By Cynthia Littleton | Hollywood Reporter

Brad Garrett wasn't just being optimistic Sunday night during the Primetime Emmy Awards telecast when he hinted at the possibility of an "Everybody Loves Raymond" spinoff coming together in the near future.

Negotiations for a "Raymond" spinoff revolving around Garrett's woebegone character, Robert Barone, his wife and in-laws are said to have heated up at CBS during the past two weeks, sources said Monday. "Raymond" wrapped its nine-season run in May but enjoyed a last hurrah Sunday when it beat out favorite "Desperate Housewives" for outstanding comedy series Emmy. Garrett also walked away from Sunday's awards with his third supporting comedy actor trophy for his work on the much-decorated sitcom.

Talks for a Garrett spinoff have been on-again, off-again for some time, but sources said the various camps involved had made significant progress on outstanding issues during the past week. Sources said there is a strong possibility that "Raymond" creator and executive producer Phil Rosenthal will come back on board as showrunner with a number of the scribes that worked alongside him on "Raymond" for years.

"Raymond," which bowed on CBS in 1996, had been a co-production of HBO Independent Prods. and David Letterman's Worldwide Pants production banner. It's understood that if the Garrett spinoff comes together, the show would be produced by CBS' studio sibling, Paramount Network TV, though HIP and Worldwide Pants would retain some financial interest in the new show.