Ray Romano
Ray Romano rejects the idea of an Everybody Loves Raymond reboot during the 30th anniversary reunion, saying the sitcom cannot return without the three cast members who have died. (Photo: Instagram / gildasclubnyc)

Ray Romano has definitively ruled out an 'Everybody Loves Raymond' reboot, telling fans during the show's 30th anniversary reunion special that aired Monday on CBS that reviving the beloved sitcom would be impossible without the three cast members who have died.

'We're never going to do one, because we're missing three cast members, three family members', Romano said during the special hosted by himself and series creator Phil Rosenthal.

The reunion, filmed before a live audience on a re-created set of the Barone family's living room and kitchen, brought together surviving main cast members Patricia Heaton, Brad Garrett, Monica Horan and Madylin and Sullivan Sweeten. It paid heartfelt tribute to Doris Roberts, Peter Boyle and Sawyer Sweeten, whose absences made the impossibility of a reboot painfully clear.

The Losses that Changed Everything

Peter Boyle, who played gruff patriarch Frank Barone, died on 12 November 2006 at age 71 from multiple myeloma and heart disease at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Just one year after the series finale in 2005, Boyle's death stunned his co-stars, with Romano saying at the time that Boyle had been a mentor from the show's early days.

Doris Roberts, who won four Emmy awards for her role as meddling mother Marie Barone, died on 17 April 2016 at age 90 from a stroke. Her chemistry with Boyle had been the emotional centre of the show, with Romano recalling during the reunion that he became emotional when speaking about Boyle and told Rosenthal 'go ahead, talk about Doris, because I can't talk anymore'.

The most tragic loss came in 2015 when Sawyer Sweeten, who played one of Ray and Debra's twin sons alongside his real-life twin brother Sullivan, died by suicide at age 19. The reunion special didn't shy away from addressing Sawyer's death, with his siblings Madylin and Sullivan speaking openly about their grief and their work with the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.

An Emotional Reunion

'Sawyer, of course, is no longer with us, and we miss him, and he was just this bright energy, light', Romano said during the special. Sullivan added that whilst he tries to think about the good moments, many of those memories are tied to the show's set.

Madylin used the platform to raise awareness about suicide prevention, stating 'It is the second-leading cause of death between the ages of 18 to 25, but 90 per cent of people who seek treatment are cured'. She shared that many people have told the family that learning about Sawyer's story saved their lives.

Romano was clear about why a reboot would dishonour the show's legacy. 'We don't want to do it because it would never be as good', he said. 'First of all, even if every cast member was alive and well, they're never as good as when the show was thriving and we were younger. And the fact that the mother and the father and one of the kids is gone, and also a couple of the guest stars are gone, we would be doing a disservice to the show'.

The special also noted that recurring actors Fred Willard and Georgia Engel, who played Robert's in-laws, have also passed away since the show ended.

'It wouldn't be the same', Rosenthal agreed. 'We have too much respect for the show itself and for the beautiful audience. And thankfully, the show is still on every day, all over the world'.

The Emmy-winning comedy, which ran from 1996 to 2005, remains exceptionally popular in syndication nearly 30 years after its premiere. For Romano and the surviving cast, the reunion special serves not as a preview of what could be, but as a loving farewell to the family members who made the show unforgettable.

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