Nothing conveys the passage of time more than when an iconic sitcom cast reunites for the first time in years. The cast of Everybody Loves Raymond is reuniting for a 30th anniversary special at CBS.
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The network has released a first look at the cast in new photos, which you can see in the embed below. The photos are tugging at longtime viewers’ heartstrings. We can’t help but feel a bit sad to see several cast members no longer with us. The family isn’t quite as large as it once was.
Actors Ray Romano, Brad Garrett, Patricia Heaton, Monica Horan, Madylin Sweeten, Sullivan Sweeten, and series creator Phil Rosenthal appear in the photo for the sitcom reunion.
Sadly, Doris Roberts, Peter Boyle, and Sawyer Sweeten are no longer with us. All three passed away after the original show ended in 2005. The iconic sitcom will air its reunion on November 24.
“Twenty years since the show’s finale episode, audiences are invited back to the recreated Barone living room for an unforgettable evening with America’s favorite family,” the network announced on Oct. 1.
Iconic Sitcom Reunion
The special will honor the passing of the three stars. Boyle passed away in 2006 and Roberts in 2016. Meanwhile, Sawyer Sweeten died by suicide at just 19 in 2015.
“Cast, crew and special guests will share heartfelt reflections on how this dynamic duo redefined the roles of interfering mother-in-law and couch-potato dad into lovable pillars of the Barone family,” CBS said.
This will be as close as the iconic sitcom gets to a reboot. Romano shut down the idea speaking with the New York Post earlier this year.
“No, there won’t be a reboot,” Romano said.
“The obvious is Peter and Doris and one of the kids – they’re no longer with us,” he said. “We’re all heartbroken. They’re a big part of the show, the dynamic. Without them, I don’t know what the dynamic is. We love the show too much, we respect it too much to even try to do it.”
Garrett also shut down any hopes of a reboot as well.
“There is no show without the parents,” he told People at the time. “They were the catalyst, and to do anything that would resemble that wouldn’t be right to the audiences or to the loyal fan base. And it was about those two families, and you can’t get around that.”
“I know [the reboot] won’t happen, but 30 years later, I got very lucky to get on that bus,” Garrett also said. “I’m very grateful.”