Everything I learned about successful TV from 'Everybody Loves Raymond'

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | May 15, 2005 | Rob Owen

[AmishDude]

The success of CBS's "Everybody Loves Raymond" offers several lessons today's TV executives would do well to recognize:

It takes time to grow a hit.

When "Raymond" premiered in September 1996, the show aired at 8:30 p.m. Friday and had terrible ratings. Critics raved about it, but viewers didn't find it. CBS paid attention to the critical plaudits and moved "Raymond" to 8:30 p.m. Monday in 1997, where it grew into a hit.

[Hatteras]

"When Marie made a sculpture of the female anatomy, we never mentioned what it was."

That was a funny episode. They walked a very thin line but pulled it off marvelously.

[dmz]

But your opinions about shows you've never seen are incredibly important to the rest of us.

[Hatteras]

"...btw, have you ever heard of the comedian Ron White?"

You mean Tater Salad?

[SONbrad]

DIdn't stop certain people from being offended apparently which is sad. And if someone's child did mention this or ask a question, how sad that a parent couldn't deal with that. If a child is old enough to know that something needs explanation, parents need to deal with the child, not be 'offended' because of a television show. Just my humble opinion.

[R. Scott]

…thought Raymond's character was a moron…

According to New York and Hollywood, all white guys are morons.

[R. Scott]

My late wife didn’t like watching TV with me either. I would put up with sitcoms because I loved her – but I would tell her what was going to happen before it did. She really didn’t like that.

[Hatteras]

When the show ends I'd be surprised to see the wife (Patricia Heaton) in any other shows. She's a wonderful and fierce pro-life conservative.

[SONbrad]

That's actually very funny...and somewhat 'Frank-like'.

Thanks for sharing.

[R. Scott]

But I just thought the characters were too self-absorbed to the point of being annoying.

I had a problem with the two episodes I tried to watch. On one he thought it was funny to call in phony pizza orders, the other one he called in phony taxi orders. As both an ex-cab driver and ex-pizza delivery driver I found neither to be funny.

[motzman]

Oh, I totally agree. What "passes" for "clean" humor today never would have made it just a few years ago. It's very subjective--what's OK to one family is clearly not acceptable to another. I wouldn't want children watching Friends, for example, because the sexual content in most episodes, while adult in content, is delivered to appeal to teens.

Contrast the "sexual" humor in Seinfeld, just as racy, but delivered to appeal to an adult audience.

For example, in one Friends episode, Joey gets a gig being a nude double for a famous actor, but Joey never tells the producers that he is "cut" whilst the actor he's doubling for is "uncut". Fearing losing his job, he and Pheobe embark on a scheme involving deception, baloney, a a pretty standard spate of "weiner" jokes.

Contrast that the Seinfeld "shrinkage" episode (Jerry's girlfriend accidentally sees George changing after a swim, and George is concerned that "shrinkage" may effect the impression he'd like known about his "equipment"). The running joke isn't so much about the actual event, it's about George's neurotic attemps to make sure everyone knows he's all man.

"I think that you think that a certain something is not all that it could be, when, in fact, it is all that it should be... And more!"

FWIW,...

[bonfire]

Yep! Isn't he a riot!

[fatnotlazy]

I understand that at the end of the show's run, the characters were arrested or sued or something...which would have been fitting. The few episodes I tried to watch -- a lot of their behavior bordered on (or crossed the border on) criminal behavior.

[mupcat]

Oh, that's so strange, I feel exactly the same way and was beginning to think my ha-ha spot in my brain wasn't working. I tried to like Seinfeld, many times, but just couldn't stand it, and never found it funny. Felt the same way about Friends. Must admit I never watched a full show of "Raymond" either cause I'd always get disappointed with it and switch channels.

Think there are different types of humor people like or don't like. Might be a generation issue also, who knows. I dislike slapstick, loud or obvious humor. Now, the show I really loved was "Frasier" and miss it terribly, although even with them the earlier shows were funnier than the last ones. If the writing is great then the humor is usually great--IMO.

[motzman]

Formula TV – one episode went over great, so all episodes have to imitate it.

The entertainment industry is extremely conservative when it come to actual business decisions. In fact, too conservative.

[R. Scott]

I really loved was "Frasier"

I did watch “Cheers” and “Frasier”, but they had some variety in their scripts.

[R. Scott]

Yep, and it's a crying shame.

[R. Scott]

Criminal behavior on TV today is all too common. How many cop shows have the LEOs breaking the law? I could handle the law breaking on “Married, with Children”, but most of the new stuff is uncalled for and unfunny – unless the audience is primarily 13 year olds.

[Hatteras]

"...He says, "You're outta here!" and I said, "I don't think so, Scooter!" And I was wrong. They hurled me out of that bar. And then they squared off with me in the parking lot, and I backed down from the fight, cause I don't know how many of them it would have taken to whip my ass, but I knew how many they were going to use. That's a handy little piece of information, right there..." -Ron White

Funny stuff.

[RetiredArmy]

As if I give a John F'n Kerry if you do or not smart ass.

[RetiredArmy]

And P.S. to that this post which I just replied to. If shows of this level is what it takes to entertain you, so be it. If I choose not to waste my time watching such programs and those stupid reality shows, then that is my choice. If I happen to think that those in certain parties that do slobber and cannot get enough of those types of programs, if I happen to think they are on 5th grade education level, then pal that is my opinion. Like @$$holes, we all got one. I said mine. If it offends you. Talk to the chaplain. I'm finished with responding to your crap.