'Exporting Raymond' Trailer – How To Remake 'Everybody Loves Raymond' For Russian Audiences

By Angie HanMarch 17, 2011 1:00 pm EST

It's not unusual for hit shows from one country to get remade in another country, and the process generally involves some tailoring of the series to better suit local tastes. A new documentary titled Exporting Raymond follows Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal to Russia, where he's tasked with reworking his hit American series for Russian audiences. The result is a fish-out-of-water tale that, from the looks of it, seems like it could itself be the plotline of an American sitcom. Watch the trailer after the jump.

[via TheMovieBox.Net]

To be honest, the trailer isn't doing much for me – there are a few laughs, but for the most part the humor looks like it relies heavily on predictable stereotypes about Russians, and the story seems to be more about Rosenthal laughing at those wacky Russians than genuinely trying to understand them. However, the handful of reviews I've read have all been quite positive, so I'm willing to believe there's more to the film than what we see here.

Exporting Raymond has already played a few festivals, but the rest of us will be able to watch it in theaters April 29, 2011. Check out the film's Facebook page for more info.

Official synopsis:

Writers can often form a strange relationship with their own work and sometime it can be hard to let it go. Follow Phil Rosenthal, Emmy Award-winning creator of the hit TV series Everybody Loves Raymond, in this incredibly funny documentary about the attempt to translate Raymond into a Russian sitcom. A hilarious, warm and intimate journey of one man, considered an expert in his country, who travels to a land to help people that don't seem to want his help. Lost in Moscow, lost in his mission, lost in translation, Phil tries to connect with his Russian colleagues but runs into unique characters and situations that conspire to drive him insane. The movie is a true international adventure, a genuine, "fish out of water" comedy that could only exist in real life.