Let’s talk about friends. No, not real friends, or even BEST FRIENDS. I mean the TV show Friends.
With it now having been on Netflix for over a month, we’re able to go
back and see what we could glean from the rampant success of
reintroducing the show into the wild. Here's what we learned:
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Friends is an absolute joke machine; second to maybe only Seinfeld in terms of being relentlessly focused on getting laughs. It also had some of the most successful writers in sitcom history working on it. Guess what, though? A lot of those jokes totally flop. Sure, the studio audience laughs, but I’ve been in one of those before — they have you so
geared up on half-assed crowd work from a stand up comic who got tired of working the road (unless your warm up comic is Brody Stevens, in which case the actual taping will have a hard time following that event) you’ll laugh at just about anything.
(source)
What is up with some of the one-off guest stars who came in to go out on a date or two with the regular cast members? Sure, early on Phoebe got some good ones (Fisher Stevens, Hank Azaria), but the rest of the cast ... dear lord. Remember fun Bobby? That actor was not fun. Like, not at all. And the female guest stars were worse; some of the parts were even written pretty well, with good jokes and a lot for a good actor to play. But they’d often just cast unbelievably beautiful women with no comic timing, because ... ??? Also, they had Lauren Tom (later revealed to be very funny when she voiced Amy on Futurama) in multiple episodes, but gave her absolutely nothing to do.
(source)
Chandler and Monica ending up together (SPOILER) made a lot of sense in the end, and became almost more satisfying than Ross and Rachel, the relationship that ended up being central to the show. But then there was stuff like Joey and Rachel getting together, which is absolutely one of the most loathed storylines in popular sitcom history. And there’s good reason for that — it is not handled well. Joey’s role within the group has always been a kind of older brother and protector, so it feels creepy that he’s now dating someone with whom he had such a familial relationship.
(source)
Here’s a guy who made a song about all the black characters on Friends. It’s ... fairly damning, in that it makes Friends seem like it existed in a New York City where black people only exist to work in the service industry. But Friends did that too itself! If your show is set in New York City, MAKE IT LOOK LIKE NEW YORK CITY (even though everyone knows it was shot on a lot in, like, Burbank, or something).
(source)
Starting from the beginning of the show, I was really struck by the fact that ROSS HAS A SON THAT NEVER SEEMS THAT IMPORTANT TO HIS LIFE DECISIONS! He never meets his half-sister, and is never seen after a season eight episode. Was this kid even real? IS BEN GELLER A CREATION OF ROSS’ IMAGINATION?! The only way he can stay connected with some semblance of reality is to create a fictional child, that the people in his life must also pretend is real, lest he completely snap, and try to destroy them all.
(source)
Before you run so completely out of ideas and settle titling an “The One Where Chandler Watches Shark Porn”, why not try an episode titled “The One Where We Admit There Are No More Stories Left To Tell About These Characters”? I maybe would’ve felt a little less ridiculous.
(source)
Twitter, Facebook, so much of social media went nuts when Friends was released on Netflix. Why? We’d all pretty much seen it before, and remembered that it actually falls apart as a good show, and then keeps going for many more seasons. But we just love what we remember, and sometimes it’s nice to be embraced by a familiar thing that isn’t going to really work its way into our brains. But if you do want that, might recommend Top of the Lake?
What things have you watched recently that taught you some valuable lessons? Let us know in the comments below!
Not All Jokes Will Hit
(source)
Friends is an absolute joke machine; second to maybe only Seinfeld in terms of being relentlessly focused on getting laughs. It also had some of the most successful writers in sitcom history working on it. Guess what, though? A lot of those jokes totally flop. Sure, the studio audience laughs, but I’ve been in one of those before — they have you so
geared up on half-assed crowd work from a stand up comic who got tired of working the road (unless your warm up comic is Brody Stevens, in which case the actual taping will have a hard time following that event) you’ll laugh at just about anything.
Guest Stars Are Often Duds
(source)
What is up with some of the one-off guest stars who came in to go out on a date or two with the regular cast members? Sure, early on Phoebe got some good ones (Fisher Stevens, Hank Azaria), but the rest of the cast ... dear lord. Remember fun Bobby? That actor was not fun. Like, not at all. And the female guest stars were worse; some of the parts were even written pretty well, with good jokes and a lot for a good actor to play. But they’d often just cast unbelievably beautiful women with no comic timing, because ... ??? Also, they had Lauren Tom (later revealed to be very funny when she voiced Amy on Futurama) in multiple episodes, but gave her absolutely nothing to do.
Don’t Stray Too Far From What We Expect
(source)
Chandler and Monica ending up together (SPOILER) made a lot of sense in the end, and became almost more satisfying than Ross and Rachel, the relationship that ended up being central to the show. But then there was stuff like Joey and Rachel getting together, which is absolutely one of the most loathed storylines in popular sitcom history. And there’s good reason for that — it is not handled well. Joey’s role within the group has always been a kind of older brother and protector, so it feels creepy that he’s now dating someone with whom he had such a familial relationship.
Try To Be A Little More Diverse In How You Cast A Show
(source)
Here’s a guy who made a song about all the black characters on Friends. It’s ... fairly damning, in that it makes Friends seem like it existed in a New York City where black people only exist to work in the service industry. But Friends did that too itself! If your show is set in New York City, MAKE IT LOOK LIKE NEW YORK CITY (even though everyone knows it was shot on a lot in, like, Burbank, or something).
You Can Make Kids Disappear
(source)
Starting from the beginning of the show, I was really struck by the fact that ROSS HAS A SON THAT NEVER SEEMS THAT IMPORTANT TO HIS LIFE DECISIONS! He never meets his half-sister, and is never seen after a season eight episode. Was this kid even real? IS BEN GELLER A CREATION OF ROSS’ IMAGINATION?! The only way he can stay connected with some semblance of reality is to create a fictional child, that the people in his life must also pretend is real, lest he completely snap, and try to destroy them all.
Don’t Let Your Show Run Too Long
(source)
Before you run so completely out of ideas and settle titling an “The One Where Chandler Watches Shark Porn”, why not try an episode titled “The One Where We Admit There Are No More Stories Left To Tell About These Characters”? I maybe would’ve felt a little less ridiculous.
People Will Get Excited To Watch Something Familiar
(source)
Twitter, Facebook, so much of social media went nuts when Friends was released on Netflix. Why? We’d all pretty much seen it before, and remembered that it actually falls apart as a good show, and then keeps going for many more seasons. But we just love what we remember, and sometimes it’s nice to be embraced by a familiar thing that isn’t going to really work its way into our brains. But if you do want that, might recommend Top of the Lake?
What things have you watched recently that taught you some valuable lessons? Let us know in the comments below!
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