Ray Romano

Those who subscribe to the familiar adage "Dying is easy, comedy is hard" have not been hanging around lately with Ray Romano. The star and inspiration behind the hit family comedy "Everybody Loves Raymond" has discovered something far more difficult than comedy or sustaining a hit network sitcom. It's developing his Act 2. Romano is grappling with the demands of being the creative force behind TNT's "Men of a Certain Age," his first TV venture since 2005, when "Raymond" ended its nine-year run on CBS. Toning down his familiar everyman comic persona, he is leaping from the plush neon flashiness of network TV to the less glossy and more frugal regions of cable, and with a risky concept.

Click here to download TV listings for the week Dec. 16 - 22 in PDF format This week's TV Movies     SERIES The Voice:   Finalists Cassadee Pope, Terry McDermott and Nicholas David perform in this new episode (8 p.m. NBC). Gossip Girl: After six seasons, Serena (Blake Lively) and her high-living Upper East Side friends and relatives bid farewell with the two-hour series finale (8 p.m. KTLA). Nick News With Linda Ellerbee:   This newest installment of the kids' news show looks at "Top 10 Annoying Things Siblings Do" (8 p.m. Nickelodeon)

Comedian Ray Romano will headline a benefit show at UCLA's Royce Hall Sept. 27, with proceeds going to research into the effects of laughter and humor on the immune systems of sick children and adolescents. The study, called Rx Laughter, is being conducted by the school's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. In addition to Romano, star of the CBS sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," Kevin James, of CBS' "King of Queens," and comedian Wendy Liebman will perform.

20th Century Fox can chill out now, as the fourth installment of the studio's animated "Ice Age" franchise easily debuted in the No. 1 spot at the box office this weekend. "Ice Age: Continental Drift," the only new movie to hit theaters nationwide this weekend, opened with a solid domestic sum of $46 million, according to an estimate from Fox. The 3-D picture reunites the series' beloved band of prehistoric mammals and features a number of celebrities in its voice cast, including Queen Latifah, Nicki Minaj and Ray Romano.

Even though Ray Romano has got his home turf written all over him, the Hollywood hotshots overseeing his new CBS sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond" wanted to make him more, uh, "universal." Put him in some nebulous TV suburb somewhere. "Take the ethnic thing out of it," reports the Queens-born and -bred comedian in his trademark drone. "How can it not be New York?" he wonders in amazement. "You know? Just listen to me and look at me. How can you take me out of my element?"

Channeling one's quirks and neuroses into a stand-up comedy act or a thinly veiled autobiographical TV sitcom is one thing. Putting them front and center in a nonfiction movie is another. Which is possibly why "Everybody Loves Raymond" star Ray Romano resisted (correctly, methinks) the notion of longtime friend and opening act Tom Caltabiano to document their eight-day stand-up tour through Florida and Georgia. Packing a dutifully quiet film student with camera (Roger Lay Jr.

Having been recently subjected to FX's "The League," I approached TNT's new "Men of a Certain Age" with a fair amount of wariness. According to the press notes, the show "explores the unique bonds of male friendship," a description that could apply to Pinter or Steinbeck and yet so often these days seems to involve jokes about Viagra and genital grooming. With Ray Romano starring and producing, the term "vanity vehicle" also raised its ugly head. Was he, after being made rich and famous for " Everybody Loves Raymond," now going gritty, chasing Bryan Cranston, another former comedic dad who's now pulled down two Emmys for his work in "Breaking Bad"?

This week's scheduled production start on the eighth season premiere of CBS' hit "Everybody Loves Raymond" has been delayed until Monday following the illness of co-star Patricia Heaton and a contract dispute involving Brad Garrett. Heaton, who plays the wife of star Ray Romano, called in sick Monday and Tuesday, and producers decided to move production of the series until next Monday. A spokeswoman for Heaton said, "She's really under the weather and has been to a doctor."

Ray's back: CBS' "Everybody Loves Raymond" is gone, but Ray Barone lives on. Ray Romano will reprise the character from his departed sitcom on "The King of Queens" in an episode airing Nov. 28, CBS said.

Ray Romano isn't even off the air with "Everybody Loves Raymond" yet, but he's already lined up his next project: an HBO special with buddy Kevin James. James, who stars in CBS' "The King of Queens," and Romano will document their attempt to make the cut at last February's annual pro-amateur golf tournament at Pebble Beach. The program will debut on HBO on June 18.

