Standup comedian Ray Romano stars as Ray Barone, a successful sportswriter who deals with his brother and parents, who happen to live across the street. Patricia Heaton ("The Goodbye Girl"), Peter Boyle ("While You Were Sl... more »eeping"), Doris Roberts ("Remington Steele"), and Brad Garrett ("Til Death") round out the stellar cast. DVD Features:
"I'm so happy to see "Everybody Loves Raymond" continue its DVD releases with the hilarious eighth season! The thing I love about this season is that it proved that the show still had fire and still had something to say. Rather than growing tired, it continued to give us memorable and hysterical episodes. One of the reasons for this is because the family expanded: at the end of season 7, Robert and Amy married. Now, Amy has to adjust to being the latest Barone. In addition, the permanent addition into the extended family of Amy's hilariously conservative parents and her wacky brother (who all clash perfectly with the Barones we've all come to know and love).
Here is a brief rundown of the episodes you'll find in this package:
1. Fun With Debra-- Debra misses the days when she and Ray used to have "non-sexual fun" together, so she decides it is time for some fun quality-time, and what better place to have it than Ray's favorite place...the golf course??
2. Thank You Notes-- Robert and Amy return from their honeymoon, but the feelings of bliss do not last long as Amy has a confrontation with Marie over the thank-you notes from the wedding, and Debra views this as her opportunity to get Amy on her side and overthrow Marie.
3. Home From School-- When Michael is home from school for several days in a row, Ray tries to use tough love to get him to confess his true reason for wanting to miss class...and of course the rest of the family has their own opinions on what should be done.
4. Misery Loves Company-- Robert and Amy are celebrating three months of marriage...and decide it is an ample opportunity to offer marriage advice to Ray and Debra and Marie and Frank.
5. The Contractor-- Debra hires Ray's friend Gianni to replace the stove in their kitchen, but soon regrets it due to his laziness on the job. Meanwhile, Frank is upset that they picked Gianni for the home repair instead of him.
6. Peter on the Couch-- Amy invites her brother Peter to stay...and then he makes himself at home on the couch. Later, he returns home only to discover that his parents have decided they liked the idea of him being out of the house.
7. Liars-- Debra helps Ray to cover up a little fib he told his mother about why he didn't make a scheduled time with her, but it snowballs as other stuff comes up. All is fine and good, until Marie begins to catch the scent of their trail.
8. The Surprise Party-- When Debra's mother wants to throw her an "English-tea-party" themed surprise party, Ray goes along with the hopes that he won't have to do any of the work. But when Debra catches wind of the plans for a surprise party and requests that Ray make it Chinese-themed, he has to try and convince her mother to change the plans.
9. The Bird-- When the Barones and Macdougalls decide to spend Thanksgiving together, everything seems to be going fine until a bird crashes into the window and Pat decides it's best to put it out of its misery. The end result is a literal reenactment of the First Thanksgiving...the Indian Barones versus the Pilgrim Macdougalls.
10. Jazz Records-- Ray tries to make up the fact that when he was a kid he accidentally destroyed his father's beloved jazz records, only to find out that he might not have been the true culprit.
11. Debra at the Lodge-- Ray gets jealous when Debra takes a job helping Frank at the Lodge...and he becomes enraged when he realizes that the old men have been doing nothing but admiring his wife's physique.
12. Slave-- After accidentally leaving the twins home alone, Ray and Debra are so impressed with how Ally stepped in and helped that they start giving her more reponsibilities around the house, such as cooking and doing laundry...but Marie is concerned that Ally is being turned into a slave.
13. Whose Side Are You On?-- Ray is upset when he realizes that Debra has been making bets with the kids behind his back about the silly things he will do (i.e. "Will Daddy notice Mommy's new haircut?" or "Is Daddy zipped today?") and after he realizes Marie used to do the same thing with them, he tries to reconcile with his father.
14. Lateness-- Frustrated by how Debra always makes them late to social events, Ray leaves her behind when she is not ready on time for an awards dinner they were both looking forward to.
15. Party Dress-- Ray and Debra disagree over whether or not to buy an expensive dress for a fancy birthday party she wants to attend for one of her best friends, especially considering the dress would only be worn once. To make matters worse, the girl's mother throwing the party is none other than Ray's arch-nemesis...Peggy!
16. Security-- After Robert takes a part-time selling home alarm systems and is offered a full-time position, he contemplates leaving the police force. Unsure of what to do, he asks everyone in the family for their advice...with varying results.
17. The Ingrate-- Debra is hurt when Ray receives an honorary doctorate and thanks everyone except her in his acceptance speech. Ray claims it was an accident, but Debra is quick to point out past snubs that were all too deliberate.
18. Crazy Chin-- After Amy's parents point out Robert's strange habit of touching every bite of food to his chin, he goes on the defensive and tries to find out why he does it, with a shocking answer.
19. The Nice Talk-- During Easter weekend, the Barones and Macdougalls decide to work on a puzzle together. After everyone has gone to bed, Ray and Pat stay up working and talking, forming a new bond that makes other family members jealous when they find out about it later.
