Synopses & Reviews
The creator and executive producer of
Everybody Loves Raymond dissects the art of comedy and the making of a sitcom classic.
In television, where programs can premiere and disappear in the same week, Everybody Loves Raymond reigned as America's best-loved show for nine years with more than seventeen million viewers. As the number-one sitcom, it received more than seventy Emmy nominations, including two wins for best comedy. With You're Lucky You're Funny, Phil Rosenthal takes us onstage and inside the writer's room.
Rosenthal's meteoric ascent was preceded by odd jobs, including a stint as a museum security guard, running a deli, and writing for a slew of forgettable shows including one starring Robert Mitchum as a curmudgeonly homeless man taken in by two orphans. But when he met comedian Ray Romano, they discovered a shared lifetime of family dysfunction and endless material for a sitcom.
Not only a chronicle of one man's rise to the peak of his profession, Rosenthal's book is also an unprecedented look at the making of a hit series: how shows are written and character developed, how comedy is refined, how network executives are outsmarted, and most important, how egos are massaged. You're Lucky You're Funny is an inspiration to anyone involved in the creative process and a must read for the show's millions of devoted fans.
Review
"In the Prologue, Mr. Rosenthal says 'No one listens to me. Maybe the reader will...' You should! He is the real deal, both as a human being and as an artist of comedy." Henry Winkler
Review
"I read You're Lucky You're Funny and loved it! If you had the Everybody Loves Raymond bug during its 9 year run, this is the love letter you've been waiting for. If you've missed the bug, read it at the risk of being bitten and smitten." Norman Lear
Review
"[T]his could be an essay on the art of writing comedy for television." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
A behind-the-scenes account of the making of "Everybody Loves Raymond," presented by its executive producer, discusses how he broke into the business after meeting comedian Ray Romano and the process through which they developed characters and wrote memorable episodes.
Synopsis
Advanced Praise: In the Prologue, Mr. Rosenthal says No one listens to me. Maybe the reader will... You should! He is the real deal, both as a human being and as an artist of comedy.
Henry Winkler
"I read YOU'RE LUCKY YOU'RE FUNNY and loved it! If you had the Everybody Loves Raymond bug during its 9 year run, this is the love letter you've been waiting for. If you've missed the bug, read it at the risk of being bitten and smitten."
Norman Lear
Synopsis
The creator and executive producer of Everybody Loves Raymond, on how to make a sitcom classic and keep laughing This laugh-out-loud memoir takes readers backstage and inside the writers room of one of Americas best-loved shows. With more than 17 million viewers and more than seventy Emmy nominationsincluding two wins for best comedyEverybody Loves Raymond reigned supreme in television comedy for almost a decade. Phil Rosenthal was there at the beginning. United by a shared lifetime of family dysfunction, he and Ray Romano found endless material to keep the show fresh and funny for its entire run. Alongside hilarious anecdotes from the series and his own career misadventures prior to working on the show, Rosenthal provides an enlightening and entertaining look at how sitcoms are written and characters developed. Youre Lucky Youre Funny is an inspiration to aspiring creators of comedy and a must read for the shows millions of devoted fans.
About the Author
Phil Rosenthal is the creator and executive producer of CBS's Emmy Award-winning Everybody Loves Raymond. Rosenthal also directed a video with President Bill Clinton, cowrote the Writers Guild Award-winning telethon America: A Tribute to Heroes, and appeared in Spanglish and Curb Your Enthusiasm.