Everybody Loves Raymond Reunion Special Premieres After 29-Year Wait

Hollywood, CA — On Monday, CBS will air “Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion,” a 90-minute special celebrating the beloved Emmy-winning comedy series. This reunion brings together surviving cast members for the first time since the show ended, interestingly coinciding with its 29-year anniversary on September 13, 1996.

Ray Romano, the show’s star, expressed his excitement about the special’s timing, stating, “That was just rounding off.” The special’s release was primarily influenced by fan demand, following several past attempts to create a reunion that had not materialized.

<pRomano noted, "I’ve been trying to have a reunion special for 10 years… but there wasn’t an appetite for it at CBS." He credited Amy Reisenbach, CBS’s new president, for wanting to move forward with the event. “I just selfishly wanted to see my friends and celebrate our nice show,” he said.

This year, the Paley Center in New York hosted an exhibit titled “30 Years of Everybody Loves Raymond: A Behind-the-Scenes Tribute,” which inspired the reunion. “We tried to get it together for when the Paley Center [exhibit] was there, but for technical reasons, we couldn’t,” Romano explained.

The reunion special will air during Thanksgiving week, with Romano adding, “So yeah, technically, it’s a few months earlier for our 30th anniversary, but it is the 30th anniversary of when I did Letterman.” That appearance on “The Late Show with David Letterman” in 1995 was pivotal in securing the sitcom deal for “Everybody Loves Raymond.”

Phil Rosenthal, the series creator, also highlighted the significance of their meeting in 1995. “I can honestly say that the show was born 30 years ago,” he said, marking their collaboration on the fictional Barone family.

The announcement for the reunion special was made on October 1, just two weeks after Romano and co-star Brad Garrett‘s mini-reunion at the Emmy Awards. That moment was a highlight of the night and went viral on social media.

As for whether that Emmy appearance played a role in finalizing the new special, Romano said he was not sure. He noted that discussions with CBS had been in progress prior to their Emmy performance but appreciated the compliments he received afterward.

The reunion special features appearances by cast members including Garrett, Patricia Heaton, and Monica Horan. Unfortunately, it also pays tribute to the late cast members Doris Roberts and Peter Boyle.

The special is set to air on November 24, 2025, from 8 to 9:30 p.m. on CBS and will be available for streaming on Paramount+.