Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Everybody should love Raymond, 26 Nov 2006
`Everybody Loves Raymond' was not as popular here as it was in the States, mainly because it was only shown on terrestrial TV at strange hours of the morning on Channel 4. That's a shame because it is a good deal better and funnier than a great many sitcoms, even if it wasn't as `cutting edge' as some of its contemporaries (it ran around the same time as `Seinfeld').
A lot of people, I think, were put off simply by the premise, as from that it sounds like it would just be another stupid family-based American sitcom. Okay, so it is a family-based sitcom, but it's by no means stupid and the Barones are not your average American family, despite the suburban setting.
The premise is this: journalist Ray lives with his wife Debra and 3 children, directly across the street from Ray's parents - interfering if well-meaning Marie and irascible Frank (a kind of more outspoken Victor Meldrew) - as well as Ray's often hilariously jealous brother Robert.
A lot of the humour is derived from subverting the suburban setting and everyday events which the stories revolve around. And while some of the references are less relevant to a British audience, there is still a lot of observational comedy which we can relate to.
Series 1 is not quite as sharp as later series, and the actors are still getting into their strides, but it is still very well-written and performed and there is a lot to laugh at. It's the kind of seemingly effortless comedy that makes you wonder why we can't do it anymore.
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Everybody Should Love This Show, 24 Sep 2005
Not knowing anything about this sitcom I was not expecting much from 'Raymond' when I first watched it on Channel Four. It followed 'Friends' and I thought that it would be poor in comparison.I was in for a pleasant surprise. Everybody Loves Raymond is one of those rare sitcoms where not only do you find the script extremely funny but you also begin to associate yourself with the characters. At first glance the family seems to be the usual dysfunctional sitcom creation but then you see how familiar and likeable they actually are. Each one is quite different and have their own crazy traits which contribute to the storylines but none of them are so extreme that you cannot relate to their behaviour. This is all well and good but all sitcoms live and die by the number of laughs they generate. Once again you cannot fault Raymond as each episode explores the natural conflict between Ray and his wife Debra or with Ray's parents or with Ray's brother etc. Each plot develops into a number of different hilarious situations but concludes with the realisation that the family is just trying to look out for each other. This series is a real gem and one you really need to experience before making a judgement.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Because Everybody Loves Raymond, 19 Oct 2007
Ray Romano is Ray Barone, a sports writer, who's married to Debra, a beautiful young woman who's always trying to do the best she can; they have two twin boys Michael and Geoffry and daughter Allie. They live across the street from their nagging parents, Marie, a self-obsessed mother who's always right and Frank, a lazy guy who clicks his fingers and Marie does what he wants.
This series was terribly overlooked - it's very funny and it's probably the best for Robert - you get to see his more closed side, the way he doesn't really interact with the family and has his values, his more serious police side is so prominant. It's also one of Ray's funnier seasons, though it's a tough call, but it's definately a classic that ELR fans need to watch, even if they came into it very late.
Some of the best episodes include the one where Ray fancies a waitress at Nemo's - specially when Robert asks for a lot of cheese; the one where Frank beats Ray at poker and Robert uses his policing skills and of course the one where Debra makes the fish for the thanksgiving lunch.
All the characters are very strong, there's not one I can point to and say they're ruining it, which is refreshing. The show does have a family angle to it but at times has a darker undertone which makes it funnier, like the way Ray's always trying to get some time with Debra and their annoyances.
The DVD transfer is pretty good too, in it's 4:3 framing and the colour is rich at all times. The sound is also very clear and as good as the originals. The only gripe I have, and why it lost a star is because of the lack of extras, though the last disk does have some great stuff, I've have loved to see more commentries and inside looks like they did with Seinfeld.
This is a good boxset, definately worth grabbing, specially at this value.
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