TAMPA, Fla. — If you are looking for edgy, hip comedy, Phil Rosenthal isn’t your guy. His bent is more heartwarming and positive, bordering on goofy. After ending his Emmy-winning run as the creator of “Everybody Loves Raymond” he hit a wall in Hollywood, where his earnest love of people just didn’t fly.
So Rosenthal made an unusual pivot after 10 years of getting his scripts rejected. He pitched a travel and food show to PBS, called “I’ll Have What Phil’s Having.” It ran for two seasons, winning the 2016 James Beard Award for Best Television Program, on Location. Then Netflix pounced and has had one of its biggest hits with “Somebody Feed Phil” starring Rosenthal, which was recently renewed for a seventh season.
He named his production company Lucky Bastards, because that was his brother’s comment when he told him about the Netflix deal of getting to travel and eat his way around the globe. As the host who eats and drinks all over the world, Rosenthal’s rubbery face explodes with joy when he tries some noodles in Thailand or licks gelato in Italy. He makes friends along the way at each of his stops, but admits to being squeamish about certain foods like live insects. He jokes that his hosting persona is “exactly like Anthony Bourdain if he was afraid of everything.”
