It doesn’t take any risks nor does it offer anything new.
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Does everybody really, truly love Raymond? Apparently many do but not this reviewer.
CBS´ Monday night sitcom staple, "Everybody Loves Raymond" is as formulaic as they come. Stop me if you have heard this before. A family sitcom where you have a laid back and spineless husband, a strong but overstressed wife, three cute kids and a bunch of meddling in-laws. I think I must have described hundreds of current and past sitcoms that have ever been shown on American television. Among all the major networks, only Fox has had the hindsight to put a string of unconventional sitcoms like "Malcolm in the Middle", "The Simpsons" and "Arrested Development" in its television lineup. Yes, these three are also family-based comedies but they are so kooky, they´re just exciting to watch, as you never know what is going to happen next. Everyone else seems to generally opt for the safe route, relying on a basic recipe they teach in Screenwriting 101 in Sitcom School. And that is exactly what "Everybody Loves Raymond" is--a safe and ultimately boring choice.
Ray Romano, a former futon and UPS delivery man, started off his comic career as a stand-up comedian working the obligatory comedy clubs and then slowly graduating to guest appearances on the late night television circuit like "The Tonight Show" and "The Late Show with David Letterman". It was after a successful appearance on the Letterman show in 1995 that the host offered Romano a development deal with his production company, Worldwide Pants, Inc. That was how "Everybody Loves Raymond" was conceived. Initially CBS was not really interested in another family sitcom but out of courtesy to Letterman, they gave Romano and series creator and writer Phil Rosenthal a shot at a pilot. Eventually, the pilot became such a hit with the CBS program development staff and CBS head Les Moonves that the show was picked up as a legitimate sitcom series. Premiering on September 13th, 1996, "Raymond" did not exactly become an overnight hit in its first season. If I may use the Nielsen Ratings as a gauge to illustrate "Raymond"´s success, it was only in its third season that it finally made a critical breakthrough, landing at number 11 for the year and finally breaking into the top 10 two seasons later.
Have you ever noticed how there is a tendency to use a star´s real name in the title of his or her sitcoms? There was "Seinfeld" with Jerry Seinfeld, "According to Jim" with Jim Belushi, "Ellen" with Ellen DeGeneres, "I Love Lucy" with Lucille Ball and so on and so forth. In another non-shocker, here we have Ray Romano in "Everybody Loves ...." who else but "Raymond". Actually, Romano felt that the title put undue pressure on him to make the sitcom succeed but CBS liked it and moreover, he couldn´t come up with a better one!
Romano stars as Raymond Barone, a successful sportswriter living in Long Island with his wife Debra (Patricia Heaton) and their three inconsequential kids whose names are erm, inconsequential. Sounds normal enough until we learn that Ray´s parents Frank (Peter Boyle) and Marie (Doris Roberts) and "little" brother Robert (Brad Garrett) live across the street. Actually, that doesn´t sound so bad until we see Ray´s family come and go from his house whenever they please, treating his house like it has a revolving door. Not only do they come over unannounced, Marie likes to poke her nose around and rifle through their drawers and if she has time left over, lecture Debra about how to run her house. Frank is just as bad. He is loud, abrasive and chauvinistic as well. Robert, a big lug of a policeman who still lives with his parents, resents Ray for having a successful career and a family. In this rather dysfunctional Barone family, Robert constantly feels under-appreciated by his parents and Ray quite clearly has mommy issues. As you can see, the characters on "Raymond" are such stereotypes. While Frank, (and to a certain extent, Ray) in his role as the man of the house, sits around and has his wife cook and clean for him, Marie is the intruding and condescending mother-in-law that so typifies that overused and often-wretched role. And you know what scares me the most? These characters are partially based on Romano´s real-life parents and brother!
Of course, Ray´s wife Debra is understandably very upset with this annoying situation (any wife would be) and her repeated pleas for Ray to have a talk with his family usually fall on deaf ears. As I mentioned earlier, Ray is such a mommy´s boy, always trying not to offend anyone, especially his parents, and acting as the peacemaker between them and Debra. Now, if this weren´t a sitcom, Debra would have been out the door eons ago. Yeah, it is that bad. However, in sitcom-land, bad situations usually mean lots of laughs and there are plenty here. I can relate to many of the marital situations encountered by Ray, Debra and the kids. In fact, any American family with young kids can relate to the show, which may kind of explain its popularity. "Raymond" does have its funny moments and I admit that I mustered a few chuckles here and there. My wife, on the other hand, loves the show. Romano is a competent comedian and his thick nasal voice and everyman jokes can be quite a funny combination. However, I think the whole family situation on "Raymond" just gets old pretty fast. Every episode is somewhat similar to the previous one: Ray does something stupid, Debra finds out, his parents get involved, we have a misunderstanding, everyone is embarrassed, spread the love, the end. It´s a wonder that the show has lasted this long. Coincidentally, "Raymond" actually just started its ninth and final season this fall.
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