March 10, 2003
"DON'T GET MAD AT ME, RAY DID IT TOO":
It's funny because it's true: When you're a writer for CBS' "Everybody Loves Raymond," a hard night at home usually means an easy day at the office. (Phil Rosenthal, 3/10/03, Chicago Sun Times)When you're a writer for CBS' "Everybody Loves Raymond," a hard night at home usually means an easy day at the office."A lot of times, we'll be arguing with our spouses and you're sad that you're in the argument, but then you think, 'This could be 18 grand,' " said Steve Skrovan, one of the executive producers.
"That's not entirely true," supervising producer Mike Royce interrupted. "You also get 10 [grand] for the repeat."
"My wife will accuse me of getting this look in my eye," Skrovan said, "and she's going, 'This is not for the show!' "
Ah, but it almost always is, and the hit sitcom's creator and executive producer Phil Rosenthal (not to be confused with your favorite TV critic, though we also share a middle name) told moderator David Wild and an audience at the recent U.S. Comedy Arts Festival that he and his staff have the black and blue marks to prove it.
That's why even the most absurd of plots on the series have the ring of truth to them. More often than not, they have actually happened.
"I read that Carl Reiner ran ['The Dick Van Dyke Show' writers] room by saying, 'What happened at your house this week?' " Rosenthal said. "I thought that's the perfect model for how to do a show about real life, about a real family, so that's what we do."
You'd have to think that a good measure of the popularity of the show lies in the reassurance it gives us all that our own marriages are normal, or at least as normal as Ray and Debra's. Of course, it doesn't hurt that it and The Simpsons are the only funny shows on TV and that Patricia Heaton is part of the VRWC. Posted by Orrin Judd at March 10, 2003 1:16 PM
I don't man, you'd have a hard time convincing me that anything about last night's Simpsons episode (Krusty gets elected to Congress) was funny. In fact, it was so shockingly bad that I have now sworn never to watch any of the new episodes again.
Now, as to Patricia Heaton. She'd be any man's dream wife. Pretty and spunky...
Orrin . . .
Simpsons
-- funny?
Please, man, get a grip on yourself! Administer two episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show
with walnuts to yourself immediately, and repeat every hour until the Simpsons
craving abates.
Unless, Mr. Martinovich, that man already happens to have the ideal wife and is only interested in Ms Heaton for her politics, dangit!
Posted by: oj at March 10, 2003 4:21 PMIt's Ok, OJ. The Simpsons are very funny, even though some episodes miss.
Posted by: Bruce Cleaver at March 10, 2003 4:22 PMWell now Orrin, I haven't been so blessed so I can only dream about ideal or perfect wives :-)
Posted by: Steven Martinovich at March 10, 2003 4:35 PMTry "Life With Bonnie" OJ. You may enjoy it.
Posted by: Genecis at March 10, 2003 4:45 PMAs a fan of both The Simpsons
and Raymond,
I'd like to rush to the defense of last night's Simpsons (sub par though it was). The "attacks" on Republicans were so overtly over the top that they were obviously parody (Dracula (R): "My friend Frankenstein is now named Frankenreagan!") of how Republicans are percieved. And Lisa's line "I don't usually give advice to Republicans...though it'd be nice to be on the winning side, for once," was priceless.
And remember the Democratic candidate? No? That's how it was supposed to be. Again, art imitates life. Not that it was very good, but it shouldn't make you swear it off completely
Now, if you want to diss on last
week's Simpsons,
go right ahead.
C'mon. Of his two appearances Sunday night, the better had to be the one on The Simpsons
-- "Bob Dole likes to hear Bob Dole talking about Bob Dole." (paraphrasing from poor memory.)