Los Angeles — Brad Garrett has delivered the final word on decades of speculation about reviving CBS’s hit sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond: “There won’t be,” the 65-year-old actor said at Disney-Pixar’s Elio premiere on 10 June. He added that any attempt would be “wrong” without the late Peter Boyle and Doris Roberts, whose performances as Frank and Marie Barone were “the catalyst of the show”. Garrett’s rejection ends a renewal narrative that has shadowed the series since it ended in 2005.
Co-stars share his view. Ray Romano recently said he is “a little protective” of the series and considers a reboot “out of the question” for the same reason. Patricia Heaton likewise told Yahoo Entertainment that viewers “don’t wanna mess with perfection,” pointing out that the loss of cast members makes a restart impossible. Show-runner Phil Rosenthal revealed in 2021 that he had pitched a reunion special but found “no takers” among networks or streamers.
The practical obstacles are stark. Boyle died of multiple myeloma and heart disease in 2006 at age 71, Roberts died in 2016 at 90, and former child star Sawyer Sweeten died by suicide in 2015 at 19. Garrett insists the parents’ absence collapses the sitcom’s core dynamic of two interlocked households. During its nine-season run the series won 15 Emmys, and all 210 episodes are currently available on Peacock and Paramount+.
The decision arrives amid a gold-rush for legacy revivals: Parrot Analytics reports that reboots made up just 3.4 % of 2023 U.S. scripted releases yet generated disproportionate demand across streaming platforms. Morning Consult polling shows three-quarters of viewers will only watch a reboot if the original cast returns—a bar Raymond can no longer clear.
Nostalgia’s pull is real, says CQUniversity researcher Anjum Naweed, but it depends on “the integrity of cherished characters” remaining intact. For Garrett, that integrity is non-negotiable: “There is no show without the parents… I’m just grateful we got on that bus the first time,” he said.
