Know Your Show: Everybody Loves Raymond #AtoZChallenge

This post is part of my #A2ZChallenge for April 2016 where my theme is TV Sitcoms.

For the letter E, I choose Everybody Loves Raymond.

Premise:

The show follows the life of a sarcastic sportswriter and the people in his life who love him/ hate him/ can't stand him/ can't live without him/ make his life heaven/ make his life hell - his family.

10 reasons you will love it:

1) Unlike shows like Arrested Development which nailed the dysfunctional family category, Everybody loves Raymond worked because it represented a normal everyday family and focused on regular quarrels and squabbles we see in our own homes.

2) A completed series with 210 episodes and 9 seasons, the show is a treasure trove of laughter for those looking for a good clean comedy sitcom to enjoy.

3) There are no world changing events here - this is a light 'relax your mind' kind of show where you see how regular everyday events from cooking to please your mother-in-law or trying to impress your wife can go hilariously wrong. 

4) Ray Romano leads the all-star cast as the whiny Raymond Barone, a sportswriter favoured by his dominating mom Marie (Doris Roberts) over his older brother; a situation that drives the latter crazy and one Raymond uses to his advantage at every given opportunity.

5) Wife Debra (played by Patricia Heaton) is the perfect counter balance, stuck between a whiny husband and an overbearing mother-in-law. The comedic timing of Ray and Debra as a marital couple is comedic gold.

6) Ray's older brother, a policeman - who, like his parents live across the street from him - is perfectly played by Brad Garrett as the huge hulk of a cop who is always trying to get his parents to appreciate him more than his sibling. Easily one of the best comedy show sibling rivalries of all time as the two fought like school kids to please their mom.

7) Marie and Frank, as Ray's elderly parents are another example of the stereotype done right: the elder parents who have been with each other so long, they cannot go by five minutes without taking a shot at each other. Where Marie intrudes into everyone's lives in her need to be right all the time, Frank is the old man who does not hold his thoughts in, getting him frequently into trouble with his wife.

8) Ray (1 win), Patricia (2), Brad (3) & Doris (4) have collectively won 10 Emmys for Lead 7 Supporting Actor/Actress  for their performance in this show. That is how good they are. The show itself won 2 Emmys for Outstanding Comedy series.

9) A show with a high 're-watchable' quotient and mininal continuity issues, you could just jump in at any time in the series and enjoy an episode.

10) Personal opinion: I loved this show as a child growing up and two decades later, I still think its a wonderful way to bring a smile on your face. You all have seen a family like this.

If aliens were to judge us based solely upon this show:

They would know that the most dangerous creature on the planet is not the black mamba or the deathstalker scorpion but the caustic mother-in-law.
They would not be wrong, either.

Trivia:

• Most of the situations that are shown on the show are based on real life events in Ray Romano's life.
• Youtube "Everybody Loves Raymond - Bloopers". Thank me later for making you laugh out loud today.

To see all the shows  I have talked about till date, please CLICK HERE.