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| The Entertainment Review |
| Genre: Interview Director: Jeffrey Berman Available at: www.thewriteenvironment.com |
For anyone who has wanted to break into screenwriting and has wanted to know where to start and what to do, “The Write Environment”
is an awesome concept. Host, Writer, Producer and Creator of the series, Jeffrey Berman, sits down and interviews some of the most
well known writers in Hollywood to talk about their craft. In “The Write Environment Featuring an Interview with Phil Rosenthal,” Berman
sits down with Phil Rosenthal, the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond.
Phil Rosenthal made his way to Hollywood with the dream of becoming a famous Hollywood actor. Using his quick wit and
overenthusiastic charm, it seems to make him a natural to work on the silver screen. However, like many who make their way to
Hollywood for fortune and fame, Rosenthal made his way down the Boulevard Of Broken Dreams, failing to find work in front of the
camera, but that didn’t stop him. Instead, Rosenthal decided to focus his talents behind the scenes as a writer. In this interview,
Rosenthal discusses the training he received on the job in the world of sitcoms. He goes in to detail on how he kept Everybody Loves
Raymond fresh for nine years, the importance of the craft of writing and why his best work comes when he is lying down on the job.
Rosenthal has a lot of background to his career, some that many people know about and some that very few know. He is of course
best known as the creator, executive producer and writer of Everybody Loves Raymond which ran from 1996 to 2005. He was also a
series writer on the television show Coach and has been a contributing writer on severl charity events for television, including America:
A Tribute to Heroes and Shelter From the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast. He is married to actress Monica Horan, who played Amy
MacDougall Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond.
As a graduate of Hofstra University with a degree in theater, Phil Rosenthal originally wanted to be an actor and made an occasional
appearance in small roles and cameos appearances on television shows and films. In 2006 his autobiography was released, “You’re
Lucky You’re Funny: How Life Becomes a Sitcom.”
Since he won 2 Emmy awards and received 12 total nominations for his work with Everybody Loves Raymond, it should be no surprise
to learn that Rosenthal is hilarious. At times during the interview viewers will probably have to rewind because they will be laughing too
loud to hear the conversation. It is a much different interview than others in “The Write Environment” series and Rosenthal offers an
enlightening perspective about the fine distinction between writing comedy and drama.
It is very interesting to see how writers take on their craft and Rosenthal is very interesting. His preferred writing space is on the couch
or in bed, using a laptop and tray to write. His primary location to do so is a guest house that he had built for his parents whom he
based the characters Marie and Frank Barone from. Unlike other writers, his writing space isn’t filled with pop culture memorabilia, but
instead the table and chairs that Marie and Frank used on the set of his show.
Although Everybody Loves Raymond is based on the life of Ray Romano, viewers won’t be able to help but notice the similarities
between Ray Romano and Phil Rosenthal, from their comedic timing, facial expression and sense of humor, to a certain extent
Rosenthal is Larry David to Romano’s Seinfeld.
Rosenthal discusses his approach to writing jokes, his comedic influences and favorite contemporary series. He also emphasizes the
importance of writing from personal experience and events from his own life. He is an engaging interview subject, very enthusiastic and
sincere about his writing and sitcom history.
The interview is presented in full screen, and looks like a low budget production. It looks much like a documentary film, colors are dull
and the pictures can be a little fuzzy at times. Though the interview presentation looks unprofessional, it gives the DVD as certain
aspect of realism, making it a great release. Also, the audio is nothing spectacular, but for something that is specifically dialogue, this
works just fine in this presentation. There are times viewers won’t be able to understand what Rosenthal is saying, and there aren’t
any subtitles to help out. However, with the low price that the DVD costs, viewers can’t expect too much in production value here.
Viewers of this particular interview may also want to keep in mind that this title recently won the Silver Telly Award, a premier award
honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions. A
definite must have for any want-to-be, up-and-coming or established writer.
is an awesome concept. Host, Writer, Producer and Creator of the series, Jeffrey Berman, sits down and interviews some of the most
well known writers in Hollywood to talk about their craft. In “The Write Environment Featuring an Interview with Phil Rosenthal,” Berman
sits down with Phil Rosenthal, the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond.
Phil Rosenthal made his way to Hollywood with the dream of becoming a famous Hollywood actor. Using his quick wit and
overenthusiastic charm, it seems to make him a natural to work on the silver screen. However, like many who make their way to
Hollywood for fortune and fame, Rosenthal made his way down the Boulevard Of Broken Dreams, failing to find work in front of the
camera, but that didn’t stop him. Instead, Rosenthal decided to focus his talents behind the scenes as a writer. In this interview,
Rosenthal discusses the training he received on the job in the world of sitcoms. He goes in to detail on how he kept Everybody Loves
Raymond fresh for nine years, the importance of the craft of writing and why his best work comes when he is lying down on the job.
Rosenthal has a lot of background to his career, some that many people know about and some that very few know. He is of course
best known as the creator, executive producer and writer of Everybody Loves Raymond which ran from 1996 to 2005. He was also a
series writer on the television show Coach and has been a contributing writer on severl charity events for television, including America:
A Tribute to Heroes and Shelter From the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast. He is married to actress Monica Horan, who played Amy
MacDougall Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond.
As a graduate of Hofstra University with a degree in theater, Phil Rosenthal originally wanted to be an actor and made an occasional
appearance in small roles and cameos appearances on television shows and films. In 2006 his autobiography was released, “You’re
Lucky You’re Funny: How Life Becomes a Sitcom.”
Since he won 2 Emmy awards and received 12 total nominations for his work with Everybody Loves Raymond, it should be no surprise
to learn that Rosenthal is hilarious. At times during the interview viewers will probably have to rewind because they will be laughing too
loud to hear the conversation. It is a much different interview than others in “The Write Environment” series and Rosenthal offers an
enlightening perspective about the fine distinction between writing comedy and drama.
It is very interesting to see how writers take on their craft and Rosenthal is very interesting. His preferred writing space is on the couch
or in bed, using a laptop and tray to write. His primary location to do so is a guest house that he had built for his parents whom he
based the characters Marie and Frank Barone from. Unlike other writers, his writing space isn’t filled with pop culture memorabilia, but
instead the table and chairs that Marie and Frank used on the set of his show.
Although Everybody Loves Raymond is based on the life of Ray Romano, viewers won’t be able to help but notice the similarities
between Ray Romano and Phil Rosenthal, from their comedic timing, facial expression and sense of humor, to a certain extent
Rosenthal is Larry David to Romano’s Seinfeld.
Rosenthal discusses his approach to writing jokes, his comedic influences and favorite contemporary series. He also emphasizes the
importance of writing from personal experience and events from his own life. He is an engaging interview subject, very enthusiastic and
sincere about his writing and sitcom history.
The interview is presented in full screen, and looks like a low budget production. It looks much like a documentary film, colors are dull
and the pictures can be a little fuzzy at times. Though the interview presentation looks unprofessional, it gives the DVD as certain
aspect of realism, making it a great release. Also, the audio is nothing spectacular, but for something that is specifically dialogue, this
works just fine in this presentation. There are times viewers won’t be able to understand what Rosenthal is saying, and there aren’t
any subtitles to help out. However, with the low price that the DVD costs, viewers can’t expect too much in production value here.
Viewers of this particular interview may also want to keep in mind that this title recently won the Silver Telly Award, a premier award
honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions. A
definite must have for any want-to-be, up-and-coming or established writer.
