You're Lucky You're Funny How Life Becomes a Sitcom

The creator and executive producer of "Everybody Loves Raymond" dissects the art of comedy and the making of a sitcom classic In television, where programs can premiere and disappear in the same week, "Everybody Loves Raymond" reigned as Americas best-loved show for nine years with more than seventeen million viewers. As the number-one sitcom, it received more than seventy Emmy nominations, including two wins for best comedy. With "Youre Lucky Youre Funny," Phil Rosenthal takes us onstage and inside the writers room. Rosenthals meteoric ascent was preceded by odd jobs, including a stint as a museum security guard, running a deli, and writing for a slew of forgettable showsincluding one starring Robert Mitchum as a curmudgeonly homeless man taken in by two orphans. But when he met comedian Ray Romano, they discovered a shared lifetime of family dysfunctionand endless material for a sitcom. Not only a chronicle of one mans rise to the peak of his profession, Rosenthals book is also an unprecedented look at the making of a hit series: how shows are written and character developed, how comedy is refined, how network executives are outsmarted, and most important, how egos are massaged. "Youre Lucky Youre Funny" is an inspiration to anyone involved in the creative process and a must read for the shows millions of devoted fans. BACKCOVER: Advanced Praise: In the Prologue, Mr. Rosenthal says No one listens to me. Maybe the reader will... You should! He is the real deal, both as a human being and as an artist of comedy. Henry Winkler "I read "YOU'RE LUCKY YOU'RE FUNNY" and loved it! If you had the Everybody Loves Raymond bug during its 9 year run, this is the loveletter you've been waiting for. If you've missed the bug, read it at the risk of being bitten and smitten." Norman LearRosenthal, Phil is the author of 'You're Lucky You're Funny How Life Becomes a Sitcom', published 2006 under ISBN 9780670037995 and ISBN 0670037990.