TVSquad

Welcome back, Raymond.

TNT has signed Ray Romano for a new one-hour comedy/drama pilot, Men of a Certain Age. After the success of Everybody Loves Raymond for CBS -- 1996 -2005 -- Ray Romano left television sounding very much like a guy who wasn't interested in another show. After all, he could have kept Everybody Loves Raymond going for years. It was an Emmy-award winning, Nielsen champ. The show is doing great in syndication.

Men of a Certain Age, which is described as something like Sideways (in tone) about three guys, college friends, who are all struggling with life in their 40's. Romano and Mike Royce wrote the script and will share executive producing chores. "Mike and I have always had success writing what we know," Romano said in Variety. "What we know now is that we're middle-aged, neurotic and fat."

TNT is clearly high on the show, which was originally being created for HBO. When the cable net backed away from the project last year, Romano and company began talking to TNT. They're thrilled about the prospect of adding Ray Romano to their lineup. "It's about three best friends, each hoping to fulfill his dreams before the clock starts running out," said Michael Wright, head of content development for TNT. "It's an honest, emotional and funny and very personal take on the subject.''

Men could be ready early next year, or TNT may reserve it for summer 2009. Romano will be playing Joe, who sounds like a variation on Raymond Barone -- if Raymond was a divorced dad who failed to become a pro golfer and now runs a party store. Joe's buddies are a struggling actor and another dad who's a stressed-out car salesman.