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“Friends”,
for those of you who have been living under
a rock (or in Arkansas) for the past ten
years, is about 6 single twenty-somethings
living in New York. Well, at least that’s
the way it started out. As the series progressed
is into its tenth (and final season), there
were a few marriages and divorces and they
all are now more like thirty-somethings.
I didn’t start out watching “Friends”
when it debuted in 1994. Most of the ensemble
cast was made up of unknowns, and the premise
didn’t really sound like something
I’d get into. I was always aware of
its popularity and became familiar with
the actors as they made their attempts to
move onto the big screen. One late night
during its 6th season, I caught a re-run
as I was channel surfing and found something
unique to most of the sitcoms of the 90’s.
It was actually funny.
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My wife and I started making “Friends”
a nightly 10:00 pm ritual and even started watching
the new episodes every Thursday night.
I liked the fact that the ensemble was made up
of very diverse personalities, much like some
of my groups of friends. Despite their differences,
it felt very natural that they would be friends.
This might have been in part because of the fact
that most of the actors became friends off-screen
and actually hung out together. This real life
bond transferred onto the show and helped to elevate
their rapport.
I mentioned the cast’s diversity and I’d
like to bring it up again just to give me an opportunity
for a quick rant. A few years ago, a few very
bored and probably very unemployed people actually
got irate because the cast wasn’t diverse
enough. For some reason, the fact that there were
no African Americans, no Asian Americans, no Indian
Americans, no Hispanic Americans, and if I remember
right… no Martian Americans riled these
people up enough to picket the series (hence taking
care of their boredom and temporarily alleviating
their non-employed status). Occasionally I’d
catch the writers trying to ‘fix’
this ‘problem’ by bringing in potential
new cast members, but they generally didn’t
worked out. This had nothing to do with any racial
barriers, only the fact that the chemistry between
the existing characters could not be messed with.
So, for those who complained….phhhbbbbt!
Getting back to the show, it also worked for a
variety of other reasons beyond the cast’s
connection. Over the years these characters were
allowed to grow and change (and I don’t
just mean hairstyles), much in the way real people
do. And in the case of a couple of them, it was
obvious certain things would never change and
they would be doomed to make the same mistakes
over and over. They fought each other and they
loved each other but the bottom line was that
they would always be friends.
I find it hard to single out any particular actor
in the show as that would make for a very long
article, but if I were to have to potential favorites
they would be Joey (Matt LeBlanc) and Chandler
(Matthew Perry). Joey is the naïve and slightly
dim-witted wannabe actor. The way LeBlanc played
him was often sheer genius. His utter clueless
ness would always leave me in stitches. And Matthew
Perry’s Chandler is the king of witty repartee.
His rapid fire one-liner delivery makes for some
of the funniest lines ever uttered in any sitcom.
The thing that I have yet to figure out about
all of these actors though, is how they can be
so perfect in “Friends”, yet most
of them cannot find a good vehicle outside of
the series. Almost every movie any of them make
is awful. Even with the little modicum of success
that Courtney Cox and Matthew Perry have had in
films, they have yet to ‘break out’
in that area.
Of the more recent sit-coms, “Friends”
is one of the ones I most looked forward to coming
out on DVD. I won’t admit to how many tapes
I filled up on those 10:00 pm viewings, but they
have now all gone by the wayside. The 8th season
is making its way out onto the market and I’m
already counting the days to the release of the
final two seasons The best part about these DVD
sets (besides the shelf space they use as opposed
to videos), is that they are all uncut and commercial
free. Having only seen most of the episodes in
syndication means I’ve probably missed at
least 10 additional minutes of each one.
The 8th season was hinted at as being the last,
but as we all know it was able to sustain itself
for a full 10 seasons. This was in part because
of the strength of this 8th season. Seasons 6
& 7 were good, but the series seemed to be
running out of steam. There were more and more
weaker episodes, which in part fueled the rumors
of it being the last.
When the 8th season hit, it hit with a vengeance.
The storyline involving Chandler and Monica’s
nuptials was certainly a high point for the series,
but more so was the Rachel’s impending pregnancy.
But the emergence of Joey’s feelings for
Rachel delivered some of the series’ most
poignant moments.
The 8th Season set isn’t without its share
of extra features. They are few, but are all worth
checking out. The producers of the series (Kevin
S. Bright, Marta Kaufman and David Crane) are
back to for commentary “The One Where Rachel
Tells,” “The One with the Videotape,”
and “The One where Rachel has a Baby.”
They’re all pretty good commentaries, but
I really wish they could get the cast to do some
commentaries, which I think I would prefer.
This set also includes a continuance of the “Friends
of Friends” series, and features interviews
with June Gable (Estelle Leonard), Lauren Tom
(Julie), David Arquette (Malcolm), Debra Jo Rupp
(Alice Knight), Teri Garr (Phoebe Sr.) and Bonnie
Somerville (Mona). This featurette runs just a
little under 20 minutes and is well worth a look.
You’ll also find yet another Gag Reel, which
is often my favorite featurette on any DVD set,
as well as a very cool Trivia Game.
James Michael Tyler, whose character Gunther runs
Central Perk (the gang’s favorite hangout)
is back again to give us the scoop on the upcoming
9th season. This last one is more of a commercial
for next DVD set, but is still worth a look.
No matter how you look at it, “Friends”
is a worldwide smash hit. It’s made highly
paid TV stars out of every cast member, and is
always hysterically funny, even in its worst episodes.
These DVD sets are very well put together, and
are fairly inexpensive for what you get. I’ve
heard some people comment that they can’t
identify with the show because all of the characters
are successful rich yuppies. But you know what,
I can laugh at “The Jeffersons” and
I’m not an African American dry cleaner.
You don’t have to identify to get a good
laugh.
Episodes:
The One After "I Do"
The One With The Red Sweater
The One Where Rachel Tells...
The One With The Video Tape
The One With Rachel's Date
The One With The Halloween Party
The One With The Stain
The One With The Stripper
The One With The Rumor
The One With Monica's Boots
The One With Ross' Step Forward
The One Where Joey Dates Rachel
The One Where Chandler Takes a Bath
The One With The Secret Closet
The One With The Birthing Video
The One Where Joey Tells Rachel
The One With The Tea Leaves
The One In Massapequa
The One With Joey's Interview
The One With The Baby Shower
The One With The Cooking Class
The One Where Rachel is Late
The One Where Rachel Has a Baby, part 1
The One Where Rachel Has a Baby, part 2
Starring: David Schwimmer, Courtney Cox-Arquette,
Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston,
Lisa Kudrow
Specifications: Full Screen
Studio: Warner Brothers
Release Date: 11/9/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
Website
We'll give Friends: Season 8 an A.
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