Show ended too soon

[energy]

I wish they had kept the show going. Nine seasons is a lot, but they were still at the top of their game when the show ended.


From an interview I saw, it seemed most of the cast was willing to continue, but Patricia Heaton (Deborah) hinted that Ray wanted to stop. In another interview, executive producer Philip Rosenthal mentioned running out of material.

I can understand if Ray wanted to stop. It had to be wearing to do the show for so long and have the added responsibility of producing it.

But they clearly could have kept going. They would have just had to work a little harder to find fresh material and writers.

But when you've made as much money as Ray did, it's hard to keep that drive going. Plus, he was probably interested in doing other projects, which he did.

Most sitcoms over stay their welcome, but this was one show that had pretty of juice left in the tank when it ended.

If anyone has heard Ray discuss ending the show, please share what he said.

[Yong Fang]

One thing, Peter Boyle died that next year. I think it would have made for a "Very Special Episode", and it might have been humourous how the writers might have kickd Frank into the afterlife, but then again, it is difficult to find humor in a real person's death.

Might have been interesting with Deb with a teenage daughter and dating and all that. Or Deb having to deal with the widow Marie. Shoot me if you must, but I liked the actress who played Amy, although she was the wife of the head guy on the show. He and Robert could have "spun off" into their own series, maybe. Brad Garrett did have that "Til Death" show, but it wasnt very good, but it lasted two or three years which showed that Garrett had some popularity.

I think the show probably ran its course, and Boyle died, so another season might have been a "Jump the Shark" type of deal.

[JO Sweet Heart]

Actually the show could have gone for one more season before Peter's passing because he didn't go forward until the end of 2006 and the show ended in the spring of 2005, so one more season could have been done unless his health was already starting to deteriorate to where one more season just wasn't in him.

God bless you and his family always!!!

Holly

[Hot4Ricky]

They could have done many more things. Obviously bring the kids in more that they were older so we could see how Ray and Debra dealt with being parents of a teenage girl and two pre-teen boys. And of course Marie going on without Frank. Robert and Amy could have started a family, and they could have incorporated her family in more, as I found the episodes they were in hilarious. Robert could have been promoted to the Chief of Police and how about Judy? The possibilities, IMO, were endless if they had just took the time to be creative as they have been.

[SledgeBarone]

Originally Posted by energy

I wish they had kept the show going. Nine seasons is a lot, but they were still at the top of their game when the show ended.

From an interview I saw, it seemed most of the cast was willing to continue, but Patricia Heaton (Deborah) hinted that Ray wanted to stop. In another interview, executive producer Philip Rosenthal mentioned running out of material.

I can understand if Ray wanted to stop. It had to be wearing to do the show for so long and have the added responsibility of producing it.

But they clearly could have kept going. They would have just had to work a little harder to find fresh material and writers.

But when you've made as much money as Ray did, it's hard to keep that drive going. Plus, he was probably interested in doing other projects, which he did.

Most sitcoms over stay their welcome, but this was one show that had pretty of juice left in the tank when it ended.

If anyone has heard Ray discuss ending the show, please share what he said.

The cast (minus Peter Boyle) discusses the end of the show at 37:30 here: https://tubitv.com/tv-shows/329548/s..._loves_raymond

Doris Roberts and Brad Garrett say they wanted to continue, and Patricia Heaton hints at it too, but Ray was concerned that they were starting to repeat themselves.

I probably would've enjoyed the show even if they'd gone on repeating certain themes, but the concern was certainly legitimate. In the finale, we got a crack about Debra possibly having PMS, You Are the Sunshine of My Life being a favorite song, and now even the kids making jokes about Debra's cooking - all things we've heard before.

Originally Posted by Hot4Ricky

They could have done many more things. Obviously bring the kids in more that they were older so we could see how Ray and Debra dealt with being parents of a teenage girl and two pre-teen boys. And of course Marie going on without Frank. Robert and Amy could have started a family, and they could have incorporated her family in more, as I found the episodes they were in hilarious. Robert could have been promoted to the Chief of Police and how about Judy? The possibilities, IMO, were endless if they had just took the time to be creative as they have been.

I felt after Robert and Amy married, and we were introduced to the McDougalls, there were too many characters needing lines to be fed to them. Robert now has to split his lines with Amy, and Marie is now in the unusual position of being less religious than Hank and Pat, so she's no longer the clear antagonist. They needed to move Robert and Amy onto their own spinoff, and then let Ally take on a bigger role to keep the show fresh.

[Chocolate Moose]

I don't think Amy was strong enough to carry a show but Robert is certainly the stuff that dreams are made of!!! I've watched a lot of his shows since and love his work!!