The cast of Everybody Loves Raymond are set to reunite for a 30th anniversary special, it’s been announced today (October 3).
Three decades after the hit comedy series premiered on CBS, an anniversary special will air on November 24.
Starring Ray Romano as put-upon Italian-American dad Raymond Barone, the series ran for 210 episodes between 1996 and 2005 before being remade for multiple international markets. In the UK, it aired in the popular weekday breakfast slot on Channel 4.
Romano, who won an Emmy for Comedy Lead Actor for his portrayal of Ray Barone in the show, will host the special alongside the creator of the series, Phil Rosenthal.
The 90-minute special, which will be a Friends: The Reunion-style one-off episode, will also take place on a stage where the Barone family’s living room will be recreated for the event.
Other stars of the series joining the special include Patricia Heaton (Debra), Brad Garrett (Robert), Monica Horan (Amy), Madylin Sweeten (Ally) and Sullivan Sweeten (Michael) as per Variety.
According to a synopsis for the reunion show, it will feature “candid conversations with cast members Brad Garrett, Patricia Heaton, Monica Horan, Madylin Sweeten and Sullivan Sweeten, as well as never-before-seen outtakes and commentary from the cast on how they became one of America’s most beloved families.
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“The special will also include a moving tribute to Doris Roberts and Peter Boyle, whose unforgettable portrayals of Marie and Frank Barone made them fan favorites and the emotional anchors of the series. Cast, crew and special guests will share heartfelt reflections on how this dynamic duo redefined the roles of interfering mother-in-law and couch-potato dad into lovable pillars of the Barone family.”
Rumours of a reunion circulated earlier this year after creator Phil Rosenthal spoke to NME.
He told us: “This year we’ve been off the air for 20 years,” said Rosenthal. “It’s a good time to do a reunion special, the way Friends did a reunion special [in 2021]. It wasn’t a reboot of Friends. It was: here they are now – talking about what it was like then… We can do that next year when we’ll have premiered 30 years ago. We’re talking to production companies right now. We want to do it.”
Romano has spoken many times about his reluctance to do a full reboot or sequel to the show – as other ‘90s sitcoms such as Frasier have done recently – and Rosenthal agreed with him: “Time has passed. People have passed away, so a reboot isn’t going to feel the same. It never does,” he said earlier this year. “There’s so much money to be had if you keep going. We felt like we had enough money. We’d done well enough to live comfortably. Why keep going? We’re gonna actually hurt the legacy of the show.”
He continued: “We’ll all have fun stories because that’s where all the material for Raymond came from – from stuff that happened to us. If you worked for me, your job was to go home, get in a fight with your wife and come back in and tell me about it…”
During its run, the show won 19 Emmys, the SAG comedy ensemble award and the Writers Guild of America award for episodic comedy.
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