By David Biello | The Hollywood Reporter

'Raymond's' Ray Romano and Phil Rosenthal discuss remaining timeless -- and hoping the next gig allows for some liberal curse words.

The most impressive thing about CBS' "Everybody Loves Raymond" isn't the fact it survived a sluggish start to stick around for 210 episodes, nor is it that the lead and supporting cast remained the same for all nine seasons. It's that star/executive producer Ray Romano and creator-showrunner Phil Rosenthal are still speaking to each other.

Typically, success on "Raymond" levels leads to runaway egos, petulant sniping and a departure in the middle of the show's run of the creator, executive producer or both.

But even despite fielding some lucrative offers along the way, Rosenthal has remained to the end -- and he and Romano appear closer and more respectful of one another than ever. Ray Richmond for The Hollywood Reporter spoke recently with the creative minds behind the show to find out how they've stuck together -- and what's next for them down the line.

The Hollywood Reporter: How does it feel now that the end is finally really here?
Ray Romano: It's a little bit surreal. But the weirdest thing is that a part of me wonders why such a big deal is being made of it. We were never really taken by the success of this show, since the concern was always having to make the next show funny. There was never time to step back and be affected by what it became.
Phil Rosenthal: For the first time in nine years, I get to lie down and savor this a little bit. It's like I just finished this great meal in a great restaurant where I was lucky enough to get a reservation, and now, I finally have a chance to savor the memory of every bite.

THR: Ray, you're famously insecure about all of this. Can you finally take a step back and feel great about what you have accomplished?
Romano: My comedian mentality won't allow it. As a stand-up, my makeup is such that half of me believes I'm the best thing that ever walked the Earth, and the other half thinks I'm worthless. I accept that the show was a hit, but a part of me has never really bought into it very much. I still think I'm kind of an impostor.

THR: Phil, you almost left "Raymond" the second year after the Walt Disney Co. offered a development deal. Why did you stay?
Rosenthal: I knew what I had here, and I appreciated it. I was writing about my own family. When would I ever have that opportunity again? The answer always came back, "Never."

THR: Why did this show succeed?
Rosenthal: We were drawing from real life instead of from some contrived version of it. It turned out that our real lives were relatable to the lives of the people watching us. Our rules on this show were, No. 1, could this happen? If not, it was thrown out. You get a much bigger laugh if you keep it in the real world and then take it as far as you can go.
Romano: We purposely left out anything topical to make it timeless; that gives us lasting power.

THR: CBS is still hoping you guys will change your mind and say you were only kidding -- that you'll be back for Season 10. Why end it now?
Rosenthal: We didn't want to stick around just to pad our total. The reason we only did 16 episodes this season and decided to get out after the ninth season is that we were out of stories; we had done everything we could to this family. We were lucky enough to be recognized as a decent show and maybe one that might even endure. We wanted to preserve that little legacy.

THR: What do you do for an encore?
Romano: I'm going to make a conscious effort to freshen my stand-up material and get out on stage with a new act. I'd love to see a good film script, but my track record is a little shaky there. I am doing a voice for (Fox's planned 2006 animated comedy) "Ice Age 2." And I'd like to spend more time with my family and on the golf course.
Rosenthal: I've got a lot of ideas. But I'm just going to rest a little for now. I'm going to force myself to play video games and eat a lot of food.

THR: Do you ever see yourself doing another TV comedy?
Romano: I don't think I'd do another network sitcom. Would I do another show for cable? I wouldn't rule that out. I mean, I like to curse once in a while, and I haven't had the chance (on broadcast). So, let me just take the opportunity to say, "Fuck, fuck, fuck." Maybe throw a "cocksucker" in there, too.