Description

Standup comedian Ray Romano stars as Ray Barone, a successful sportswriter who deals with his brother and parents, who happen to live across the street. Patricia Heaton ("The Goodbye Girl"), Peter Boyle ("While You Were Sleeping"), Doris Roberts ("Remington Steele"), and Brad Garrett ("Gleason") round out the stellar cast. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

One of The Few Funny Sitcoms on TV These Days!
Everybody Loves Raymond is a very funny show, I was happy today when I found out on Amazon that the first season is finally coming out on DVD! Ray Romano is terrific as Ray Barone and Patricia Heaton is also terrific as his wife Deborah and so are Peter Boyle and Doris Roberts as his bickering parents and Brad Garrett as his older brother who suffers from a bad case of sibling rivlry and they all happen to live across the street. Doris Roberts plays the overcritical mother-in-law to the hilt and is always giving Deborah a hard time and criticizing her cooking, cleaning, etc, and the ongoing conflicts between the two and Ray getting caught in the middle is always amusing. The last year it seems that the sitcoms that they have added to the network lineups have been terrible with absolutely nothing funny about them at all but this show which has been on for at least seven years is still as funny as it was when it first aired on CBS and I'm happy that it's coming out on DVD and I highly recommend it

The Best Sitcom You Could Ask For
I'm sad that this sitcom will be ending its run in May, but all good things must come to an end. What better way to begin Raymond's final year than the release of the first season on DVD?

I have been waiting for this DVD for a long time. EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND doesn't just focus on getting cheap laughs. The sitcom serves as a microcosm of American society, namely, the human family.

In order to have good, quality comedy, you need to have some tension. That tension is well provided for with Raymond's parents, Marie and Frank, living right across the street. All families have tension, but the Barone tension is increased as a result of being too close together. Each episode focuses on the problems this family has, but it also focuses on their good days, too, and how they remain together and remain a unit, despite the tension. As we watch, we not only find ourselves laughing, but we find ourselves identifying with the people, because we just picture our own lives taking similar courses. (We also dread even more the prospect of living across the street from our in-laws.)

But there's even more to it than just the great comedy as a result of the family tensions and trials. Each character is also very well developed, and has a lot of backround. Each character is very three-dimensional, and believable. You find yourself relating to them more and more with each passing episode. (NOTE: All references to episodes in this review obviously are from this season 1, so you can see each episode I mention if you buy this set.)

Take Raymond himself, for example. He's not very intelligent and he never has any idea what his wife really means when she says she wants more romance, as we see clearly in the episode "I Love You." Rather than just respond to his wife's need to have more spoken intimacy, he asks his parents what they think. He truly does love his wife, and his kids, but his problems compound from the fact that he's what a woman would call a "typical guy" and from being completely under his parent's control. (To get a better idea of what I'm talking about in terms of the control they, especially Marie, have over him, just watch the Pilot. Then you'll get it.)

Then you have Raymond's wife, Debra. Again, she truly loves her husband. Deep down, she even loves Marie and Frank. However, she has a hard time showing it all the time because her nerves are constantly under the grind when Marie and Frank barge over constantly. In the episode "Fascinatin' Debra," the Barones ruin her interview with her favorite radio shrink, because she's "normal" and all the rest of them are "the front porch of the looney bin." However, we learn that Debra truly is the foundation that holds this entire family together. She has a lot of weight to carry on her shoulders, being the "normal one," so if she seems a bit cranky, that's why.

Marie is the mother that just loves to help. The only problem is she doesn't know where to draw the line between just helping and becoming a meddlesome nag. She would do anything for her family, but more often than not, she just goes a bit too far, which drives Debra crazy to no end. In "Debra's Sick," Marie truly shows her inner colors. While she comes on a bit strong, she is a loving, caring nurturer. But, on the flipside, you see her coming on far too strong with her love in "Turkey or Fish."

Frank is probably the most interesting character of them all. He's disgusting and he constantly makes the most hilarious cracks, especially about his wife. On the surface, they just don't appear to get along, and everyone constantly wonders how their marriage can possibly hold together. However, in "Your Place or Mine?" you see that Marie and Frank are truly compatible. Marie needs to be the nurturer, and Frank needs to be nurtured.

And finally, we have Robert, Raymond's obsessive-compulsive brother. Robert is insanely quirky, and has had a lot to deal with in his life. He's the second favorite son, despite being the firstborn, but he has a lot of love for everyone. Raymond and Robert, although they have typical sibling rivalries, they truly would do anything for each other, as seen in "The Dog."

There is so much more to this sitcom than I can type in this review. Go buy it. It's worth it, and then you can see for yourself.

The Raymond Review
Everybody Loves Raymond is saturated with satire and good humor.Unlike some other shows, it has more of an indepth look on the parents side, rather than relying on the kids for laughs. This show can produce a laugh easily from even the toughest critic. Weither its from the insanly good intenional mother, or raymond's hysterical comebacks. This is one of televisions greatest shows. From the all-american classic 'The Simpsons' to the hit show 'friends' Raymond fits in beutifully as one of americas greatist sitcoms.

One of the greatest sitcoms ever made
This has got to be the only sitcom in the world that made me laugh time and time again. All charecters in this wonderfully thought out long running comedy are superb. ever since it aired on CBS, i couldn't stop watching it because the comedy just keeps on rolling and stories that develop show with outragous outcomes and every aspect about this emmy winning comedy is fantastic. It's great, and now you can see how the epical sitcom that is known throughout the world started. 1st season DVD of 'Everybody Loves Raymond' is a great way to start your sitcom collection and don't forget other great titles like 'M*A*S*H', 'Will & Grace', 'Friends' and one the best sitcoms in the world 'Fraiser'.
10/10. This DVD will crack you up and keep you entertained, no matter how many times you watch it.

The Best Sitcom Ever!
It's about time Everybody Loves Raymond was put on DVD! The premise is extremely creative, and the beauty of this show is that it addresses common family issues that face average American families everyday. The first season is classic! From the hilarious "Fruit of the Month Club" in the pilot to the Scruples boardgame to the question of how on earth Ray and Debra landed across from Marie and Frank, this is a collector's item, and can be cherished and enjoyed by generations to come! No other sitcom, not even the crappy Friends, can top the hilarity and realism depicted in ELR! Well done! ... Read more