in his life who love him/ hate him/ can't stand him/ can't live without him/ make his life heaven/ make his life hell - his family.



10 reasons you will love it:

1) Unlike shows like Arrested Development which nailed the dysfunctional family category, Everybody loves Raymond worked because it represented a normal everyday family and focused on regular quarrels and squabbles we see in our own homes.

2) A completed series with 210 episodes and 9 seasons, the show is a treasure trove of laughter for those looking for a good clean comedy sitcom to enjoy.

3) There are no world changing events here - this is a light 'relax your mind' kind of show where you see how regular everyday events from cooking to please your mother-in-law or trying to impress your wife can go hilariously wrong. 

4) Ray Romano leads the all-star cast as the whiny Raymond Barone, a sportswriter favoured by his dominating mom Marie (Doris Roberts) over his older brother; a situation that drives the latter crazy and one Raymond uses to his advantage at every given opportunity.

5) Wife Debra (played by Patricia Heaton) is the perfect counter balance, stuck between a whiny husband and an overbearing mother-in-law. The comedic timing of Ray and Debra as a marital couple is comedic gold.

6) Ray's older brother, a policeman - who, like his parents live across the street from him - is perfectly played by Brad Garrett as the huge hulk of a cop who is always trying to get his parents to appreciate him more than his sibling. Easily one of the best comedy show sibling rivalries of all time as the two fought like school kids to please their mom.

7) Marie and Frank, as Ray's elderly parents are another example of the stereotype done right: the elder parents who have been with each other so long, they cannot go by five minutes without taking a shot at each other. Where Marie intrudes into everyone's lives in her need to be right all the time, Frank is the old man who does not hold his thoughts in, getting him frequently into trouble with his wife.

8) Ray (1 win), Patricia (2), Brad (3) & Doris (4) have collectively won 10 Emmys for Lead 7 Supporting Actor/Actress  for their performance in this show. That is how good they are. The show itself won 2 Emmys for Outstanding Comedy series.

9) A show with a high 're-watchable' quotient and mininal continuity issues, you could just jump in at any time in the series and enjoy an episode.

10) Personal opinion: I loved this show as a child growing up and two decades later, I still think its a wonderful way to bring a smile on your face. You all have seen a family like this.

If aliens were to judge us based solely upon this show:

They would know that the most dangerous creature on the planet is not the black mamba or the deathstalker scorpion but the caustic mother-in-law.
They would not be wrong, either.


Trivia:


  • Most of the situations that are shown on the show are based on real life events in Ray Romano's life.
  • Youtube "Everybody Loves Raymond - Bloopers". Thank me later for making you laugh out loud today.


To see all the shows  I have talked about till date, please CLICK HERE.

Post a Comment

39Comments

Let me know what you think.

  1. Yes it's simple everyday events...I love that show too

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  2. Loved this show, was really disappointed when ELR and Frasier went off the air.
    I was very curious about what you would pick for 'E' Good choice! I think we should start a pool to guess what show you will come up with for every letter of the alphabet.

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    1. It so tough to find Frasier now anywhere which is sad... more ppl need to watch shows like this again, I feel.

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  3. Well what d'you know....I was watching this one just yesterday night and today here! I love this show, it is hilarious! Mom and Dad, Marie and Frank are too good! And whiny big bro...hahaha! Patricia Heaton I loved more in the serial Middle. Cheers :)
    @KalaRavi16 from
    Relax-N-Rave

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    1. seriously... they take the stereotypes and just dial it all the way up to 10 :)
      I haven't seen Middle! Have to check it out.

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  4. I love the how and how. It was light hearted and awesome at comedy timing.
    Love the theme. :)

    [@womod] from
    Pinksocks

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  5. At last, one show that I watch :) I adore them all , the ordinary events and the acting especially of Frank :)

    http://sunilavigauthor.blogspot.com.au/2016/04/ekalavyas-to-dronacharya-for-e-for-a-to.html

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  6. I used to watch this show as a child with my dad , and I still find it re-watchable and hilarious :D

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  7. Finally Roshan a sitcom I've seen and occasionally still catch. I was beginning to feel like a freak not having heard of any of the shows you'd mentioned.

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    1. yay!! I need to showcase more shows like this I guess :D

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  8. A favourite this one. One of the few shows my husband and I watch together even now.
    Is it F for Friends?

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  9. I would be frank, I tried watching this show but it didn't appeal to me... probably because I watched it after Friends and BBT ... it wasn't funny anymore.

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  10. oh yeah! I don't watch too much TV but sometimes when there's nothing to do, I have caught up on this one, and I did find it light and entertaining.

    Shubhangi @ The Little Princess

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    1. yes, its a light and breezy kinda show with no stress factors involved

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  11. I might just start watching these episodes on youtube before sleeping. I truly need something to destress at the end of the day :D

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    1. I will totally recommend doing that.. I used to do it a lot during my pg days... save videos and rewatch

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  12. Finally, a show which I used to watch! :) We all love Raymond! It was so much fun!
    You can read Army Wife Tales at
    Tale Of Two Tomatoes
    Also, visit to take a look at 26 lip-smacking Chicken Recipes at Something's Cooking

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  13. Roshan, I love this show. Ray and Robert are good but their mother is the best. The mother in law and daughter in law situations are hilarious, I can watch it again and again :)

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    1. exactly... some of the most hilariously brilliant mom-mil wars in English tv sitcom history, I'd say

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  14. Gosh! I havent watched this one too! Are you going to cover TBBT, Two and a Half Men, Boston Legal (oh B's already done), FRIENDS...?

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    1. This is the problem I face... so many good ones get missed

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  15. It's a great and relaxing show to watch, def a good one. //fellow challenger www.xoxomake.com

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  16. Caustic mother-in-law! Ha! Well put. Loving that alien detail in your posts. I hadn't seen Everybody Loves Raymond till only recently, and now I realise how much I missed out on. But you're right, one can easily just jump in. It had me in splits. :p
    [@samantha_rjsdr] from
    Whimsical Compass

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    1. That's why I specifiy whether some shows need constant attention to order or whether you can just jump in :)

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  17. A such an epic show this is!

    Can you believe there is a Hindi version of this show now? With a whole Indian cast and all that.

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    1. Somebody else mentioned it after seeing this post... I SHUDDER to imagine

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  18. Yes thoroughly enjoyable series! I think there is a hindi serial Sumit Sambhal Lega that is an adaption. Both great de-stressors.
    http://yenforblue.blogspot.in/2016/04/g-is-for-gulbakshi.html

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    1. Just heard that after writing about this show :)

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  19. My brother got me hooked on to this one and it kinda grew on me, I still watch the reruns!

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  20. this surely insights me to watch this one, thanks for sharing :)

    Karan - Esthetic

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