NEED TO KNOW
We’re going back to Long Island.
This November, CBS will air Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion, a celebration of the hit sitcom starring Ray Romano as sports writer Ray Barone, who lives on Long Island with his family. The iconic comedy series first premiered on Sept. 13, 1996, and ran for 9 seasons, ending in 2005.
The special will be hosted by Romano, 67, and series creator (and Somebody Feed Phil star) Phil Rosenthal. It will feature special appearances from cast members Brad Garrett, Patricia Heaton, Monica Horan, Madylin Sweeten, Sullivan Sweeten and more. On the series, Garrett played Ray’s brother Robert while Heaton played his wife Debra. Horan played Robert’s wife Amy. Madylin played Ray and Debra’s eldest daughter Ally. Madylin’s real life brothers while Sullivan and Sawyer played Debra and Ray’s twin sons Geoffrey and Michael. Sawyer died in 2015 at 19 years old.
CBS
CBS said in their announcement, “Twenty years since the show’s finale episode, audiences are invited back to the recreated Barone living room for an unforgettable evening with America’s favorite family.” The special will feature “candid conversations” with the former stars as well as never-before-seen outtakes and commentary.
The special will also include a tribute to Doris Roberts and Peter Boyle, who played Ray’s indomitable parents Marie and Frank Barone. Boyle died in 2006 at age 71. Roberts died in 2016 at 90 years old. In their announcement, CBS said, “Cast, crew and special guests will share heartfelt reflections on how this dynamic duo redefined the roles of interfering mother-in-law and couch-potato dad into lovable pillars of the Barone family.”
Everybody Loves Raymond became a ratings success when it aired on CBS and has continued to have a strong fan base in syndication. The series was nominated for 69 Emmys, winning 15, including wins for Romano, Heaton, Roberts and Garrett. The show won outstanding comedy series twice, in 2003 and 2005.
Gale M. Adler/ CBS
Romano and Garrett reunited in September on stage at the Emmys.
The loss of Boyle and Garrett has kept the Everybody Loves Raymond cast and crew from exploring a reboot or sequel series. “There is no show without the parents,” Garrett, 65, told PEOPLE in June. “They were the catalyst, and to do anything that would resemble that wouldn’t be right to the audiences or to the loyal fan base. And it was about those two families, and you can’t get around that.”
He added, “I know [the reboot] won’t happen, but 30 years later, I got very lucky to get on that bus. I’m very grateful.”
Romano told PEOPLE in December 2024 that he recently rewatched the series for the first time. “Back back then, 20 years ago, I was quite critical of it, close to it,” he said. “I did it. I was there. I saw how the butter was made or whatever the saying is. Being removed from it now, I appreciated it. I was able to say, ‘You know what, we did something pretty good.’ ”
Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion airs Nov. 24 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and will stream on Paramount+.
