Ray Romano secretly fought to change his hit show’s title before the premiere.
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Ray Romano Humble Man vs. Big Ego Title
Ray Romano is not a man who likes to be in the spotlight. According to producer Tom Caltabiano, Romano was “upset” by his show’s name from the start.
“In real life, Ray is a humble guy,” Caltabiano explained at a recent event at the Paley Center. “He would say, ‘Everybody Loves Ray, and what if the show sucks?'”
Can you imagine the pressure? Romano was terrified that critics would tear him apart if the show flopped – that title was set to make him the butt of the joke.
Desperate phone calls
Romano didn’t just complain about this to friends. He went into full panic mode before the premiere in 1996 and started calling the biggest names in television.
“He called Letterman, and called the president of CBS and said, ‘Please, can we change the name of the show?’ Caltabiano reveals.
The CBS boss dangled a carrot: “Look, if it’s a hit, we’ll change it.” But when did the show become a superhit? “We can’t change it now!” Classic network move.
Alternatives to the name change
Romano also jotted down other title ideas, which are now proudly on display in a Paley Center exhibit.
Some of the options included the super-simple “Ray,” the slightly formal “Regarding Raymond,” and the common “Guy Named Ray.”
None of them had that special appeal, but at least Romano doesn’t look like he has “I’m wonderful” tattooed on his forehead.
From cringe to classic
Despite the pain of its title, the show completely changed Romano’s life.
Before his big break, he’d been toiling in stand-up for 11 years and was beginning to think his career might have stalled.
“I had three kids at the time, and there was a time when I thought if there was another level, it might be now,” Romano tells PEOPLE.
Then came that fateful Letterman show, and boom — development deal.
Nine blockbuster seasons later, television history was made. Though Caltabiano wishes they’d gone on for “10 more years.”
The funny thing is, the title Romano couldn’t bear became iconic.
As Caltabiano laughingly said, “Thank God it was a hit. He just had to make it a hit to surpass the title!”