Phil Rosenthal and the book ‘You’re Lucky You’re Funny: How Life Becomes a Sitcom’

Do you remember the television show Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005)? It dealt with Ray Barone, his wife, his kids, his jealous brother and his overly obnoxious parents who are always getting in the way. Starring Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton and others, the process of getting the show off the ground, writing the stories among many, and being the show writer and creator was the job of Phil Rosenthal. You’re Lucky You’re Funny: How Life Becomes a Sitcom is Rosenthal‘s book on the experience of Everybody Loves Raymond.

(Show runner for Everybody Loves Raymond, and writer of You’re Lucky You’re Funny, Phil Rosenthal).

The beginning movement of the book provided a glimpse into the early attempts of Phil Rosenthal to become an actor without much success. Then we learned about Rosenthal trying to become a writer without much success. Then we learned about the accident of moving in with an obnoxious grandmother. Through good fortune, luck and a certain part sticking with his craft, and introduction was made involving Rosenthal, Ray Romano and David Letterman.

(The cast of Everybody Loves Raymond. From left to right are Brad Garrett, Monica Horan, Madylin Sweeten, Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton, Sawyer Sweeten, Sullivan Sweeten, Doris Roberts and Peter Boyle).

You see, the book You’re Lucky You’re Funny: How Life Becomes a Sitcom is the biography of becoming a writer, or the lead writer, for a television program. At some level, there was the introduction between Ray Romano, separately, to Letterman and Rosenthal wherein the humor style of Romano and Rosenthal was the proper mixture to have the makings of a television show. The sales pitch to the folks at Columbia Broadcasting System was enough to get viewings, acceptance and a time slot. The production company Worldwide Pants Incorporated would sponsor Everybody Loves Raymond.

(David Letterman‘s production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated, was a moving force behind Everybody Loves Raymond becoming the nine-year television program we knew).

The story between working many odd jobs, then the early seasons, and finally getting through many painful and awkward moments in doing what he loved, Rosenthal took us through the happiness of marrying a wife who emotionally means the world to him. The show called for a reciprocation of sorts in that Rosenthal‘s wife, Monica Horan, became the wife of character Robert Barone (played by Brad Garrett). Phil Rosenthal was careful to clarify that he felt this selection of actresses was far from being because of the family influence of the show runner.

(Monica Horan is the true life wife of You’re Lucky You’re Funny writer Phil Rosenthal).

Much of the eighth season of Everybody Loves Raymond felt like it would be the last for many on the show. A 16-episode ninth season was eventually negotiated, which included the episode with the family around the dinner table in the home of Raymond and Debra Barone expressing, in quintessential understated fashion, that the show went beyond everybody’s love for Raymond to Raymond’s love for everybody. That the family would need a bigger dinner table was a simple and understood way of making that statement, and bringing home the larger meaning underneath all the humor that was shared through nine seasons of the show.

(The cast of Everybody Loves Raymond. From left to right are Madylin Sweeten, Monica Horan, Sawyer Sweeten, Brad Garrett, Doris Roberts, Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton, Peter Boyle and Sullivan Sweeten).

You’re Lucky You’re Funny: How Life Becomes a Sitcom was an entertaining reminiscing about the show Everybody Loves Raymond, with much insight into what happened behind the scenes without getting scandalous or into subject matter that feels like a tell all. For this series, I wouldn’t have wanted any of that. I wanted and received perspectives about how the experience was for people that brought us the show. I walked away happy with reading You’re Lucky You’re Funny: How Life Becomes a Sitcom by Phil Rosenthal. This is why I rate the read 4-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Saturday, January 25, 2020