Everybody Loves Raymond
Raymond Barone, a successful sportswriter, has obnoxious parents and a jealous brother. Nevertheless, he manages to keep a bright outlook and a sense of humour as he balances his family and work life.
TV Series 1996 – 2005
9 Seasons – 210 Episodes
The show is centered on the day-to-day life of an Italian-American named Raymond “Ray” Barone, a sportswriter for Newsday living with his family on Long Island. Beleaguered and diffident yet dryly sarcastic, Ray takes few things seriously, making jokes in most situations, no matter how serious. He avoids responsibilities around the house and with his kids, leaving them to his wife, Debra, resulting in her being angry and stressed out quite often.
Ray and Debra have a daughter Ally (Alexandra) and twin sons Michael and Geoffrey; the Barone children are regular characters but not a major focus. Raymond’s parents, Marie and Frank, live across the street with their older son Robert (who, later has his own apartment). The Barone relatives frequently make their presence known to the annoyance of Ray and Debra. Although she loves them, Debra’s justifiable complaints about Ray’s overbearing family serve as one of the show’s comedic elements. Out of the three unwanted visitors, Debra is particularly resentful of Marie, an insulting, controlling, manipulative woman who criticizes her passive-aggressively and praises Ray, clearly favoring him over other son Robert.
Ray typically falls in the middle of family arguments, incapable of taking any decisive stand, especially if it might invoke Marie’s disapproval. Robert, jealous of his younger sibling’s position as their mother’s favorite son and the success his brother has achieved professionally and personally, is Ray’s biggest rival; Robert and Ray frequently argue like overgrown children, focusing much of their energy picking on or one-upping each other, although deep down they love each other dearly.
Frank Barone is a retiree prone to directing insults and merciless put-downs at everyone he meets. Largely an absentee father when Ray and Robert were growing up, Frank buries his feelings and rarely yields to sentiment. As the series progresses, however, several episodes demonstrate that he loves his family immensely. Unlike everyone else, Frank has no problem criticizing Marie and often comes to Debra’s defense, whenever Marie comments disparagingly about their daughter-in-law.
Ray and Debra’s marriage is fraught with conflicts. Ray prefers sports television over discussions with Debra on marital matters. Ray works full-time, as his father had, leaving most child-rearing responsibilities to his wife, and he is often forced against his will to help around the house. One of the show’s recurring elements finds the couple having a long discussion in bed, before going to sleep.
