Ray Romano & Phil Rosenthal on Why ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ Couldn’t Be Made Today
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What To Know
- Everybody Loves Raymond‘s Phil Rosenthal and Ray Romano explain how the show couldn’t be made today.
- Learn more about how the inspiration from their personal lives played a key role.
Everybody Loves Raymond may have premiered 30 years ago, but there’s a reason the show itself couldn’t exist today, as series creator Phil Rosenthal and star Ray Romano explained to TV Insider while stopping by our studio at ATX TV Festival 2026.
“They’re not doing these types of shows anymore,” Rosenthal noted, adding, “they stopped kind of doing them when we were done.”
But it’s more than just the networks not making these kinds of wide-ranging family comedies. Rosenthal points out, “What’s funny [is]… we could incorporate our lives into the characters because we were the same age as the characters. We were going through having little kids and being married… that time of life is fraught. There’s a lot of pressure.”
But there’s a lot of inspiration, clearly, and Romano shares, “We would do things together too, you know? We were a group that, outside the show, we got along, we would go out to parties together… you and I would travel with our families together,” he says, pointing between himself and Rosenthal.
Matt Sayles
For fans that may not know, Rosenthal’s real-life wife, Monica Horan, played Amy, wife to Ray Barone’s (Romano) brother, Robert (Brad Garrett). So, the show really was a family affair onscreen and behind the scenes.
And regarding those group trips, Rosenthal says, “And we still do.” Romano confirms as much, saying, “Yeah, it’s really nice.”
The best part, Rosenthal reveals, is, “It’s fun to revisit the shows that we made, but because so many of our personal stories are in them, they’re a little bit like watching home movies.”
Now that they’ve graduated beyond those points in their lives, Everybody Loves Raymond couldn’t exist as it had when they were living in that moment of their real lives. Instead, Romano notes he’s started a new chapter as a grandfather, “We’ll have more material for another thing soon,” he teases, clarifying that there are no current plans for a reboot or series.
But who knows what the future holds? Let us know what you think of Rosenthal and Romano’s stance in the comments section below.
— Additional Reporting by Damian Holbrook
Everybody Loves Raymond, Streaming now, Paramount+
Conversation13 Comments
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D
Plain and simple! THE GREATEST SITCOM EVER MADE!
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M
It wouldn't be the same without Marie and Frank. Their one liners were class.
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C
My husband and I LOVE this show. We even comment we wish it came on more than it does in our area! We never get tired of watching it! We laugh so hard we cry!
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J
I miss family sitcoms there’s nothing on prime time except sports
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D
We watch it every single day! Bring it on and try it again . We love it!!
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A
Wife and I love that show ! People can relate to it as it’s like real families !
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D
I watch it over and over it be great if they could do a series as older with grandkids even a one off
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M
I’m hooked on the ELR reruns. They’re my go to for fun and remembering. It’s that stage of life we had so full of love and lunacy.
A new show with grandpa Ray, I say a big “ Yes Please”!
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E
I would love to see Ray and Debra in their Frank and Marie roles this would be riot of show and Robert too wonder if he comes on still Married or Divorced again Robert was a character 🤔
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L
One of THE best LAUGH OUT LOUD shows! Thanks for knowing when to take a bow and not become disappointing. Great shows were few and far between. A lovely lady I got chatting with told me about this show, so glad she did (thanks Mrs. Taylor, my old neighbour). Everyone I guess has their favourite episodes. I’ll always remember Ray and Debra turning the shower hose on each other, the cheese left in the suitcase, Frank stealing samples at the grocery store, and Ray with the intimidating mother when the kids had a sleepover, and many other episodes. The cast was just perfect! I forgot Marie and her big wooden wall spoons! And Debra’s posh-ish but nice parents and their grey-pouponishness.
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M
Love that show. Still watch it and it is still so funny even if I seen it umteen times!
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K
My husband and our kids love this show. We had watched it from the beginning and now watch reruns. I really don’t understand why more family shows have stopped being made. We are getting sick of reality, law and fake police programs. We have been discussing how this show, King of Queens, and ones like Little House on the Praire aren’t being put on anymore. And medical like ‘The Pitt’ too. If you have any way of making more like them, you have many people we know who would watch them. With all of the negative things going on right now, we need more comedies and good clean family television shows. Thanks for listening!!
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J
My wife and I watch the show every night. A classic!!
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