By Stuart Levine
| Variety Magazine

There never would've been a "Raymond" without a Phil. As much as the title of the series indicates affection for Ray Romano, clearly the overwhelming reason the majority of the show's writers have stayed so long is the bond between them and exec producer Phil Rosenthal.

That, and a ton of syndication cash.

Now in it's ninth and final season, there are four writers who have been there from the first episode: Lew Schneider, Tucker Crawley, Steve Skrovan and Jeremy Stevens.

"He's meant everything to us," Skrovan says of Rosenthal. "He's brilliant, with a real story-telling sense. This is his medium. The idea that stories need to be about something is the lesson I've learned from him."

"You never saw a bunch of people enjoy each other more to a sickening degree," Rosenthal says. "There's a lot of good will among these fellows and ladies. We have enjoyed each other's company beyond the show."

If history of megahit sitcoms has shown anything, it's that writers are often tempted to take off a few seasons in, landing their own production deals. Using the success of one job to find another - which a much higher payday - is de rigeur in the TV world.

All of which makes the stability of "Raymond" staff that much more impressive.

Sure, there were some who stayed for awhile and left. Mike Scully came over from "The Simpsons," stayed for two years before heading over to ABC's "Savages." Jennifer Crittenden spent three seasons before she moved on in 2002 to become co exec producer of the CBS show "Bram and Alice" which failed to last more than one season.

And there's Cindy Chupack, who wrote for the first three seasons and moved on to a little HBO show called "Sex and the City".

As appreciation for their dedication, Schneider and the original writers received salary bumps in seasons three and four, and eventually all received producer credits.

"This show is so producer heavy, it's gonna fall down," cracks Skrovan.

Like the writers, Rosenthal has had his opportunities to leave. He received an offer from Disney in "Raymond"'s second season before the show had reached Nielsen successes. Yet, he remained.

"He realized this is my baby," Skrovan relates. "Why should I fall on my face somewhere else when I can tell my stories here."

The writers' room on the Warner Bros. room has always been a sanctuary for the "Raymond" staff. They talk about their most personal stuff - fights with spouses, issues with kids and maybe even a chance meeting up with an old girlfriend - all of which is sifted over and over again to see if it can be mined for a future episode.

"The main rule is, 'Could this happen?' explains Rosenthal. "You'd be surprised at how many times this is broken by other shows. It's not a requirement to many writers but it just so happens that if you're going to write about a family, you should believe everything in that story."

"This is our lives," says Schneider. "The put-upon guy who fights with his wife and parents. It felt so real to us."

Nobody is willing to talk about how the series will end in May. Rosenthal already has a story outline in place and then the staff will flesh it out.

While there's no sense on how the Barones will end up, one thing is fairly certain: Don't expect any babies to be born, people to get married or someone dropping dead from a heart attack. "Raymond" after all, is about finding the laughter in everyday situations.

"It's fine to have serious moments because that adds to the reality of the show, but comedy is job one," Rosenthal says. "We've all had a ball doing it. It started out as a show about a family, and the show has become our family."