This week’s TV Spotlight of the Week is on another classic cancelled TV show called Everybody Loves Raymond. This show was cancelled on May 16, 2005. The show revolves around the family interactions and real life personalities of Raymond Romano and the creator, Philip Rosenthal.
The main protagonists of this popular TV series are Ray Barone, a sportswriter living with in a suburban neighbourhood with his wife, children and his parents living uncomfortably close. Ray Barone is shown as very much a “momma’s boy” and is constantly trying be the better son in the eyes of his mother, Marie Barone, as compared to his brother, Robert Barone. Debra Barone is Ray’s wife and is shown to constantly complain about house work and taking care of their children and to top it off, she is constantly complaining to Ray about the daily intrusion of Marie. Marie Barone manipulates and controls Ray’s life and her criticism of Debra’s cooking is also an interesting element in the show. Frank Barone is Marie’s husband and is shown as an excessively masculine character. Ray’s brother in the series, Robert Barone, always tries to get Marie’s approval and get commended on his achievements but Marie constantly considers Ray as the “favourite” which I think is the reason for the name “Everybody Loves Raymond.” The relationship between Marie and Frank is similar to that of Frank and Estelle Costanza in Seinfeld.
[youtube Xw9bca0Kjpo]One of my favourite episodes is when Debra finds that Ray taped over their wedding video for a Superbowl, and Debra’s reactions and Ray’s flustered responses are just hilarious. One of my favorite lines are when Marie says, “I have opinions too! I’m not just some trophy wife!” and Frank responds, “Trophy Wife? What contest in hell did I win?” Another favorite episode is when Marie intentionally burns Robert’s suit in order to prevent him from taking a job at the FBI and then later embarrasses Robert and costs him the job by writing a long apology letter to his interviewer. Another favorite set of quotes are from an episode when Frank and Ray become competitive in ping pong and there are some “burns” that Frank dishes out like, “Zero serving zero, Ray can kiss my rearo,” “One serving zip, I see a quivering lower lip,” and “Two serving nada, I’m ashamed to be his fadda.”
I strongly recommend this show to any person interested in comedy or fond of comedy.
