Review: Exporting Raymond (documentary)
Phil Rosenthal created hit television show Everybody Loves Raymond. When the Russians called, wanting his input in creating a Russian version (Everybody Loves Kostya), he gets on a plane and finds ... a whole new sort of comedy. Are families and comedy the same everywhere? How does one navigate the Russian entertainment business? Can he keep the heart and soul of the American show while translating it to a different culture?
While Phil Rosenthal answers these questions, we see where a lot of the humor of the television show came from. He's quick with comic insights to everyday life that sound remarkably similar to those we see in clips of the show. As we follow his efforts, we get a new look at Russia, one that makes us feel remarkably at home in some cases.
Above all this made me want to rewatch Everybody Loves Raymond.
I'm a big Raymond fan. It portrayed the Church in a positive light (even though the characters didn't always follow Church teachings). And it was well-written and funny.
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