By Michael Schneider
| Variety Magazine

As the Emmy-winning laffer prepares its final episodes, it's clear
everybody really did love "Raymond".

The show's impending departure doesn't bode well for the sitcom genre, which hasn't been able to recapture the humor and spirit of "Everybody Loves Raymond" in recent years. Before it goes away, net and studio execs could take away a few more lessons from the hit comedy.

"Everybody Loves Raymond" was a case study in how a show doesn't necessarily have to jump the shark - thanks in part to the stability of its cast and writing team, led by creator Phil Rosenthal.

And it reminded webheads that patience can pay off.

The Ray Romano starrer also redefined the family sitcom - turns out it doesn't have to be about the kids - and proved that CBS could generate an off-network sitcom hit.

"I think it will be remembered for taking the traditional family comedy, which felt like it was so familiar, and turning it on its ear; making it so eccentric and smart and funny in unexpected ways," says CBS comedy senior VP Wendi Trilling.

On the surface, the series' conceit sounded rather simple: Suburban man juggles wife, kids and pesky parents (who happen to live next door). But out of that setup, the show found humor in the most ordinary situations.

"I'm very proud to say that we kind of had it right out of the gate," Rosenthal says. "Certain characters were well-delineated right away...For the most part, I think we hit the ground running. I'm proud of that. And I think we grew from there."

It's common knowledge by now that Rosenthal and his team tap into their own lives and adapt those real-life moments to "Raymond"'s Barone family.

Scribe Tucker Crawley, for example, once spent several weeks quietly sparring with his wife over who would put away the empty suitcase. That scenario was eventually adapted for Ray and Debra.

Then there was the time, Rosenthal went to parents' night at his kids' school for a "kids read their stories out loud day." Rosenthal's son Ben got up and read, "The Angry Family."

"I was mortified," Rosenthal says, "but then, in a split second I thought how lucky am I to have a child who writes for my television show."

Of course, it's easy to forget that "Raymond" didn't start as the tentpole megahit that it is today. Launching on Fridays in 1996, the "Raymond" pilot tested just "above average" - and then stumbled out of the gate.

Still, Eye execs never lost faith. CBS' moved the show to Mondays at 8:30 in midseason, behind "Cosby."

"It felt like an underdog for sure," Trilling says. "But it never felt like it was on the brink of cancellation. Everyone wanted it to succeed. Of course, there was a lot riding on that first Monday night airing."

The pressure was on. Rosenthal remembers a call from Les Mooves, who was then entertainment president, telling him that "the critics love the show, we love the show, but if you don't perform better here, we can't help you anymore."

They did. Rosenthal credits TV critics for helping get the show out of its Friday death slot.

"Raymond," of course went on to become the first big syndication hit for a CBS laffer since "MASH". Patience paid off and the sitcom will be forever cited as an example of how a good show can start slow but grow into a huge success with some luck and nurturing.

Even then, few shows manage to keep the same quality going to the end. Critics believed "Seinfeld" and "Friends" overstayed their welcome - but not "Raymond."

At this point, "Raymond" is on taps to produce 16 episodes this season before taking one final bow. Rosenthal says he hopes the show's legacy boils down to one simple question: Is this episode worth watching again?

"We like to think that we haven't done a bad episode," he says. "We like to think that very episode has a tiny bit of laughter. Sure, some are better than others, but we may mistakenly believe that we have done all good episodes."

And what about the future of the sitcom, now that "Raymond" is retiring? Rosenthal clearly gets that question a lot.

"I've heard the question asked, 'Does this mean the end of an era? Does this mean the end of sitcoms?' And I think yes," he quips. "I think not only on television, but comedy everywhere. In fact I don't see any more laughter coming anywhere."