Everybody loved Everybody Loves Raymond ... or at least that's what the title suggested.

The hit CBS sitcom became one of television's most beloved comedies, but series star Ray Romano was one of the first to admit that it wasn't always the most-watched show on TV.

"Has anybody seen this show?" Romano said in a 1997 interview with the Anchorage Daily News. "We're on American television. Yeah, really. I have twin 3-year-olds at home. I don't care if you laugh or not. I'm just happy to be out of the house."

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That quote perfectly summed up Romano's life at the time, at least according to him. It also captured what made both Romano and his TV alter ego so appealing. He wasn't a flashy sitcom star. He was a regular guy, a husband, a father, and someone audiences could genuinely relate to.

According to Romano, Raymond's appeal came from his intelligence, everyday personality, childlike reactions, and relatability.

However, despite Romano's jokes, plenty of people were watching. Everybody Loves Raymond regularly drew more than 20 million viewers per week during its peak. Phil Rosenthal, the series'creator, believed much of the show's success came down to timing.

"The time slot is everything," Rosenthal said.

He's not wrong. Before Everybody Loves Raymond found its audience, CBS struggled to make Friday's 7:30 p.m. time slot a success. In fact, the network hadn't had a major hit in that slot since Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. It wasn't an easy time period to convince viewers to tune in, but once audiences discovered the series, they stuck with it.

Those loyal fans connected with the show's authentic family dynamics, especially Raymond's relationship with his parents.

"The character on the show is close to being me," Romano said. "We're talking all my personality traits, all my weird stuff, and each one of them is an episode. Though I'm not exactly playing myself. Any time I say 'honey' or kiss my wife, that's where we stretch the truth."