
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.

Debra learns that beautiful neighbors are the real reason Ray is spending so much time at Robert's apartment.

Marie and Frank devastate Ray by trading in their gift, a personally engraved toaster, for a coffee maker.

Ray gains new respect for Robert when he sees him thwart an attempted robbery at Nemo's, but his attempt to get Robert's efforts noticed backfire when a newspaper article makes Ray the focus of the story.

Robert moves into his own apartment, leaving a void in the rest of the Barone household.