May 18 (UPI) — Ray Romano told UPI he doesn’t think Everybody Loves Raymond will be one of the many beloved, canceled sitcoms to get a revival.Romano co-created the show with Phil Rosenthal and starred in it with Patricia Heaton from 1996 to 2005. Still popular in re-runs, it follows Ray and Debra Barone, a married couple raising their three, young children next door to Ray’s loving, but intrusive parents Marie and Frank on Long Island, N.Y.
The cast also included Doris Roberts, Peter Boyle and Sawyer Sweeten, all of whom have died since the series wrapped.
Several shows from the 1980s and ’90s — including Full House, Roseanne and Murphy Brown — have recently been renewed for new seasons with most of their original casts intact.Asked Thursday if he would consider bringing Everybody Loves Raymond back, Romano admitted this is a question he is getting a lot these days. He also said he and Rosenthal talked about it and came to the conclusion it would be impossible to recreate what made the original show so special without Roberts, Boyle and Sweeten.
“We both agree. The parents are gone. Both parents are gone and they were SO the show,” Romano said, dismissing the idea that Ray and Debra could take the place of Frank and Marie and meddle in their now-adult children’s lives.
“It’s so not the show, then. We just don’t believe it would do the show justice or be good enough to do it. Not only that, but one of the kids is gone also, so, I never say never, but I think it’s ‘no.'”
The actor can now be seen in the EPIX dramedy Get Shorty, which will soon begin its second season.
Writer-producer Rosenthal, he pointed out, has also been busy with his own food and travel shows I’ll Have What Phil’s Having and Somebody Feed Phil.
“He always wanted to be on camera, so he’s got what he wanted,” Romano said. “He loves to eat and he loves to be on camera. So, he’s got it all now.”
Rosenthal is married to Monica Horan, who played Ray and Debra’s sister-in-law Amy on Everybody Loves Raymond. Heaton will end her nine-season run on The Middle on Tuesday.
