The creator and executive producer of Everybody Loves Raymond dissects the art of comedy and the making of a sitcom classic
In television, where programs can premiere and disappear in the same week, Everybody Loves Raymond reigned as America�s best-loved show for nine years with more than seventeen million viewers. As the number-one sitcom, it received more than seventy Emmy nominations, including two wins for best comedy. With You�re Lucky You�re Funny, Phil Rosenthal takes us onstage and inside the writer�s room. Rosenthal�s meteoric ascent was preceded by odd jobs, including a stint as a museum security guard, running a deli, and writing for a slew of forgettable shows�including one starring Robert Mitchum as a curmudgeonly homeless man taken in by two orphans. But when he met comedian Ray Romano, they discovered a shared lifetime of family dysfunction�and endless material for a sitcom. Not only a chronicle of one man�s rise to the peak of his profession, Rosenthal�s book is also an unprecedented look at the making of a hit series: how shows are written and character developed, how comedy is refined, how network executives are outsmarted, and most important, how egos are massaged. You�re Lucky You�re Funny is an inspiration to anyone involved in the creative process and a must read for the show�s millions of devoted fans. BACKCOVER: Advanced Praise:
�In the Prologue, Mr. Rosenthal says �No one listens to me. Maybe the reader will...� You should! He is the real deal, both as a human being and as an artist of comedy.�
�Henry Winkler
"I read YOU'RE LUCKY YOU'RE FUNNY and loved it! If you had the Everybody Loves Raymond bug during its 9 year run, this is the love letter you've been waiting for. If you've missed the bug, read it at the risk of being bitten and smitten."
�Norman Lear
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