Brad Garrett has made it clear that he does not support a reboot of the beloved sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond." Speaking at the premiere of Disney Pixar’s "Elio" in Los Angeles on June 10, the actor, who is now 65, emphasized that the show should remain in the past.
Garrett, who played Robert Barone on the show, stated, “There won’t be [a reboot]. And I’m just saying that because that’s something that Ray [Romano] and Phil [Rosenthal, the show’s creator] have always said.” He pointed out that the absence of late stars Peter Boyle and Doris Roberts, who portrayed Ray’s parents, would make a reboot feel incomplete.
“There is no show without the parents. They were the catalyst,” Garrett explained. He believes that any attempt to recreate the series would not honor the original fans or the legacy of the characters. He added, “It was about those two families, and you can’t get around that.”
Despite his firm stance against a reboot, Garrett expressed gratitude for his time on the show. “30 years later, I got very lucky to get on that bus. I’m very grateful,” he said. "Everybody Loves Raymond" aired on CBS from 1996 to 2005 and won 15 Emmy Awards during its run. The show focused on the life of sports writer Ray Barone, played by Romano, and his family, including his wife Debra, brother Robert, and their parents.
Both Romano and Garrett have previously voiced their reluctance to revisit the series. Romano, now 67, mentioned that he feels protective of the show because it was deeply personal to him. However, he is open to adaptations of the series in other cultures, noting that it shows a shared human experience.
The original series has left a lasting impact, and both Garrett and Romano seem to agree that its charm lies in its original form.