‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ Star Patricia Heaton Gets Emotional About the Comedy’s 25th Anniversary
Unbelievably, it’s been 25 years since the classic comedy Everybody Loves Raymond debuted on CBS on Sept. 13, 1996. One of the show’s stars, Patricia Heaton, poignantly marked the series’ special milestone.
The show has become classic TV
Perhaps Raymond has always been a classic in the making, even when it first aired on CBS. At its 1996 premiere, the comedy had as its competition shows like Seinfeld, Sex in the City, and Friends. But Raymond wasn’t about single people and their various challenges. And just because the comedy had kids in the cast didn’t mean it was another Full House. It was a seamlessly adult show about marriage, in-laws, kids, and all the life that takes place in between.
Neal Gabler of The New York Times in 2001 said of the show based on Ray Romano’s stand-up comedy: “Raymond is habit-forming. As anyone who regularly watches the show can attest, it is the funniest, the smartest, the wisest, the most affecting and most resonant comedy on television, and the only one, in my estimation, that rates comparison to the classics like I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, All in the Family and Cheers. In short, it is the sitcom of our times.”
Patricia Heaton noted the influential show’s anniversary
On Instagram recently, the Debra Barone actor poignantly marked the comedy’s anniversary.
“Happy 25th Anniversary to #everybodylovesraymond!,” Heaton posted. “To my on-screen family, everyone behind-the-scenes making the show a reality, and of course to the fans and Tweatons, for following along and still loving Debra today! Reflecting on the joyous moments from set, all the wonderful people I was able to meet through playing Debra, and missing Peter, Doris, and Sawyer today. ❤️”
Earlier in the year, Heaton also retweeted a post noting the 16-year anniversary since the show’s finale in 2005, which read, “May 16, 2005. It’s been 16 years since the finale of #EverybodyLovesRaymond. No matter how much time passes, this show will always be a source of comfort & joy for so many around the world. Thank you to everyone that played a part in making this sitcom a masterpiece.”
The show’s creator also marked the occasion
The comedy’s creator and executive producer Phil Rosenthal noted the anniversary, retweeting a post from TV Land that read, “When Everybody Loves Raymond premiered 25 years ago today, fans were introduced to Ray Barone and his family. Nine years later, the Barones said goodbye. Here’s a look back at where the series started and ended.”
Show star Doris Roberts who portrayed feisty Marie Barone on the show told the Television Academy Foundation in 2005, “I think [Raymond] will be as famous and go on as long as [I Love] Lucy,” Roberts said when asked about the legacy of her show. “[Raymond] will be on forever. People tell me they’d rather watch us than watch the news at night because they go to bed with a smile on their face.”
