Pilot

As the pilot episode of the long running comedy series Everybody Loves Raymond.

It starts things off a bit uncertain and the gags are less polished.

It also spends time on the set up particularly Ray's overbearing parents who suffocate his wife Debra. She doesn't want his family over on her birthday even though they live opposite.

So the setup includes Ray guessing Debra's age. Ray tells her about the various times he proposed to her and how she finally accepted when he got a job. That should make her in her early 30s.

Ray describes his brother Robert's various eccentricities such as putting food on his chin before eating it.

When Robert appears he is jealous that Ray gets awards for being a sports journalist and he gets nothing for being a cop who gets shot at.

Still Robert and parents Frank and Marie are oddities which makes the show worth sticking with. Ray is an amiable everyman character.

Used to Love Ray's stand up comedy and was very happy to see it become reality. Nice Job!! Glad that they changed the twins after the pilot. The regular twins are a little creepy but they are Allie's real brothers. The pilot twins with different names had very little personality. Fun that most of the Schlick in the pilot carried on in the series for years without getting annoying.

However, on a positive note: this could be a primer on how to be bad parents and grandparents. Ray is a useless wuss. Debra is a screeching hag. Marie needs to be confined. Frank is a total rude mean and leering fool. otherwise not too bad.

This show was pretty good. Pilots are usually a little rough around the edges and this is no different. But as far as the show premise is concerned, i thought it was creative and refreshingly un-preachy. Thank you for that! Really liked it. Very entertaining.