Ping Pong (Everybody Loves Raymond) Explained

Series:Everybody Loves Raymond
Season:3
Episode:13
Production:9814
Length:22 minutes
Director:Will Mackenzie
Photographer:Mike Berlin
Editor:Patricia Barnett
Season Article:Everybody Loves Raymond (season 3)
Episode List:List of Everybody Loves Raymond episodes
Prev:The Toaster
Next:Pants on Fire

"Ping Pong" is the 13th episode of the third season of the American sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond (1996–2005). The episode aired on January 11, 1999 on CBS.

Reception

Following the end of the 1998 Monday Night Football season Everybody Loves Raymond was competing with, CBS chose to air the sports-themed "Ping Pong" in order to attract the football series' male demographic.[1] Upon its original airing, "Ping Pong" attracted 11.6% of 980,000 American homes, making it the fourteenth most-viewed program of the week.[2] According to Screen Rant, "Ping Pong" "is one of the most iconic of the entire series, as it finds Ray and Frank pitted against each other in a vicious battle."[3] However, the source criticized Ray's insult to Robert, "zero serving zero - you experimented in camp," for its homophobic nature.[4] For acting in "Ping Pong" and "Driving Frank," Peter Boyle was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.[5]

King of Queens Connection

A similar premise was also used for companion series The King of Queens (1998-2007): in the Season 6 episode "King Pong", Doug enlists Arthur's help in defeating Carrie.

Notes and References

  1. News: Lorando. Mark. January 12, 1999. Home Stretch. The Times-Picayune. F1.
  2. News: Prime-Time Ratings. The Orange County Register. F2. Morning.
  3. Web site: Daley. Katerina. October 27, 2019. Everybody Loves Raymond: 10 Best Frank Barone Quotes. Screen Rant. January 29, 2020.
  4. Web site: Daley. Katerina. August 13, 2019. Everybody Loves Raymond: 10 Jokes That Have Already Aged Poorly. Screen Rant. January 29, 2020.
  5. Web site: Emmy Episode Submissions 1998–99. Gold Derby. March 7, 2016. January 28, 2020.