20th Century Fox can chill out today, as the fourth installment of the studio's animated "Ice Age" franchise easily debuted in the No. 1 spot at the box office this weekend. "Ice Age: Continental Drift," the only new movie to hit theaters nationwide this weekend, opened with a solid domestic sum of $46 million, according to an estimate from Fox. The 3-D picture reunites the series' beloved band of prehistoric mammals and features a number of celebrities in its voice cast, such as Queen Latifah, Nicki Minaj and Ray Romano.

TNT's "Men of a Certain Age," which began its second season Monday, revolves around the lives of three middle-aged guys who exhibit varying levels of maturity, humor and physical decay. The critically lauded drama stars Ray Romano, Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula, whose characters like to hang-out at Norms and joke about one another's problems. The hourlong show airs 10 p.m. Monday nights. Times photographer Jay L. Clendenin visited the set recently to capture the feeling of a busy set. For more photos, go to latimes.

SERIES One Tree Hill: Lydia's (Bess Armstrong) condition deteriorates, moving Haley and Quinn (Bethany Joy Galeotti, Shantel VanSanten) to reconnect with Taylor (Lindsey McKeon) in this new episode (8 p.m. KTLA). The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love: Popular bachelors and bachelorettes from past seasons discuss how the show has changed their lives and Jake faces the women he rejected so far in this new episode (8 p.m. ABC). King Tut Unwrapped: This new episode uses latest DNA technology and forensic techniques to shed light on how King Tut lived and died (8 p.m. Discovery)

SERIES Fight Science: This new series premieres with a look at a highly trained Special Operations Force, whose members are pushed to their physiological and psychological breaking points (7 and 10 p.m. National Geographic). How I Met Your Mother: Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) is having a great week, but his friends haven't been so lucky. Sportscaster Jim Nantz and New York Yankee Nick Swisher guest star as themselves in this new episode (8 p.m. CBS). Chuck: Kristin Kreuk guest stars as Hannah, a new addition to the Nerd Herd.

The Early Show John Lithgow; "The Amazing Race." (N) 7 a.m. KCBS Today (N) 7 a.m. KNBC KTLA Morning News (N) 7 a.m. KTLA Good Morning America Director Tom Ford; Jenny McCarthy; Ray Romano; Bill O'Reilly. (N) 7 a.m. KABC Good Day L.A. (N) 7 a.m. KTTV Live With Regis and Kelly Guest co-host Bryant Gumbel; Ray Romano; John Lithgow. (N) 9 a.m. KABC The View Kyra Sedgwick ("The Closer"); author Dr. Mehmet Oz ("You: Having a Baby")

Those who subscribe to the familiar adage "Dying is easy, comedy is hard" have not been hanging around lately with Ray Romano. The star and inspiration behind the hit family comedy "Everybody Loves Raymond" has discovered something far more difficult than comedy or sustaining a hit network sitcom. It's developing his Act 2. Romano is grappling with the demands of being the creative force behind TNT's "Men of a Certain Age," his first TV venture since 2005, when "Raymond" ended its nine-year run on CBS. Toning down his familiar everyman comic persona, he is leaping from the plush neon flashiness of network TV to the less glossy and more frugal regions of cable, and with a risky concept.

Ray Romano is set to become television's highest-paid actor next season, thanks to a new contract that will pay him at least $1.8 million per episode of his CBS sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," Daily Variety reported Monday. The deal pushes Romano ahead of NBC's Kelsey Grammer, who has been making $1.6 million per episode of "Frasier" the last two seasons.

Ray Romano, the Emmy Award-winning star of CBS' "Everybody Loves Raymond," is joining the growing parade of celebrities who are writing children's books. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers said Tuesday that Romano will write "Raymie, Dickie and the Bean: Why I Love and Hate My Brothers," described as an account of "why brothers can be gross, disgusting and downright mean, but still love each other," based on his childhood experiences.

Having been recently subjected to FX's "The League," I approached TNT's new "Men of a Certain Age" with a fair amount of wariness. According to the press notes, the show "explores the unique bonds of male friendship," a description that could apply to Pinter or Steinbeck and yet so often these days seems to involve jokes about Viagra and genital grooming. With Ray Romano starring and producing, the term "vanity vehicle" also raised its ugly head. Was he, after being made rich and famous for " Everybody Loves Raymond," now going gritty, chasing Bryan Cranston, another former comedic dad who's now pulled down two Emmys for his work in "Breaking Bad"?