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Everybody Loves Raymond Season 1 Episode 1

Pilot

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 9/13/96

Debra is sick and tired of having Raymond's parents and his brother show up unannounced. With her birthday coming up they try not to let Ray's parents and Robert to come over, so they can have a nice peaceful birthday party.

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (9)

funny

9.0

By mattrocks123, Dec 23, 2012

It was a great pilot episode. It was funny, and it was a great way to introduce the characters.
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The best pilot I've ever seen

9.5

By SLionsCricket, Oct 20, 2012

I've never seen a pilot episode that made me laugh right from the first dialogue in all my life. I was simply into this show and this episode right from the first scene. It basically felt like I've been watching this show for years.

The plot was extremely satisfying for a pilot and the acting and jokes were incredible. The best scene would probably have to be the "Fruit Club" scene and the final scene which just cracked me up!

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This pilot was really good but Ray looked really nervous and I'm glad he loosened up after the first season. It's a very funny show because the humor comes naturally. They don't have to be over the top and the whole audiance got the jokemoreless

8.2

By Twitty2000, Jan 02, 2007

I really liked the pilot. I thought that Ray was a little nervous though. He seemed like he was worried he would forget his lines or he would talk out of turn. I think that's a fear for every stand up comic acting for the first time. But he did a lot better than most comics who star in their own sitcom. He wasn't a tyrant and didn't try to be over the top. But a good lead actor who was getting laughs by being himself. I say the same for Patricia Heaton and Doris Roberts. They played the mother roles very well because they got kids and Doris also has grandkids so she knows what they would say and would not say. I think the writers were aware of that and Ray was too. But I was laughing a lot from the pilot. Great cast. It was very funny as well. I hope to see more great families like that on CBS for many more years to come.moreless
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It is a character development episode

9.0

By Fiona_mac_92, Nov 10, 2006

This episode is about getting to know the characters. It is about Rays wife Debra. Her birthday is coming up soon and she didn\'t want Rays meddlesome parents, Frank and Marie, there to spoil it. They say they are going out but later Frank and Marie barge into the house and see ray and debra there. Marie gets upset but later forgives them. This is a great episode and is highly recommened. I think this episode was a great character development episode. The pilot episode is one of my favourite episodes from season one. It is a must watch for every Raymond fan.moreless
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The beginning of the greatest comedy series of all time. Let us begin with the Barone family and see how they compare to all of us poor chumps!

10

By joeychesne, Aug 31, 2006

The Beginning of the greatest comedy series of all time! I must say that all of the characters were presented in a most charming manner. The basic working pretense of the show ultimatley began here with the pilot and laid the foundation of the show for its marvelous nine seasons.

Roberts quirkiness and dry humor stood out, as well as Frank and Marie's zaniness and all too common parental wit. Ray and Debra open up to their audience by showing us all that it is OK to be an average everyday family with normal problems, yet seek out the humor in our lives and expressing it to the viewing audience with such charm and appeal.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Ray Romano	Raymond Albert Barone
Patricia Heaton	Debra Barone
Doris Roberts	Marie Barone
Peter Boyle	Frank Barone
Brad Garrett	Robert Barone
Madylin Sweeten	Ally Barone

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Stephen Lee	Leo	Guest Star
Amber Ferreira	Unknown	Guest Star
Drew Ferreira	Matthew	Guest Star

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (3)
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- Where's Lunch logo: Lobster tail with broccoli heads.
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- In this episode alone Ray refers to his twin sons as Geoffrey, Gregory, Michael and Matthew. They could have just used one set of names and then in further episodes settle for either than one or another, instead of making it appear as if he had 4 sons. Of course we know they settle for Geoffrey and Michael.
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- The overhead microphone slips into the view many times.
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QUOTES (11)
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- Ray: Okay, alright, I'm gonna ask you quickly and quietly to move to your nearest exit.
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- Debra: How did he ever become a police sergeant?
  Ray: Cause he's a good cop, and they didn't make him count. Or eat.
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- Frank: Marie—
  Marie: I can't talk! There's too much fruit in the house!
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- Ray: Let's see, when I proposed you were 23. You said no.
  Debra: Right.
  Ray: Then I proposed; you were 24
  BOTH: No again.
  Ray: Right, then I took a year off to regroup then I came back with a job; BOOM, married. That would make you 32----ish.
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- Robert: When did he get this?
  Marie: Oh, that's an award your brother got for his sports column.
  Robert: Never ends for Raymond—
  Marie: Oh, poor Robbie.
  Robert: Everybody loves Raymond. I go to work, people shoot at me; Ray goes to work, and people do the wave. Then he sits down, has a hotdog, doodles on a piece of paper, and they give him a trophy.
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- Marie: I've got baking soda! I smelled something questionable in the fridge.
  Ray: From across the street?
  Marie: No, when I was here yesterday. Oh, It's worse!
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- Marie: There's more fruit?
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- Ray: Time to leave, Dad. Buckle up... What're you doing?
  Frank: I'm sucking the youth!
  (Later)
  Debra: The twins' heads smell like Old Spice. Your dad was here. Sucking the youth.
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- Ray: Why don't you go out with Linda tomorrow?
  Debra: And leave the kids with your parents?
  Ray: No, I'll do the kids
  Debra: Pffff...
  Ray: Ah, I can't do that. What about the time when you went to your aunt's for three days?
  Debra: I took the kids with me!
  Ray: Yeah, but I fed myself
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- Marie: But where is Debra?
  Ray: She went to the movies with Linda.
  Marie: The movies? Some people get to live it up.
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- Ray: Hey, look at this, Cal Ripken signed my hat!
  Debra: Oh, that's great, look at this, Gregory spit up on my shirt.
  Ray: I'm not trading.
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NOTES (5)
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- It's been said many times that one of the big reasons Peter Boyle landed the role of Frank is because when he went to audition, he got lost and couldn't find the place. Then, by the time he got there he was annoyed and in a bad mood, and apparently it was the perfect personality for the character of Frank.
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- In this episode the twins are named Gregory and Matthew (after Ray Romano's real-life sons) instead of Geoffrey and Michael. They are also played by a different set of twin actors. They were replaced after the pilot by Madylin Sweeten (Ally)'s real-life twin brothers, Sawyer and Sullivan Sweeten, one of the main reasons being because the original set of twins got too big too quickly, and they wanted the boys to look smaller.
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- In this episode, the wallpaper at Ray's house is all white and the set of Marie's house is completely different from the one we see in the rest of the series.
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- According to Ray, Patricia Heaton got the part of Debra because "she was the only one willing to kiss me in the auditions".
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- Maggie Wheeler, who later has a recurring character as Linda on the show, was originally considered for the part of Debra.
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ALLUSIONS (0)
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- ADD ALLUSIONS from this episode.