Much of the extra personality given to the characterizations are defined by the actors in the cast. For instance, Garrett’s spin on the Everybody Loves Raymond character was a wonderful addition to the show and formed the basis for some interesting character dynamics. However, the brother character was not entirely true to Ray Romano. As Romano said in the interview: “[Brad] came in and brought this character to it… My brother is, like I say, a cop, 5’11” with an attitude, and Brad brought this slant to it…at the time, [my brother] would take a lot of stuff from the other cops. They think it’s a documentary.”
We Wouldn’t Have This Spinoff Without ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’
The CBS spin-off lasted for a whopping nine seasons.
Besides Richard Romano getting teased by his coworkers, the show had other unintended side effects, as it created a bit of conflict between Ray Romano and his mother. “In the beginning,” Romano told King, “I took a lot of heat from my mother for the way my brother was portrayed.” Many of the characters are given flaws that keep them from being perfect parallels to their real-life inspirations. This practice makes for good storytelling, but it also has real-world effects when it comes to the people the characters are based on. Taking inspiration from real life is an important part of the writing process — it adds a level of realism and unique qualities. For instance, focusing on Ray’s family as the center point of the show led to some truly hilarious and memorable moments. The characters have an added layer of depth that comes from their counterparts in the real world.
Marie Barone (Doris Roberts) and Frank Barone (Peter Doyle) also have plenty of flaws as characters that have the potential to leak into the real world as well. However, because Everybody Loves Raymond is a comedy, these flaws are more lighthearted, and have more potential for playful and teasing comparisons to their real-life counterparts than actual friction. When it comes to basing characters off of real people, there’s a delicate balance to take into consideration. And since Everybody Loves Raymond is about Ray and his family at the core of every episode, that balance can be especially difficult to navigate. Thankfully, the show portrays its characters with enough good grace and playfulness to walk that fine line with plenty of laughs.
Everybody Loves Raymond is available to watch on Peacock in the U.S.
