Everybody Loves Raymond: Complete Series

Fantastic series that I watched live the first time around and now enjoying it once again with family.

This was a show that I missed entirely during its initial run, not for lack of interest, more likely it ran on an evening in which I was either working or going steady with an NBC counter program. (Frasier? Will & Grace?) So when I bought this set months ago I binge watched and then again this past week. Raymond is very well done. Well written, well produced, and you can’t find a better group of legendary actors. The war horse that was Doris Roberts brought decades of stage and filmed experience that included several other series, films, and a recurring on “Barney Miller” that earned her one of her five Emmy Awards. In 1978 she was in the show “Angie” playing the adult central character’s mother, a type she does again here to Ray Romano’s character. Not ironically in both “Angie” and in “Everybody Loves Raymond” she pulls around the lead (and title role actor) to become the most affecting actor on the show. Something that Allison Janney did on “Mom” and Jim Parsons did on “The Big Bang Theory”. And Roberts is one of five in an ensemble of brilliant and legendary actors that include Peter Boyle, Patty Heaton, and Brad Garret. As funny and well paced as Ray Romano is, he was the actor with the least experience and training on set. And he too got the ball over the fence. So with a show that was well done from the writer’s room to the stage why did it take me so long to show interest? Well for one it’s the stereotypical and sometimes offensive character portrayals. The depiction of marriage and family is dangerously archaic, looking more like Ozzie & Harriet than what was representative of a heterosexual couple between 1996 and 2005. It’s not so much that stay at home mothers are vastly represented here, it’s that it has been assumed that we accept this as universal. No where in this nine seasons do we meet a couple who doesn’t fit the profile of out of home father and in the home mother. It goes beyond that in that the attitudes are even more unsettling. Ray feels that any chore *inside* the house is Debra’s- women’s work- and the chores he does do are done begrudgingly and to avoid a screaming session from Debra (which is always fun as Patty Heaton is both brilliant and small). It’s closer to Archie and Edith than Ross and Rachel. Or Lilipad and Marshmallow. Even Ray and Debra’s sex life rotates around the premise of horny Ray and headache Debra. The man is -and this outdated term is the only appropriate adjective - henpecked. In this way show is an homage to the changing American Nuclear Family. But it does not adopt the attitude that everything and everyone is pristine and perfect. That’s where the term “situation comedy” comes from, the plot drives the characters such as Lucy and Ricky, Samantha and Darin, Mike and Carol. “Everybody Loves Raymond” is called a sitcom but in truth it’s a character comedy where the action is illuminated and driven by character and these five actors know how to drive. Every one is deeply flawed and a few are stupid. All the Barones are ignorant, suggesting that these folks don’t take The New York Times. The title is a reference to the animosity and competitive nature between Ray and his brother Robert, a man so tall that he makes Ray look tiny. And he’s 6’1”. As for Debra, when looking at her between these two men the comedy iz traditional. A tiny woman is so frightening that her tall husband and his giant brother give up to any request or, let’s be honest, demand. The result is a comforting exploration of nostalgia. And if you’re into this then you can’t go wrong with this.

Nice product and fast service

I just got my house and it's great! Most who are interested in this set probably already know each of the 210 episodes by heart, so I'll describe the packaging. It looks so cute on display. The roof lifts up to reveal the nine cases for each season. They look like minis of the individual season cases with sturdy covers that open up like books. They are set in the house at different heights so they are easy to pull out. Inside there is the episode list and photos like with the individual seasons. The discs are in cardboard sleeves that have a photo of one of the 5 main characters with two quotes. I know a lot of people are concerned about the cardboard sleeves scratching the discs. I will admit, they do fit rather tightly in the sleeves, but each sleeve has a paper backing that seems to protect the disc from scratches. I have not noticed scratches on the ones I've pulled out so far but, I haven't played these discs enough yet to really test it. What I really like about the box set, besides it being so cute, is that it takes up less room than those big, bulky individual season sets. It takes up a little more than six individual seasons worth, so that frees up a lot of space in my cabinet. The discs have the same extras as the individuals seasons, plus you also get a book with the shooting script for "The Finale." The autographs of the writers are facsimiles on the cover. If the discs hold up (I've heard of disc protectors you can snap on called "D-Skins," but I'm not sure they will fit with this setup) and with the reasonable price you can get this for on Amazon right now, I see no reason to keep those bulky individual sets, so up for sale they go!

