Sitcom reunions are a beloved staple, and have been for decades.

There are, really, (at least) two types. First, there are the formal full-cast reunions, where you might see a sit-down interview or a one-off new episode celebrating an earlier show's success. The Andy Griffith Show had a few of these, with Return to Mayberry and a few full cast talkshow-style conversations. 

Then, there are the sneakier reunions: A star of a former sitcom has a new series up-and-running. Then, all of a sudden, here comes a familiar face from that earlier show, popping up on this newer show. Hey, look, there's Don Knotts on Matlock!

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In November 2025, CBS celebrated the 30th anniversary of the beloved Everybody Loves Raymond, which saw the surviving cast getting back together one more time to pay tribute to their former onscreen lives.

This anniversary special was filled with emotion, and it was genuinely great to see these co-stars back onscreen together. However, fans couldn't help but feel like something was missing, as stars Doris Roberts and Peter Boyle had since passed away and were thus absent from the reunion. These two actors were integral to Raymond's success, and any gathering without them would doubtlessly leave some disappointed.

Luckily, in a much smaller way, sitcom fans got to see a micro-reunion of sorts several years ago in the Patricia Heaton sitcom The Middle. The show's first season was an incredible success, establishing its central Heck family as a relatable American middle-class bunch. Like all television series, The Middle hoped to grow its viewership in its second season. One of the ways the show sought this new audience was by casting Doris Roberts as the youngest Heck kid's new teacher. This move saw Roberts share a few scenes with her Raymond co-star Heaton, proving their chemistry never missed a step.

Patricia Heaton spoke with Anne Marie of MyTakeOnTV about this fun development and how she felt about treading new ground with her old scene partner.

"It was so great to see Doris again and to work with her," said Heaton. "It's been a long time. It's probably been seven years now— it's hard to believe that it's been seven years since we've done Everybody Loves Raymond, because it sort of just feels like yesterday."

While you might expect that Deborah and Marie from Everybody Loves Raymond to have spent loads of time together after the series wrapped, the demands of a career in Hollywood unfortunately left little time for the duo to reunite on their own time.

"She's [Roberts] been very busy," explained Heaton, "and we haven't had time to see each other. So, it's been a great opportunity to spend a day with her."