I have never watched this situational comedy, but as some friends were telling me about it, they stated a fascinating fact about its conceptive creation.

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When:

• 1996 – 2005
• 9 seasons
• 210 episodes
• 22 minutes a show
• CBS

Who:

The Writers: Phil Rosenthal, Tom Caltabiano, Lew Schneider and Aaron Shure

Main Cast:

• Ray Romano (Ray Barone), 
• Patricia Heaton (Debra Barone), 
• Brad Garrett (Robert Barone),
• Doris Roberts (Marie Barone),
• Peter Boyle (Frank Barone), 
• Monica Horan (Amy MacDougall), 
• Madylin Sweeten (Ally Barone),
• Sawyer Sweeten (Geoffrey Barone) 
• Sullivan Sweeten (Michael Barone) 

What:

• situational comedy
• “centered on the life of an Italian-American everyman named Raymond Barone, a sportswriter for Newsday living with his family on Long Island.”
• After the last episode, the writers revealed that most sketches came from their real-life personal stories.  Indeed, as oft-stated, “Art Imitates Life.”

“all the drive-you-crazy characters you see on Everybody Loves Raymond most likely came from Phil and Ray’s very own families” [1]

“We’d come in, we’d laugh about stuff at home. By lunch there’d be a story.  . . . What worked for me is writing what is specific to your life.” [2]

 

Key Biblical Thoughts:

• life and living
• stories
• true to life
• sanctification
• running the race set before us
• God’s will
• true to life
• application
• family
• imitation
• creativity

 Sermonic Example: Using Method #4

(use whatever information and details you might find useful)

The articles stated . . . . “all the drive-you-crazy characters you see on Everybody Loves Raymond most likely came from Phil and Ray’s very own families . . . We’d come in, we’d laugh about stuff at home. By lunch there’d be a story.  . . . What worked for me is writing what is specific to your life.”

Today, we are going to open to a story that Moses recorded, and came from Jacob’s own family experiences.   It is life as it is lived.  It comes from where we live — and speaks to our very own families. We find it in Genesis 49. . . . . .

 

 

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1. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/a33637193/everybody-loves-raymond-real-story/

“But then again, who doesn’t have Maries, Franks, Rays, Debras, and Roberts in their own families?”

“‘That was kind of the homework! We would go home early, we were home for dinner every night. All the writers. And the assignment was, ‘Go home, get in a fight with your wife so we have a show for tomorrow!’ Phil revealed.”

2. https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Learn-the-story-behind-Everybody-Loves-Raymond-43237.php

“One critical aspect Rosenthal boasted about was that everyone — actors and crew — went home by dinnertime. Hours on the set were purposely not long. “We needed to have a family life to make stories — it was a priority for me.” Without the stories, there would never have been a show. . . . .

What words of wisdom can he impart to others in pursuit of a career such as his? “What worked for me is writing what is specific to your life. This is what sets us apart. You write what you know. I’m proof that it worked.” And along the way, take classes, said Rosenthal. “You cannot learn to be funny, but you can learn the craft, techniques and structure.”

You can also learn more about Rosenthal’s world in his book, “You’re Lucky You’re Funny: How Life Becomes a Sitcom.” A bestseller from Viking Books, it came out last October. Plans are in the works to make it into a movie about Rosenthal and how “Everybody Loves Raymond” came to be.”