Hollywood is known for its love of reviving old series, either as reboots or sequels, and it feels like this is constantly happening behind the scenes. In recent years, we've seen the return of Will & Grace, Arrested Development, Fuller House, That '90s Show, Saved by the Bell, and Frasier, to name a few.
One series we haven't heard anything about, however, is the smash hit Everybody Loves Raymond, where both creator Phil Rosenthal (known from Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix, among other things) and lead actor Ray Romano have always said no, arguing that it's impossible to recreate the series' greatness. Continuing the story is also not an option, as actors Doris Roberts and Peter Boyle (who played parents Marie and Frank Barone) have both passed away. Rosenthal had this to say about the matter to Deadline:
"Many shows do reboots, and we've never wanted to do that. We felt like we couldn't honestly do one since some of the cast isn't with us anymore, and they were essential to the success of the show. Also, Ray and I both believe that reboots generally are never as good as the original."
Romano also weighed in on the matter, and he is on exactly the same track:
"We don't want to do it because it would never be as good. First of all, even if every cast member was alive and well, they're never as good as when the show was thriving and we were younger. And the fact that the mother and the father and one of the kids are gone, and also a couple of the guest stars are gone, we would be doing a disservice to the show. They are such a major dynamic and element of what made the show work, it would almost feel disrespectful to them to even try to do it. I think even before, had the other actors still been around, I still think we would decide against doing a reboot."
Everybody Loves Raymond is considered to have ended at the right time, retiring after its ninth season when it was still popular and considered to be of high quality. Rosenthal deliberately pulled the plug so that it wouldn't overstay its welcome.
That said, fans today have something to look forward to, namely a reunion called Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion. In the US, it will be broadcast on NBC, but it remains to be seen who will air it in other parts of the world.
What did you think of Everybody Loves Raymond, and are you interested in watching the anniversary programme?