Phil Rosenthal: 'Everybody Loves Raymond' creator on his travel show 'Somebody Feed Phil'

‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ is an iconic show, ran for nine years, nominated for an Emmy 70 times, and won 15.  The show's creator and writer, Phil Rosenthal, is also responsible for Netflix’s most popular food and travel show ‘Somebody Feed Phil’, watched worldwide by over 190 million people.   In amongst filming the next season, Rosenthal is bringing the next leg of his tour to New Zealand and Australia, giving kiwi audiences ‘An Evening with Phil Rosenthal.’  He’ll be talking about his travels, the food he tried along the way, and the release of his book back in 2022.  Rosenthal told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking that he worked for ten years to sell ‘Somebody Feed Phil.’  “I was coming from the world of sitcoms, and you can't just change lanes like that without getting a raised eyebrow.”   “They see you as one thing and they don’t really see you as anything else.”   Rosenthal said he had to prove that the series would work, and now they’ve just finished filming the seventh season.   He said that it’s potentially one of those things that could “go on forever.”   Shows get cancelled all the time, shows picked up and dropped again as streaming services seek out the next big hit.  “Every single season is a life and death struggle,” Rosenthal told Hosking.  “You never know if they’re going to pick up the show for a new season.”  Rosenthal refers to his show as a ‘travel show,’ saying that while he loves food and it is a big part of the show, it isn’t the main point.  “The main point of the show is to travel and make the world nicer.”  “What you get back in return is absolutely invaluable.”  ‘An Evening with Phil Rosenthal’ is on at the Bruce Mason Centre in Auckland on Wednesday the 4th of October. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.