One Last Laugh

So why quit after nine successful seasons?

"It was a creative decision," says Ray Romano who plays the title character. The show is very loosely based on his real life—along with the lives of the other writers on the show.

"We just thought, 'We have run out of stories.' You know, we're in the writers' room. We know how hard it is to come up with new and fresh ideas," Ray says. "It's not money. I have money…I don't have Oprah money, but I have money! So that was it. It was just we love the show. The show is our heart and soul. It's our legacy, if you will, and we want to leave at the top of our game."