Raymond Gets Big Syndie Send-Off

In one of the biggest-ever syndication send-offs for a TV series, King World Productions will blanket the airwaves with "best-of" Everybody Loves Raymond episodes, including a marathon, to mark the end of the show's nine-year network run on co-owned CBS May 16.

B&C has learned that during the week of May 2, King World, never one to let a momentous event go by unnoticed, will air favorite episodes “The Letter” (Ray Romano), “The Shower” (Patricia Heaton), “Lucky Suit” (Brad Garrett), “Grandpa Steals” (Peter Boyle) and “Ray’s Journal” (Doris Roberts).

On the weekend prior to the network finale, King World has gotten stations in 88% of the country and all 50 of the top 50 markets to clear out a four-hour block of shelf space for a marathon of back-to-back episodes handpicked by Executive Producer Phil Rosenthal and star Ray Romano, each episode including a one-minute introduction by a cast member or writer.

Daily episodes during the week of May 16 will showcase famous firsts. On the day of the finale, for example, the pilot episode will air in syndication. Other themed episodes that week will include “She’s the One,” which won the series’ first Emmy for Best Comedy Series, and “Debra Makes Something Good,” the first time that character actually succeeded in the kitchen.