You're Lucky You're Funny

How Life Becomes a Sitcom

By: Phil Rosenthal

Narrated by: Phil Rosenthal

Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

For nearly 10 years no TV comedy was a popular or beloved as Everybody Loves Raymond.

In You're Lucky You're Funny, Phil Rosenthal, the creator and executive producer of the show, tells the behind-the-scenes story of the making of a number one smash-hit sitcom. Based on Ray Romano's actual life, the show also took much of its material from Phil's equally, and hysterically, dysfunctional family characters and experiences.

Besides being one of the funniest books ever written about television, You're Lucky You're Funny is one of the most illuminating, Phil offers an unprecedented look at the making of a hit show, considering everything from casting to writing to production to managing egos to keeping a series fresh after it has comfortably settled in for the long haul.

For anyone who loves comedy, for the millions of devoted fans of Everybody Love Raymond, and for all the aspiring writers who are edging their way toward Hollywood, You're Lucky You're Funny will be a gift and an inspiration.

©2006 Phil Rosenthal (P)2006 Phoenix Audio

Critic reviews

"Like listening to a very long and funny stand-up routine." (Publishers Weekly)

For Raymond Lovers

For anyone who really enjoyed the Everybody Loves Raymond series, this book is an absolute "must". Probably the most enjoyable audiobook I have ever purchased. Absolutely could not put it down. From this book I learned that a huge amount of the material in this series has serious ties to the real-life stories of Phil Rosenthal and Ray Romano. Absolutely GREAT listening!!

Loved it!

What a great book! Interesting, funny, good pace. The inside information and stories are just hysterical and now you can understand why this show ran 9 seasons. Phil Rosenthal is a guy you would want to get to know. So worth the listen.
Only drawback are the long silent gaps that hinder the enjoyment of the book and throw the pace off - I don't know why they did that.

Great fun for fans!

Everybody Loves Raymond is one of my all-time favourite TV shows; I own the entire series on DVD and the episodes still make me laugh out loud even all these years later!

Some parts of this book were better than others, but if you’re a fan like me you’ll agree that on the whole it was entertaining and well worth the time.

The overall enjoyment however was marred by the poor production/editing. It was full of annoying random pauses that were so long it made me wonder on more than one occasion if I had hit pause by accident. It really interrupted the flow.

Good ass book

I saw his Netflix show and thought, “god this guy is happy and sentimental and gets it”, so I picked up the audiobook to listen to something while boxing or jogging. I loved it and I love this guy even more. He’s a real artist and I enjoyed the book from the beginning to the end. I love that he included his insight into the business side of sitcom writing and production. I love how he talks about his wife and how he talks about his admiration for his crew and friends. It’s funny and a beautiful love letter.

We're lucky he's funny!!!

Phil is unique and a quiet comedy genius. Listen to his heart. Buy the book!!!

Phil is Amazing

Phil is awesome and being able to hear him read aloud was GREAT!!!!! ENTERTAINING!!!

Somebody Tell Phil That Everybody Loves Him

I found this book after binging all of "Somebody Feed Phil" over the course of two days, and then wanting to know more about Phil Rosenthal. I've never watched a single episode of "Everyone Loves Raymond," but still thought this book was really entertaining (and informative about show business). ❤

Excellent

This is very very enjoyable, it’s well written and well read by Phil the Narrator. It has many humorous (actually hilarious in many parts) stories and the flow is good and the stories are well set up. I’d recommend it for any “...Raymond...” fan, especially, but other folks will likely enjoy it too.

The book has a few bits of humor that’s a little too crass for my liking and quite a few cuss words but these things are forgivable given the rest of its genius.
I plan to listen to it again and watch a few more Raymond episodes very soon.
Thanks Phil!

Amusing, with mysterious pauses

Maybe it's the nature of the author-narrator's obsession - episodic television - but there are regular quiet spaces of a few seconds each. I'm used to pauses meaning something, and here they don't. Perhaps they're only meant to make the audiobook longer. Or not.

Listeners who are used to a smooth, or smoothly dramatized, flow of words may find the pauses as distracting as I do.

He's funny and a nice guy too

Would you listen to You're Lucky You're Funny again? Why?

Yes - Phil Rosenthal has the DNA of a storyteller. It's a good thing to have if you are writing stories. I never watched Raymond, but this book is a look into that alien world of Show Business through the eyes of a talented and funny storyteller. Hearing an autobiography read by the author adds a lot to the experience.
I like this book.

What other book might you compare You're Lucky You're Funny to and why?

I've listened to Dick Van Dyke, Adrien Barbeau, and Kristen Chenoweth read their books and enjoyed them immensely too.

Which scene was your favorite?

Cover to cover - it's enjoyable.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The funniest people are behind the camera.

Any additional comments?

Phil is a performer as well as a talented artist.