Ray Romano’s “Everybody Loves Raymond” Title Torment Revealed
The producer revealed that Ray Romano, then 67, strongly disliked the show’s title. Before its 1996 debut, he even contacted several influential figures in the entertainment industry to try and get it changed.
“He called David Letterman, and he called the president of CBS and said, ‘Please, can we change the show name?’” the producer recalled. “So the president said, ‘Look, if it’s a hit, we’ll change it.’ And then it became a hit and the president says, ‘Well, we can’t change it now!’”
But were there any other options considered? A special exhibit, commemorating “30 Years of Everybody Loves Raymond: A Behind-the-Scenes Tribute” and open until Sept. 7, includes a display case showcasing Romano’s handwritten alternative show titles. Some of these included, “Guy Named Ray,” “Regarding Raymond,” and simply “Ray.”
The series, which aired from 1996 to 2005, achieved both critical acclaim and widespread popularity. Romano shared that he hadn’t anticipated being part of a long-running television series and had even begun to think his career had plateaued when the opportunity to develop one arose.
“I was a working standup comic before the show, and I was making a living doing standup — and let me just say this — I love doing standup. I’m passionate about it. I still am. I had three kids at the time, and there was a time where I thought if there’s another level, maybe it’ll happen now,” he explained.
Romano added, “It was 11 years into my standup career, and it wasn’t really happening, and then I was accepting, you know, that’s okay. I’m doing what I love to do. And then I did a David Letterman spot, and when I did my standup on Letterman, they signed me to a deal to develop a show.”
“And here we are, and it changed my life,” he said. “It changed my family’s life, you know, I’ve made such great friends. It changed my career.”
In a separate interview, the producer shared what he would have done differently with Everybody Loves Raymond, looking back.
“I wish we did 10 more years,” he stated.
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