This is my first purchase of a complete series. I'm not a big fan of TV comedies. Most of them seem crude, predictable and immature. However, "Everybody Loves Raymond" presents a refreshing, real world comedy with warmth and intelligence. There are many poignant moments as Ray tries to define himself as a husband and father and get out from under his mother's thumb. His brother Robert gradually evolves to get his own life even as he tries to disentangle himself from Marie's apron strings and an ongoing sibling rivalry. Aside from being entertaining, there are lessons to be learned about forgiveness, communication, sharing and enjoying the moment. The episodes are fresh and interesting and usually contain sensitive human insights. The set arrived in a timely manner and in good condition. I have played the first 10 episodes so far. Except for a rare flicker in the picture on one DVD (which might have been caused by my DVD player) I am pleased with the quality. I love the storage box - a house with faces of all the family looking at you through the windows - it makes a nice display. The individual cases have sturdy cardboard sleeves with an additional paper liner to protect the playing surface of each disc. It is great fun watching the series from the beginning. Each episode shows a picture and a brief synopsis of the plot which helps when you are trying to find your favorites among 210 episodes. I have been watching 1 episode per night. It provides my daily dose of laughter (which the Bible says is "good medicine") and the opportunity to unwind after a busy and/or stressful day. The purchase price of $199.00 seems reasonable for what was included.

I don't know about the others, but I love this set inside and out. I read most, if not all, the reviews before my purchase and I'm glad I did because it really helped me make a decision. Though I wanted the "house" packaging, it just had too many negative reports about warped or scratched discs. I live in the Philippines and the return option that buyers in the US enjoy is just not reasonably available to me. So I settled with the simple box set and I am very happy with it. The dvds are all nicely tucked and protected inside. The cases are slim, so if you think that 9 seasons of a set might take up a whole shelf, hardly. It's just about half the size of a shoebox. I have watched seasons 1 through 3 and so far, no scratches nor jumps, and all the dvds work. I think if I come across any jump along the way, I'd be laughing too hard to notice anyway, so don't worry about it. Now for the content and how the episodes are put together. There is no debate on the genius of this show so I won't go there. This is really for everybody who loves Raymond. And Robert. And Frank and Marie. And Debra. So if you're not one of us, just don't buy it. But if you are, I'd like to say a bit about the common complaint I've read here about the fact that the producers didn't put in a "PLAY ALL" feature. I thought that would be something annoying at first, but when I saw how they allowed the viewer to "take a break" and manually choose the next episode, I thought it was really a non-issue (with me at least). I like that I'm able to still laugh at the jokes and punch lines before I tune in to the next one, or make a quick trip to the snack pantry skippity hopping to the jazz piano tune that has now become like a siren that means "IT'S LAUGH TIME!" in my house. I also like that they present a simple synopsis of the episode before you choose it. I don't know, I just like reading titles because it helps me get ready. :) But wait! I think the producers have been listening in to all the "no play all" complaints here because I just started on the 3rd season and... Viola! ... PLAY ALL. It turns out so far that only seasons 1 and 2 don't have the play all button. Not sure if the rest of the seasons are like this... we'll see. I guess it's a good feature to have if you want to watch it nonstop. So there. I hope my review has helped you. And I hope you will enjoy every episode as much as my whole family does.

My friends raved about "Raymond", encouraging me to watch them on old time TV, which I did. I found them very funny, at least what I saw on the tube, so I bought this set. "Raymond" ran for 9 seasons, so it was obviously a favorite. As time and the series went on, I found Raymond's sarcastic humor tiring and bouncing jokes off of the other characters for what the British call a "cheap laugh." I gave up watching after Season Seven; Eight and Nine remain un-viewed. Perhaps, I will dig out the discs and finish the series. Some people like sarcastic, acerbic humor, but it doesn't appeal to me. Loved Brad Garrett's and Patricia Heaton's characters, which are often on the pointed end of the jokes.

Good quality