CBS' long-running comedy "Everybody Loves Raymond" reached the end on Monday (May 16). Saving the best for last, "Raymond" went out with the largest audience in its nine-season history.

Nearly 33 million viewers tuned in for a finale that fans agreed was just like a regular episode of the show, stripped of the emotional histrionics that characterized recent finales for "Friends" and "Frasier." The show went out with a 20.2 rating/29 share and with a 7.5 rating among adults 18-49. Both figures were also the best in "Raymond" history.

The "Raymond" episode, which followed a heavily viewed "Last Laugh" special (24.52 million) and led into the most watched episode of "Two and a Half Men" (24.24 million) ever, ranks as CBS's most watched entertainment broadcast this season and the network's most watched sitcom episode since the 1992-93 season premiere of "Murphy Brown."

Given the rumors that everybody loves "Raymond," it's probably unfair to compare the show's finale figures to other great comedy exits of recent years. "Raymond" managed to outdo "Frasier," which left to an audience of 25.2 million in May 2004, though that NBC show averaged a 9.8 demographic rating in its finale. The "Friends" finale that same month drew 52.25 million and a 24.9 demographic rating.

All three departures pale in comparison to the exits of legendary comedies like "M*A*S*H" (106.0 million), "Cheers" (80.4 million) and "Seinfeld" (76.3 million).