"Everybody Loves Raymond", But Will We See Him in September?

Amidst the countless tearful farewells to the casts of "Friends" and the backbiting from the also-retiring "Frasier," the biggest cliffhanger of the 2003-4 television season involves the show whose fate has not yet been determined. As I write this, Ray Romano, Phil Rosenthal and "Everybody Loves Raymond"'s staff of writers are gathering together to determine whether or not the venerable sitcom will return for a ninth season. Co-stars Patricia Heaton, Brad Garrett, Doris Roberts and Peter Boyle are all game. It seems that it's Romano and series creator/producer Rosenthal who are holding back. How refreshing it is that none of this is about money.

I've never understood the hoopla over "Friends," but there's no doubting the fact that the show still pulls in high ratings and a fervent fan base. But few of even the most ardent of those fans disagree that the time has probably come to say goodbye to Monica, Joey and the gang. The fact that "Frasier" has rebounded significantly this season doesn't alter the fact that the good doctor probably should have packed in his shingle several years ago. Every hit show has its lifespan, and there's no exact science in determining when that life should come gracefully to an end, rather than languishing to an ignominious demise.

My favorite example of this phenomenon is the former hit series "Mad About You." Frankly, I adored this series for the first few years. Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt displayed the early stages of a young marriage with humor, pathos, and honesty. It was literally "Must-See TV." Then, along came the baby. And the comedy was tossed out with the bassinette water. Oh, and by the way, both stars pocketed a cool million per episode for a season or two that were so bad, they actually tainted their earlier work.

One of the most popular sites on the worldwide web is www.jumptheshark.com. "Jumping the Shark" has entered our vernacular as the definition of the time a beloved program overstays its welcome, never to return. The term derives from the slightly less-than-classic "Happy Days" episode when Fonzie performed a jump on water-skis over a great white shark. A visit to the website displays that just about every television show in history has an entry. The truly great ones have a lot of entries that say "Never Jumped."

It's a fun pastime, and one that the stewards of "Raymond" are keeping closely in mind. Sure, CBS president Les Moonves is not being stingy with the coffers. But the cast and crew of "Raymond" are attempting to tread in the footsteps of "The Dick van Dyke Show," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," and "Barney Miller." Each of those classic programs were offered a slot but turned it down, wanting to go out while they were still on a creative roll.

You see? Forty-three years later, we're still talking about "The Dick van Dyke Show." Whether "Everybody Loves Raymond" returns this fall or not, we'll likely still have fond memories, and incessant TV Land reruns, in 2047. Sorry, Jaws. No lunch here. I hear "Frasier"'s serving

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