In the 1990s, several television shows based on work from stand-up comedians, such as Home Improvement (1991–99) and Roseanne (1988–97), were successful.
Ray Romano, a comedian for 12 years by the time Everybody Loves Raymond first aired, was one such comic to get development deals following a five-minute performance on the Late Show with David Letterman (1993–2015) in the middle of 1995.
David Letterman executive producer Rob Burnett recalled that "by the end [of the monologue] we already had lawyers lined up to work a deal with him."

In looking for a show-runner, Romano wanted somebody to share his tastes in humor, avoiding those who were into writing "devicey" material.
Around a dozen candidates for the show-runner position were considered before Coach writer Philip Rosenthal, who sent a Frasier spec script to Letterman's Worldwide Pants.
The company read the spec and sent Rosenthal a tape of Romano asking screenwriters to help him with an upcoming show based on his work; also in the tape, he stated that he had a hard time coming up with new material because of having to raise twin sons, and showcased a "new bit" of him shaking keys while saying "hey."
Romano's sense of humor intrigued Rosenthal, reminding him of Bill Cosby's early work.

After viewing the tape, Rosenthal met with Romano in person at Art's Delicatessen & Restaurant on Ventura Boulevard about being a potential show runner.
The encounter consisted of Romano and Rosenthal each discussing their families.
Romano told Rosenthal he wanted to do a series about a comedian discussing current issues with friends at a coffee shop, but Rosenthal responded that kind of sitcom already existed and was a hit.
Rosenthal, intrigued by Romano's crazy family fables and wanting to work around his lack of previous acting experience, then stated it would be most "comfortable" for Romano to have the Raymond character be very close to his real personality and in family circumstances reflective of Romano's home life.
Although Romano has a brother named Robert in real life, he based the Robert in Raymond on another one of his brothers, Richard.
Rosenthal also incorporated his own family experiences into the show, with his mother and wife serving as the basis for Marie and Debra respectively.

Most aspects of Romano's real life are replicated in the series, except for its setting of Long Island instead of Queens; Romano and the writers initially wanted the show to be set in Queens, but CBS executives ultimately chose Long Island due to its broad appeal, as it was a suburb with urban elements.
Previous prime-time television series set in Long Island, such as The Hamptons (1983) and The Pruitts of Southampton (1966–67), never went beyond one season.
Romano also explained, "There's a lot more kissing on the show than in real life;" and his wife Anna continued, "and they talk a lot more in the show than we ever do at home."
The title Everybody Loves Raymond originated from a response Romano's brother Richard made after Ray won a CableACE stand-up award: "I had a day where people were shooting at me, and you're bringing home trophies.
Everybody loves Raymond, don't they?"
In the show's pilot, Robert states "Everybody loves Raymond."

Rosenthal pitched the show to CBS president Les Moonves, CBS comedy vice president David Himelfarb, CBS comedy development executive Wendi Goldstein, and CBS comedy and drama development head Gene Stein.
He kept the pitch very simple: "it's [Romano] and his family, and his parents live across the street with his brother."
CBS was lukewarm towards the show's low concept, but found it enough of a low-risk investment for the series to be green-lit.
Letterman's involvement with Raymond amounted to nothing more than a meeting where he signed Rosenthal's show-runner contract and told him, "just don't embarrass us."
In the 1990s, several television shows based on work from stand-up comedians, such as Home Improvement (1991–99) and Roseanne (1988–97), were successful. Ray Romano, a comedian for 12 years by the time Everybody Loves Raymond first aired, was one such comic to get development deals following a five-minute performance on the Late Show with David Letterman (1993–2015) in the middle of 1995. David Letterman executive producer Rob Burnett recalled that "by the end [of the monologue] we already had lawyers lined up to work a deal with him."
In looking for a show-runner, Romano wanted somebody to share his tastes in humor, avoiding those who were into writing "devicey" material. Around a dozen candidates for the show-runner position were considered before Coach writer Philip Rosenthal, who sent a Frasier spec script to Letterman's Worldwide Pants. The company read the spec and sent Rosenthal a tape of Romano asking screenwriters to help him with an upcoming show based on his work; also in the tape, he stated that he had a hard time coming up with new material because of having to raise twin sons, and showcased a "new bit" of him shaking keys while saying "hey." Romano's sense of humor intrigued Rosenthal, reminding him of Bill Cosby's early work.
After viewing the tape, Rosenthal met with Romano in person at Art's Delicatessen & Restaurant on Ventura Boulevard about being a potential show runner. The encounter consisted of Romano and Rosenthal each discussing their families. Romano told Rosenthal he wanted to do a series about a comedian discussing current issues with friends at a coffee shop, but Rosenthal responded that kind of sitcom already existed and was a hit. Rosenthal, intrigued by Romano's crazy family fables and wanting to work around his lack of previous acting experience, then stated it would be most "comfortable" for Romano to have the Raymond character be very close to his real personality and in family circumstances reflective of Romano's home life. Although Romano has a brother named Robert in real life, he based the Robert in Raymond on another one of his brothers, Richard. Rosenthal also incorporated his own family experiences into the show, with his mother and wife serving as the basis for Marie and Debra respectively.
Most aspects of Romano's real life are replicated in the series, except for its setting of Long Island instead of Queens; Romano and the writers initially wanted the show to be set in Queens, but CBS executives ultimately chose Long Island due to its broad appeal, as it was a suburb with urban elements. Previous prime-time television series set in Long Island, such as The Hamptons (1983) and The Pruitts of Southampton (1966–67), never went beyond one season. Romano also explained, "There's a lot more kissing on the show than in real life;" and his wife Anna continued, "and they talk a lot more in the show than we ever do at home." The title Everybody Loves Raymond originated from a response Romano's brother Richard made after Ray won a CableACE stand-up award: "I had a day where people were shooting at me, and you're bringing home trophies. Everybody loves Raymond, don't they?" In the show's pilot, Robert states "Everybody loves Raymond."
Rosenthal pitched the show to CBS president Les Moonves, CBS comedy vice president David Himelfarb, CBS comedy development executive Wendi Goldstein, and CBS comedy and drama development head Gene Stein. He kept the pitch very simple: "it's [Romano] and his family, and his parents live across the street with his brother." CBS was lukewarm towards the show's low concept, but found it enough of a low-risk investment for the series to be green-lit. Letterman's involvement with Raymond amounted to nothing more than a meeting where he signed Rosenthal's show-runner contract and told him, "just don't embarrass us."
Everybody Loves Raymond