
Ray Barone is a successful sports writer and family man who deals with a brother and parents -- who happen to live across the street. Mom Marie loves to meddle in his life, while older brother Robert sometimes resents his success, and Dad Frank just makes comments and raids the fridge. Nevertheless, Ray manages to keep a bright outlook and a sense of humor, leaving the hard issues to his more-practical wife, Debra.

Ray and Robert butt heads over who will shoulder responsibility for Marie in the future.

One of the Barones drops a bombshell on the rest of the family.

When the cable goes out, a board game stirs a heated family debate about who is moral and who is not.

When Debra persuades Ray to be an optimist, he can't handle being the only upbeat person in the family.