Everybody Loves Raymond And The Nanny Had A Crossover Episode You Likely Forgot About

The 1990s was a golden age for the television sitcom, and a host of crossover episodes revealed that several the era’s top shows existed in one big universe, with characters popping up across multiple series.

“Mad About You” was linked to one of the biggest sitcoms of the time, “Seinfeld,” revealing that Paul Buchman (Paul Reiser) had been subletting his old apartment to a strange tenant who turns out to be Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards). And Nerdy Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) from “Family Matters” visited the crowded family home in “Full House.” 

“The Nanny,” which aired from 1993 to 1999 on CBS, was no exception to this television trend. In Season 5, Episode 18, “The Reunion Show,” nasal-voiced fashionista Fran Fine heads to her high school reunion where Ray Barone (played by Ray Romano) from “Everybody Loves Raymond” shows up as a fellow alum. “Raymond” had been on the air since 1996 and would ultimately run nine seasons through 2005 (and even score a reunion in 2025), long after “The Nanny” wrapped.

The scene is brief, with Fran quipping that “everybody loved Raymond” in high school — a cheeky nod to Romano’s show’s name (Romano reportedly always worried the sitcom title would invite teasing). “That was always you, Ray. Funny and fertile,” Fran continues. Cracked points out this joke makes zero sense, since it’s not like he was a teen dad. 

Cracked also notes that Hillcrest High is a real school, and it makes sense for Fran to have attended since she’s from Flushing, Queens, but Ray Barone is from Long Island. The reason the show asks us to ignore this plot hole is because it’s referencing their real-life connection: Drescher and Romano really did attend Hillcrest High School, graduating in 1975. They also both attended Queens College. Their actual relationship inspired the seemingly random crossover. 

Ray Barone didn’t just appear on “The Nanny.” He also showed up on “The King of Queens,” the CBS sitcom about delivery driver Doug Heffernan (played by Kevin James), which followed a similar formula to “Everybody Loves Raymond,” including too-close-for-comfort in-laws and a lovable-but-bumbling husband.

Ray Barone appears in Season 1, Episode 9, “Road Rayge,” where Doug lets him cheat off his driving exam at the DMV, which leads to his license getting suspended. Doug then gets a ticket from Ray’s brother Robert (Brad Garrett), and lastly gets in a car crash with Ray’s father Frank (Peter Boyle). Not even the promise of a New York Jets game can make all this up to Doug.

Ray Barone returns in Season 1, Episode 19, “Rayny Day,” when Doug abandons his friend to play golf with Ray, while Ray’s mother (Doris Roberts) comes to pick him up and ends up lecturing Carrie (Leah Remini) on the art of cleaning. He doesn’t return again until the Season 8 episode “Raygin’ Bulls,” where Doug and Ray argue over who is more attractive.

Ray Romano turning up on “The King of Queens” was more than just CBS synergy. His performance on “Everybody Loves Raymond” as a low-key comic lead who still delivered laughs actually inspired how Kevin James played Doug on “The King of Queens.” 

Ray Barone previously appeared on the Bill Cosby sitcom “Cosby.” In Season 2, Episode 10, “Lucas Raymondicus,” Frank Barone has been telling Ray that he was responsible for the winning shot in the 1955 Queens basketball championship. When Frank runs into Cosby’s Hilton Lucas, he begs him to back up the lie. Hilton reluctantly agrees — until the lie snowballs and Frank tells the school honoring him that Hilton is dead.