20. Blabbermouths-- When Ray finds out that Debra has been telling secrets about him to her girlfriends, he decides to get even with his brother and father. Insanity ensues, of course, when husbands and wives altogether find out what has been learned about them.
21. The Model-- Robert is "discovered" by a modeling agency and the family is excited for his new opportunity. When Robert and Ray discover that it was a scam, however, they must come up with a plan to keep the ladies in the dark about all the money Robert lost.
22. The Mentor-- When a young man visits who claims that Frank was his inspiration, Ray and Robert are in a state of disbelief that he could have inspired anyone...especially after the way they feel he raised them.
23. Golf For It-- Feeling guilty about opting to golf instead of helping Marie by building some bookshelves, they decide during their overnight wait in the car for a prime spot on the course that the next day, the stakes would be raised: the loser would get stuck taking care of Marie after Frank was gone.
This set will also include the usual commentary, bloopers and deleted scenes we have seen on the other ELR DVD sets. This will also include some kind of panel discussion. So pick up this set and add it to your DVD collections today!!!
Only one more set to go after this until the entire series has been released! I can't wait! :)"
DVD plans move right along with a hilarious, pleasing 8th he
MollyRK | Chicago | 03/03/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Ever since the inaugural season of "Everybody Loves Raymond" found its way to DVD in September 2004, the company releasing the seasons settled on a "3-per-year" plan--one in September, December, and May--until all 9 seasons were out. Loyal fans were shocked and nervous to find no Season 8 in stores in its due month--December 2006--but with the set slated for delivery in May, all of the worrying is offically over! :)
Just about everyone who loves this series is familiar with its remarkable success on television. Many TV shows are lucky to just get some noteworthy material in its later years, but "Raymond" is an incredible exception--it has always characterized fresh writing, hysterically funny storylines, and priceless banter between the Barone characters we have grown to love.
With soulmates Robert and Amy finally married and savoring the "newlywed" life together, Season 8 opens with a hilarious bang. What will Marie do to hound her new daughter-in-law the second she and Robert return from their honeymoon--and how far will Debra go to make an ally out of Amy so that together, they may overthrow Marie's meddlesome ways for good? If that sounds like good old "Raymond" material to you, then you're absolutely right--and it is sure to keep you laughing all the way through.
Beyond the classic episode entitled "Thank You Notes," the entire year sparkles with plenty of great moments. Because Amy is now an official member of the family, so are her kooky-as-heck parents and brother--and for the Barone clan, that means unannounced visitors on the couch, Thanksgiving celebrations that are even more dysfunctional than usual, and poor Robert's perpetual fight to earn the respect of his wife's tightly-wound parents. Meanwhile, Debra starts spending time with Frank's buddies at the lodge; Ray receives a special writing honor (cap and gown and all!) and forgets to mention Debra in his lengthy acceptance speech; husband and wife get into arguments (wow, who would have guessed?) and Robert becomes the target of further scrutiny when the family attempts to break him of his trademark chin habit. The Barone kids, too, are growing up quickly and keeping their parents on their toes. One of the twins suddenly takes to staying home from school on a regular basis, much to Ray's annoyance (especially when he ends up having to stay home with the kid). Teenager Ally is invited to her best friend's 13th birthday bash.....with a $250 dress code.....and a woman by the name of "Peggy, the Cookie Lady" organizing the whole thing. Let's see, how in the world will Raymond react to that one?
Bottom line, if you adore this show as much as I do, you'll want to pick this season up as soon as it comes out. The typical bloopers, deleted scenes, and commentaries--which have managed to please everyone quite nicely in the past--will be among the special features included. The final Season 9 can't be too far behind now, and as for me, I look forward to officially topping off my DVD collection of the greatest TV show of all time! (Well, in my opinion anyway)"
Very Funny Television
Bogie | Tallahassee, FL USA | 07/09/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have bought each Everybody loves Raymond DVD as it has come out and have loved each one, this is no different. It is nice being able to turn it on while doing work around the house and not be bothered with commercials."
ELR Season 8 = 5
Happy Chappy | Elk Grove, California | 07/08/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Everybody Loves Raymond - The Complete Eighth Season hits its stride early and sustains it throughout the season's episodes. The Robert and Amy relationship takes center stage as Debra tries to enlist Amy to her side of the battle between her and Marie. A standout episode this season involves the Thanksgiving Day episode featuring Amy's family and a hurt bird. The sparkling clean parents' of Amy clash with the Robert's parents (Frank and Marie). Fortunately, Amy's brother is a freak that is the great equalizer. A great season in a great series."
Eight wasn't enough for RAYMOND......
D. Pawl | Seattle | 06/02/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I am happy to say that the eighth season of EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND was brilliantly funny, and the addition of Fred Willard, Georgia Engel and Chris Elliott as Amy Barone (Monica Horan)'s father, mother and brother were a great choice indeed. For starters, the Puritan beliefs are a great contrast to the outrageous antics of Ray Barone (Ray Romano)'s parents, Frank (Peter Boyle) and Marie (Doris Roberts). They make several appearances during the course of season eight. What's more, the rest of the ensemble maintains a joyous atmosphere of neurosis and genuinely human flaws. Celebrate their faultiness with them, here, and you won't regret it for a minute."