It doesn’t take any risks nor does it offer anything new.
Like Jerry Seinfeld, Romano is not the funniest person on his sitcom. If not for such a great cast of supporting actors and actresses, "Raymond" would not even have made it out of the blocks. Peter Boyle, Doris Roberts and Brad Garrett are the consistent anchors of the show by providing the most laughs. Patricia Heaton, like Romano, is the calming center of the show and does not elicit much laughter, although she did get some funny lines in this first season. As for the three Barone kids, they are peripheral, like furniture, which is fine by me. We don´t need another sad imitation of "Full House" here.
There are a total of 22 episodes in Season One and they are spread out over five DVDs in the following manner:
Disc 1: "Pilot", "I Love You", "I Wish I Were Gus", "Standard Deviation", "Look, Don´t Touch"
Disc 2: "Frank the Writer", "Your Place Or Mine?", "In-Laws", "Win, Lose or Draw", "Turkey or Fish"
Disc 3: "Captain Nemo", "The Ball", "Debra´s Sick", "Who´s Handsome", "The Car"
Disc 4: "Diamonds", "The Game", "Recovering Pessimist", "The Dog"
Disc 5: "Neighbors", "Fascinatin´ Debra", "Why Are We Here"
Video:
Like most television sitcoms on DVD, "Everybody Loves Raymond" is presented in its original broadcast 4:3 aspect ratio, one that fits a regular television set entirely. In one of the audio commentaries, Phil Rosenthal mentioned that "Raymond" was shot on film instead of tape, like they regularly do on sitcoms. The result is a much better defined image. The skin tones are quite accurate and the colors are not too over-saturated. I did, however, notice some wayward lines appearing in several scenes, including the closing credits. Not too annoying but it is one issue that sticks out. Subtitle options include English, Spanish and French.
Audio:
Nothing to shout about here. Although listed as an English Dolby Surround 2.0 track, the audio mix doesn´t sound stereo but more mono. Occasionally, the background music tapers toward the front two channels but the audio track stays mostly in the center channel where most of the dialogue reproduction resides. Other audio options include Spanish and French 2.0 Dolby Surround.
Extras:
Not many special features are offered in this DVD set but enough to keep the "Raymond" diehards happy.
First up are two audio commentaries with Ray Romano and series creator Phil Rosenthal on the "Pilot" and "Why Are We Here" episodes (essentially the first and last episodes). Both commentaries are by the books, with the pair trading some jokes and supplying tidbits of background information on each episode.
Next is a 5-minute feature of Ray Romano´s stand-up act on "The Late Show With David Letterman", the act that eventually started the ball rolling on the development of this series.
More interesting are three featurettes chronicling the history of the series. First is "How We Got Here", which features interviews with Romano, Rosenthal, their wives and various CBS executives on how the show got started from the concept stage to the filming of the pilot and the eventual series. In "Casting the Family", you will find interviews with the main cast members like Brad Garrett, Doris Roberts, Peter Boyle and Patricia Heaton on how they landed their respective roles. Finally, "On the Air" is another round of interviews with the same people on getting the show on the air after the pilot was picked up by CBS.
Packaging:
All five DVDs are placed in an attractive red and white-themed book gatefold case. Included on the case is an episode listing. Also included is a free one-year subscription to TV Guide.
Film Value:
"Everybody Loves Raymond" is a competent and safe family sitcom. It doesn´t take any risks nor does it offer anything new. Actually, it is so generic that I can´t make out the difference between it and any other family sitcoms out on television today. Everybody may love Raymond but there are some of us who need a more exciting reason to watch.
There are a total of 22 episodes in Season One and they are spread out over five DVDs in the following manner:
Disc 1: "Pilot", "I Love You", "I Wish I Were Gus", "Standard Deviation", "Look, Don´t Touch"
Disc 2: "Frank the Writer", "Your Place Or Mine?", "In-Laws", "Win, Lose or Draw", "Turkey or Fish"
Disc 3: "Captain Nemo", "The Ball", "Debra´s Sick", "Who´s Handsome", "The Car"
Disc 4: "Diamonds", "The Game", "Recovering Pessimist", "The Dog"
Disc 5: "Neighbors", "Fascinatin´ Debra", "Why Are We Here"
Video:
Like most television sitcoms on DVD, "Everybody Loves Raymond" is presented in its original broadcast 4:3 aspect ratio, one that fits a regular television set entirely. In one of the audio commentaries, Phil Rosenthal mentioned that "Raymond" was shot on film instead of tape, like they regularly do on sitcoms. The result is a much better defined image. The skin tones are quite accurate and the colors are not too over-saturated. I did, however, notice some wayward lines appearing in several scenes, including the closing credits. Not too annoying but it is one issue that sticks out. Subtitle options include English, Spanish and French.
Audio:
Nothing to shout about here. Although listed as an English Dolby Surround 2.0 track, the audio mix doesn´t sound stereo but more mono. Occasionally, the background music tapers toward the front two channels but the audio track stays mostly in the center channel where most of the dialogue reproduction resides. Other audio options include Spanish and French 2.0 Dolby Surround.
Extras:
Not many special features are offered in this DVD set but enough to keep the "Raymond" diehards happy.
First up are two audio commentaries with Ray Romano and series creator Phil Rosenthal on the "Pilot" and "Why Are We Here" episodes (essentially the first and last episodes). Both commentaries are by the books, with the pair trading some jokes and supplying tidbits of background information on each episode.
Next is a 5-minute feature of Ray Romano´s stand-up act on "The Late Show With David Letterman", the act that eventually started the ball rolling on the development of this series.
More interesting are three featurettes chronicling the history of the series. First is "How We Got Here", which features interviews with Romano, Rosenthal, their wives and various CBS executives on how the show got started from the concept stage to the filming of the pilot and the eventual series. In "Casting the Family", you will find interviews with the main cast members like Brad Garrett, Doris Roberts, Peter Boyle and Patricia Heaton on how they landed their respective roles. Finally, "On the Air" is another round of interviews with the same people on getting the show on the air after the pilot was picked up by CBS.
Packaging:
All five DVDs are placed in an attractive red and white-themed book gatefold case. Included on the case is an episode listing. Also included is a free one-year subscription to TV Guide.
Film Value:
"Everybody Loves Raymond" is a competent and safe family sitcom. It doesn´t take any risks nor does it offer anything new. Actually, it is so generic that I can´t make out the difference between it and any other family sitcoms out on television today. Everybody may love Raymond but there are some of us who need a more exciting reason to watch.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]12082[/release]