According to The Hollywood Reporter, the cast of Everybody Loves Raymond, along with the show’s creator, reunited for a CBS special recently for the 30th anniversary. Other than the noticeable age difference, especially in the children, the show practically continued where it left off.
THR reports the reunion was filmed in front of a live audience and the set is recreated from the iconic family living room. It starts with Ray Romano (Ice Age, No Good Deed), the series star, reminiscing with Phil Rosenthal (Somebody Feed Phil, Spanglish), the creator, along with co-stars Patricia Heaton (The Middle, The Ritual), Brad Garrett (Finding Nemo, The Pacifier), Monica Horan (Somebody Feed Phil, Pee-wee’s Big Holiday), and Madilyn (A Promise to Carolyn, Eagle Eye)and Sullivan Sweeten (Casting, Frank McKlusky, C.I.). While branded as the 30th anniversary of the series, the actual pilot date was in September of 1996.
Rosenthal, along with the rest of the cast, paid respects to their late co-stars Peter Boyle, Doris Roberts, and Sawyer Sweeten. They showed outtakes and looked back fondly on the nine years on the show, which is Emmy award-winning. According to THR, here are some updates from the show:
Raymond is world-wide: The program has been showcased across the globw, and it did so well that is recieved a few spin-offs in other countries like Russia. A woman from the Phillipines had told the producer that the show helped her learn english.
No sequels are in the makes, and it will stay that way: Not even ten minutes into the special, Romano made it clear of the nature of it, “Lets get one thing out of the way- this is a reunion.” Rosenthal also clarified that its not a reboot. “We’re never going to do one, because we’re missing three cast members, three family members,” Romano added.
The origin story: Romano and Rosenthal were reminiscing on the way they met. “I was in bed,” Rosenthal recounted. He was watching Romano do stand up on The Late Show With David Letterman. Just after the May 1995 appearance on Letterman’s show, as he tells Romano it’s a pre-taped clip, his company, Worldwide Pants, signed Romano to make a sitcom. Rosenthal was the writer, and they met at Art’s Deli to get acqainted with each other. They hit it off, and the rest is history.