Standup comedian
Ray Romano stars
as Ray Barone, a
successful sportswriter and devoted husband to Debra (Patricia
Heaton), who deals with his brother and
parents, who happen to live across the
street. Frank
(Peter Doyle) and Marie (Doris Roberts) love to meddle in his
life, while older brother Robert (Brad Garrett) sometimes resents
his success. Nevertheless, Ray manages
to keep a bight
outlook and a sense of humor
as he balances his
family and work lives.
CRITIQUE
Everybody Loves
Raymond is a funny show in general, but the family life it
depicts isn't anything new. There are countless other TV shows
about the quirkiness, struggles, and happenings of the
middle-class family, and even though Raymond seems to go
along the familiar formula, the first season introduces the Barone
family in a good light by showing how each family member is
different, what their personalities are like, and how they handle
themselves in situations. Speaking of situations, the plots are
pretty decent, and some are better than others. The comedy is
based a lot on dialogue, but the acting also propels it. Doris
Roberts and Peter Boyle play their parent roles very well, and
Brad Garrett's turn as Ray's brother is funny as he gets many
funny lines. Patricia Heaton and Ray Romano make a convincing
couple, and they do a good job.
THE VIDEO
HBO presents
Everybody Loves Raymond in 1.33:1 fullscreen. Video
quality looks pretty accurate. Colors and flesh tones look
natural except during some moments. The show looks a little
better than it does on TV, and that's just fine. Optional
subtitles include English, Spanish, and French.
THE AUDIO
HBO presents
Everybody Loves Raymond in English 2.0 Dolby Surround.
Dialogue is clear and easy to understand. The two front speakers
get the job done well enough. Nothing major happens on the show,
but the soundtrack is presented well. Also available are Spanish and French 2.0 dub tracks.
THE EXTRAS
This five-disc set
comes in attractive and durable packaging. The extras are good,
too, and for a first season release they are big, yet I'm
betting future releases won't see this many extras.
First are
commentary tracks by Ray Romano and series creator Phil
Rosenthal on the pilot and season finale. Fans may
appreciate these the most, but I found them only decent. Next
are three featurettes, which include interviews with show
creators, cast, and writers. How We Got Here (22:50)
looks at how the show started and what things were involved.
Casting the Family (11:05) tells how the actors were cast in
their roles and so on. Lastly, On the Air (20:47) is
about exactly what the title says it's about, with cast, crew,
and executives telling their stories. Rounding out the extras is
Ray Romano's Late Show With David Letterman (5:36)
appearance that started the idea for the show.
SUMMARY
The first season got it
all started, and I think the show and comedy will improve with future
seasons, but there are plenty of good laughs here even though I didn't
laugh a great deal in every program. The show doesn't do much at all
to reinvent the family sitcom formula, but the outcome is amusing
nevertheless. Fans of the series will find this set worth buying, and
overall I'm recommending it.
