Everybody Loves Raymond

Cafe Society
1

It is all over the entertainment news that the network is wooing Ray Romano to stay for another year to the tune of 45 million dollars plus the back end of the show credits. Everyone on the show makes good money except Brad Roberts. Brad makes a meager 4 million. Brad is currently not showing up on the set because he is holding out for more money. They have already done the first 2 shows of the season and had to write him off.

The buzz is if Ray doesn’t do another year then Robert (Brad) will buy the house next to his mothers and will carry the show himself thru the season. Brad feels that if he is strong enough to carry the show then he should get more money.

Do you think its fair that Brad not show up to work? Do you think he is doing the right thing holding out for more money? Compare his salary of 4 million to Ray’s 45 million THAT SEEMS UNFAIR.

Ray was an unknown when he came on. He wasn’t even popular with his stand up comedy.

Doris and Doyle both are luminaries and deserve the money they get. They were/are well known.

Brad Roberts was well known from Star Search.

2

I hear what you’re saying, really, I do. But at the end of the day, the dude still makes FOUR MILLION DOLLARS!

I hate that show, though. Ray’s character is such a whiney mama’s boy who’s too selfish to be a better husband and father.

3

A few nitpicks to start with:

It’s actually Brad Garrett, Doris Roberts and Peter Boyle:D.

But aside from the astronomical salaries paid (even Garrett’s four million – I won’t even go into Romano’s one million per episode and possible 45 million plus perks, which I find simply ludicrous), of course, Garrett should earn much more. A situation made even more ridiculous by the fact of a possible spin off, of which he would be the star.
That’s showbizz for ya…

4

Not everybody love Raymond. The show stinks.

5

I have to agree with JunaitaTech. I think ray is very whiney and selfish. And he is a mama’s boy. He lets his mother walk all over him at his wife’s expense.

I don’t find him funny and don’t think he is deserving of 45 million dollars.

6

I wonder what it’s like to be on a show like that, where the guy sitting across the room from you is making 10 times what you are for more or less the same job.

My boss makes more than I do but he’s got a more stressful job to contend with, and I hardly ever see him.

7

A “meager 4 million” is not “good money”? I’ll just kill myself now then.

8

Ha ha ha my words coming back to haunt me.
I would take the meager 4 million and not complain.
hell I would take $50K a year!!!

9

Oh God. That show is so freakin’ stupid. The Ray character is such a lousy husband and father. I can’t stand to watch the way he treats his wife. In real life they would have been divorced a long time ago.

10

The popularity of this mediocre show astounds me. I’ve tried to watch it on several occasions to see why it garners Emmy nominations every year, and never make it past the first ten minutes.

11

Another vote from someone who hates Raymond and his whole freakin’ family.

I do like Brad Garrett, though – I wish that instead of giving him a spinoff, they’d give him his own show. I think he’s really funny.

12

Another non-lover of Raymond checking in. Ditto on the whiny mama’s boy comments.

I think that ELR fill a Post-seinfeld void for some. And like on Seinfeld, the supporting characters outshine the lead by far.

13

Meh. I find every single character on the show whiny, self-centred and loathsome. But, then again, I think almost every sitcom character ever created is whiny, self-centred and loathsome. That said, I’ll take Ray over those narcissistic assholes on Friends.

14

I remember Ellen Degeneris saying her next TV show was going to be titled, “Not Everyone Loves Raymond”.

OK…about those salaries. I have done this math on the boards before, but here we go again.

$4,000,000 sounds like a lot, and for most of us here on the SDMB, it is.
However…

Let’s say they do 20 episodes in a year. Each episode is about 22 minutes long (minus commercials). That is 440 minutes of film or the same as 4 full length movies, each just under 2 hours long.

Now how many name actors do you think would do a film for $1 million dollars?
Hell, even Pauly Shore gets more than $1 million for a film.
J.Lo and Ben got a combined salary of $24 for Gigli.

Plus, a film runs, makes some money, comes out on video/dvd and makes some more money and then maybe makes a buck or two when it is shown on television over the next few years.

A television series, however, is syndicated and shown over and over and over, year after year, and is paid for by commercials that cost more and more every year. In other words, a series like Seinfeld, Cheers, Friends or Raymond will make a LOT more money than even a mega hit film.

Now…actors know that the public is fickle. Hot today, Gary Coleman tomorrow. So think about it from Brad Garret’s viewpoint. CBS and the production company of Raymond are going to be raking in the buckeroos probably long after most people remember who the hell Brad Garrett is.

If I were Brad, I wouldn’t walk back on that set for less $10 million.

15

“J.Lo and Ben got a combined salary of $24 for Gigli.”

Ooops. Although that is what they should have earned, it was actually more like $24,000,000

16

Aw, it was funnier without the correction.

17

I agree with Amp. I am totally sympathetic with Debra. I’m waiting for her to write this “Dear Raymond” letter:
Raymond–I have had it up to here with your damned meddling parents! Your intrusive mother and your toilet-mouth father who come over whenever they damn please! Well, your mother can have what she has always wanted: total control over you. She’s not gonna see her grandkids though! I’ll see to that! I’m taking Ally and the boys to my folks, and my dad’s lawyer will contact you. I’m moving to Florida with the kids, while I still have some sanity, and you can go cry to your Mommy!
Goodbye forever
Debra

18

I agree with Amp. I am totally sympathetic with Debra. I’m waiting for her to write this “Dear Raymond” letter:
Raymond–I have had it up to here with your damned meddling parents! Your intrusive mother and your toilet-mouth father who come over whenever they damn please! Well, your mother can have what she has always wanted: total control over you. She’s not gonna see her grandkids though! I’ll see to that! I’m taking Ally and the boys to my folks, and my dad’s lawyer will contact you. I’m moving to Florida with the kids, while I still have some sanity, and you can go cry to your Mommy!
Goodbye forever
Debra

19

Sorry–the broswer or the computer finked out on me and posted my reply twice. :o
dougie_monty

20

The character of Ray is made funnier by the seething jealousy of his brother Robert, played wonderfully by Brad Garrett. You can’t begrudge anyone accepting money being thrown at them, and I would think that the man upon whose concept the show is based would make the most money, but Garrett is a major part of the success of the show and should be compensated accordingly. Who knows if he or anyone else on that show will catch lightning in a bottle again?