Philip Rosenthal is a neurotic Jew from Queens. He grew up without much of a taste pallet and is now an amateur foodie. His claim to fame is creating the popular and successful network TV show Everybody Loves Raymond which made him very, very rich. This is a food travel show. It has six episodes with each location from across the globe. The first is Tokyo which provides some exotic expensive fare. This is probably the most problematic of the show. I won't have what Phil's having since it probably will cost me an arm and a leg. The second is Italy which has his emotional reunion with his long lost friends and that's a great side dish. The third is Paris which has a romantic connection with his wife and that's why this episode needs his wife with him. The fourth is Phil's first time in Hong Kong. He learns Tai Chi and have many different Chinese foods. The fifth is Barcelona. Tapas. Tapas. Tapas. The sixth is Los Angeles where he finally gets to eat with some recognizable guests.
As far as I can tell, it'd be a real problem trying to have what Phil had in Japan and Barcelona. Japan is as expensive as hell and Barcelona is as exclusive as hell. I get Phil's idea but he's as rich as hell. Italy is probably the best episode because it has an emotional heart. Paris clarifies something about the show. He's alone and all talks about is food. It's fine but the show doesn't expand beyond that. Jerry Seinfeld is not simply talking about the car or the coffee. Phil needs a travel partner. I'd rather have The Trip than this. In Paris, he needs his wife. In the other episodes, he needs his parents. Instead of Skype, he should just pay for their tickets to join him. As for Los Angeles, he finally gets some partners but they don't really get too far off topic. Marty Short is one of the funniest people on the planet. Phil's talkative nature and his obsession with food takes over the conversation. Marty struggles to do much with the short segment. This is fine for what it is. It's a funny, food-obsessed, rich guy traveling the world eating the best stuff. There's nothing wrong with that.
