The timeless brilliance of ELR
By now, it’s no secret that everybody loves raymond & always will but just how did the series come to be in the first place & what makes it so timeless? There’s a lot to learn on the road to long island. So let’s jump right in & see what we’ve got.
In the mid-90’s, ray had already been a comedian for twelve years but it wasn’t until 95 that he got his big break. There had already been hit series based around stand-up comics from rosanne & home improvement to seinfeld & it seems cbs was looking to cash in on that craze. So after doing a guest spot on the late show with david letterman, there were lawyers lined up around the block to sign a tv deal with him. He knew he wanted a show-runner who shared his sense of humor so long story short, he ended up picking Phil Rosenthal, comparing his work to that of early Cosby. He initially wanted to do a sitcom about a comedian discussing current events at a coffee shop but it was rejected due to its blatant similarities to Seinfeld.
In real life, he really does have a brother named Robert but Robert Barone was actually based on his other brother, Richard (I don’t know why their folks were obsessed with r names). Of course, they pulled a lot from their own lives with Marie & Debra being based on Rosenthal’s actual wife & mother but originally Romano & the writers wanted it to be set in Queens.
Ultimately, the CBS execs opted for Long Island instead as they thought it had broader appeal. Reportedly, the title stems from a sentence Richard actually spoke after Ray won a cableace stand-up award. They pitched it to CBS president, Les Moonves, who found it rather underwhelming but recognized it as pretty low-risk. So not long after, they were given the green light.
Garrett was the only cast member to audition without Romano in the room and the first to be cast after the titular character. The studio initially wanted a smaller, Danny Devito type character but apparently loved his take on the character so much, they cast him instead. Boyle came highly recommended by Moonves himself and apparently got lost on the way to the audition. So he was pretty grumpy when he finally arrived which helped him get into character. He even later admitted to casting him out of fear due to his bitter demeanor. Roberts was chosen out of 100 different actresses and was busy directing a 23-person play at the time but her agents insisted she still had time to take on a sitcom. Heaton was getting by doing babysitting gigs at the time which made her stressed but the casting director knew she wanted a veteran actor for the role.
The production process was pretty regimental with a script rehearsal on Monday, dress rehearsal & script tweaks on Tuesday, running through the episode on Wednesday, camera blocking on Thursday & finally shooting it on Friday. Reportedly, Rosenthal was very adamant about actors not ad-libbing but there were alternate lines put into the script for certain episodes. The house used in exterior shots actually is on Long Island (although they didn’t really shoot in there) in a small hamlet called Merrick. & yes, it really is directly across the street from Marie & Frank’s house with Ray’s house being at 135 Margaret Boulevard & the parents living at 136.
Part of what makes the series so special is Rosenthal insisted on going for a classic sitcom style which precluded any references to current events or pop culture. This provides the series with a timeless aesthetic that still feels relevant to this day. It was one of the most traditional sitcoms to come along in quite some time which proved to be a breath of fresh air for tv audiences. Because the series focuses more on the adults than the kids, it proved to be quite popular among the older demographics. The series revolves around Ray Barone, a family man and sportswriter for Newsday whose life gets turned upside down he moves right across from the street from his parents & brother.
The series only had about eight million viewers during its first season but that number increased in every subsequent season except the last two. A big part of what makes the series so good is its relatable presence. The series focuses on (mostly) grounded stories that many people have been through before. & it certainly didn’t hurt that the whole cast played their parts to perfection. Whether it was Marie giving backhanded compliments, Frank saying holy crap or Robert moping about his life, you’d be hard-pressed to find a finer ensemble cast in any other sitcom. & it’s not just me saying that. Boyle, although being robbed on awards night, was still nominated for eight emmys while Roberts & Garrett each took home three. Heaton was never nominated although I can’t imagine why while Romano was nominated five times & won one.
It went through a lot of theme song changes over the years but I think it will perpetually be associated with its fourth & final theme song, jungle love, an absolute banger of a song that still holds up to this day. Premiering September 13, 1996, the series ran for nine seasons before bowing out on May 16, 2005. The series finale, simply titled the finale, was watched by almost 33 million people. There were no contract disputes or anything like that; Rosenthal just felt it was time to wrap things up because he was running out of good ideas for new episodes. So it’s honestly refreshing to see a show-runner who cares more about the quality of his work than having enough money to fill up an entire bathtub. Almost two decades ago, the world said goodbye to the Barones but thanks to its timeless quality, it will live on in our hearts, minds & syndication forever.