Everybody Loves Raymond Is touted as a family sitcom; in this case, "family" refers to grown-up characters (and viewers). Stand-up comedian Ray Romano stars as sportswriter Ray Barone, and Patricia Heaton plays his wife, Debra. Their three kid serve primarily as scenery, barely reacting to the constant bickering and crises that surround them. Central to the comedy are Ray's opinionated and intrusive parents -- Frank (Peter Boyle) and Marie (Doris Roberts) -- and his brother, Robert (Brad Garrett), who all live just across the street. The extended family throw insults around as if they can't stand each other, but viewers seem to identify with the Barones, a family that fights as passionately as it loves.