Everybody Hates Chris is an American period sitcom based on the troubled teenage experiences of comedian Chris Rock. The show is set between 1982 and 1987, but Rock was a teenager between 1978 and 1984, being born in 1965. Rock himself grew up with his best friend, Kenny Montero, whom he has often referred to as the inspiration for a lot of the episodes. In many of his interviews, Rock has described Montero as the reason he got into comedy in the first place. The show's title parodies the hit CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond.