Hi Curious and welcome back! It is finally here! The One Where They Get Back Together,
and for those of you who might have been living under a rock over the past few weeks, we are
referring to the special friend’s episode where, as the name suggests, the cast will
reunite to reminisce about the good old days. When the trailer had dropped it surely brought
a tear to the eyes of many as the feeling of nostalgia had hit many fans. And while
we wait to be reunited with the cast of this hit 90s show, why not look at how much of
a pioneer this show exactly was? What effects did it have not only on the TV industry but
also on the cultural impact of this sitcom? Which other beloved shows were inspired by
this one? Did any romance bloom on set? And why has a proper reunion of the show, where
the actors would reprise their roles, not happened yet, and why it most likely won’t?
Stay with us until the very end to find out how this sitcom about a group of friends had
changed many things but before we continue don’t forget to turn on the notifications
and subscribe to our channel so that you don’t miss any of our future videos!
Given that the show was famous all around the world, have you ever considered if this
had some kind of influence on how people viewed America? It might seem like a silly thing
but the thing is that the show might have actually helped! Kelsey Miller wrote a book
titled “I’ll be there for you: the one about friends” in which she writes about
the issues the show did and did not cover and how it and the cast influenced TV. One
of the things she had talked about was post 9/11 America. As it turns out there had research
be done to see if the show helped to change how the world viewed America post 9/11 and
it had a strong impact on positive attitudes toward views on the country. As Miller had
said in an interview before the attacks happened there were talks of the show being wrapped
up after the next season as audiences were drifting away, but after the tragedy occurred
it seemed that people came flooding back in, to see New York which was unchanged, familiar
and full of good comedy.
The show had also made history by having one of the first mainstream portrayals of gay
marriage on U.S. television. And while it aired in 1996 and was definitely ahead of
its time for even airing it, looking back at it now it was still somewhat conservative
in the way that it was handled. Though it was still controversial as in 2019, Jane Sibbett,
who played Carol told The Guardian, "Certain affiliates wouldn't air the episode with our
wedding.” Carol and Susan weren’t allowed to kiss and the wedding scene itself lasted
only about 60 seconds. And while Ross’s ex did marry a woman there was still plenty
of gay jokes through the episode and the series as a whole, that in recent years has more
people thinking “yikes”.
Another thing that was different than the majority of shows at the time was that they
were predominantly focused on love or a career, while Friends focus was on friendship. While
it did obviously featured romance and their jobs at times, the group’s friendship was
still the front-running theme. And guess what? It had paid off! As you all know not only
was this one of the most successful shows but it had also paved the way for other sitcoms
based around a group of friends such as How I Met Your Mother, Community, and The Big
Bang Theory. So if any of those are also your favorite programs, you can thank David Crane
and Marta Kauffman, the creators of Friends!
In its way it was groundbreaking as it was one of the first shows where the group of
friends consisted of both men and women. That of course had allowed them to play around
with the group dynamics and it proved that the more gender-diverse the group, the more
varied the relationships and opportunities for comedy. Plus, it meant more viewers were
able to relate to it. It also showed a new vision of family. While some shows focused
on the family narrative, usually headed by a married couple and their children with other
family members and characters thrown in the mix, Friends focused on the next stage of
life, after you've moved away from your family and before starting your own. In their original
pitch for the series the creators wrote: "It's about friendship because when you're single
and in the city, your friends are your family."
But besides being one of the shows to have some of the first things that were shown on
TV, Friends also influenced its viewers. Especially the way we talk. Be honest Curious, how many
of us have found ourselves making references to the show, even if just for fun? Chances
are that many of us have at one point or another shouted “Pivot!” or “We were on a break!”
Not to mention Maggie Wheeler’s famous Janice catchphrase “Oh...my...god”. And of course...the
ultimate pick-up line that surely some of you have tried at some point, Joey Tribbiani’s
“How you doin’?” His line had become so iconic that when meeting Matt LeBlanc everyone
wants him to say that even other celebrities! When he appeared on the Graham Norton Show
in 2016, Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke had even asked him to say it. And while some
of these one-liners had only been said once they had most certainly engraved themselves
in pop culture! Though speaking of Clarke, while we’re now looking back at this iconic
sitcom, why not take a look back at Game of Thrones in our special anniversary episode,
the link to which is currently displayed above. But for now, stay with us to find out why
a proper show reunion will most likely never happen.
Though this show not only influenced the way we spoke but also the way we shopped! Many
advertisers saw a show that brought in millions of viewers as a great opportunity for marketing.
One of the most obvious ones is in season six titled "The One with the Apothecary Table,"
in which Rachel buys an expensive table from Pottery Barn, then lies to Phoebe that it
was from a flea market. That allowed Warner Bros to make some money from the nod to Pottery
Barn and when the episode aired, the company saw brand awareness spike. So much that in
2019 it released a Friends line in honor of the show’s 25th anniversary...and yes the
table was part of it.
But enough about television and how it influenced viewers this show also had an impact on actors
themselves and how they negotiate for salaries. It is a known fact that by the last season
these actors were making serious cast but back in season one, the main six actors were
paid $22,500 per episode, according to Business Insider. However, by season two, the craze
about Ross and Rachel meant that Schwimmer and Aniston’s paychecks were bumped up to
$40,000 per episode. By the third one, David convinced others to negotiate with him as
a group. Later, in an interview with Vanity Fair, he said: "I don't want to come to work
feeling that there's going to be any kind of resentment. ... We're all going to be paid
the same, for the same amount of work." At first he and Jen took a pay cut but in the
end, that season the six actors got $75,000 per episode. Though as many will know by the
last two seasons their salaries had increased to $1 million per episode. But they are still
making money as according to the Independent the negotiations for season 6 won them 2%
of the show’s syndication profits which is about $20 million a year each. And this
also inspired other actors to do the same, such as the cast of the Big Bang Theory.
Given the fact how often the show is rewatched by fans, which also included all of the seasons
being available on Netflix for a long time until the end of 2019, it is no surprise that
the cast makes such a sum in royalties. Now it is available to watch on HBO Max after
they secured an exclusive five-year deal estimated at $425 million. You can also watch the show
via reruns on cable TV on channels such as TBS and Nickelodeon.
Clearly since the cast negotiated together to get equal pay, during the filming, they
were on good terms. Surely they had their ups and downs through the years but considering
the fact that over the years, especially with social media, the actors had shared throwback
pictures or photos of them hanging out together, it can be said that the friendship stayed
with them for a long time. And while none of the cast members ended up together after
the show ended could it be that they came close? Ahead of the reunion special, the six
co-stars appeared in a cover issue of People magazine in which they had named David and
Jennifer as the biggest flirts! And get this, when asked if there was a real crush going
on, Schwimmer said: “Anyway, next question” as did Aniston, with Cox joking that there
was in the beginning. Did any of you Curious want the two to end up together in real life?
If you want to know more about rumors about Jen’s love life, why not check out our previous
video, but for now make sure to stay with us until the very end.
In the past years, one question has plagued many fans: why have we not gotten a proper
reunion where the actors reprise their roles? Surely seeing how popular the show was, it
would have been a good idea? There were several factors why that never happened. For once,
when the show ended, Matt LeBlanc had spent years hiding from the Friends fame. In a 2016
interview with the Mirror, he talked about the dark side of fame by saying: "For years
and years, I barely left the house. I was burnt out. I wanted to not have a schedule,
not be somewhere. It was a very dark time. I almost had a nervous breakdown." Likewise
with David Schwimmer who isn’t a big fan of being famous. At the height of his fame,
he found stardom detrimental to his relationships. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter he discussed
the difficulty of balancing his personal and professional life: “It was pretty jarring
and it messed with my relationship to other people in a way that took years, I think,
for me to adjust to and become comfortable with.” In another interview, the 54-year-old
said that the experience made him want to be reclusive.
But there were other reasons. Such as the fact the finale was perfect and that it tied
up many things together and it perfectly captured the feeling of moving on to the next step
of adulthood perfectly. Plus the characters had found their happy endings. Pheobe and
Mike got married, Monica and Chandler had their babies and brought their dream house,
Rachel ended up with Ross, and Joey was pursuing his dream career. Even James Michael Tyler
who played everyone’s favorite barista Gunther weighed on it. Appearing on Good Morning Britain
he said that the idea was shot down because: “Would you really want to watch a TV series
about a group of people in their forties still struggling like that? That would be a tragedy,
not a comedy.” And not to mention that the cast have many other projects lined up for
them that keep them all busy.
Since the show ended what have they all been up to? Well as many of you will certainly
be aware they had successful careers, appearing in many movies and productions. Some had been
more popular than others, such as the Friends spin-off Joey, which might not have exactly
been a hit with audiences. But LeBlanc had gone to present the British show Top Gear
and play himself in a comedy series Episodes that ran for 5 seasons. In most recent years
David Schwimmer had appeared in different series, most notably as Robert Kardashian,
yes that one, in American Crime Story. Aniston had appeared in many comedies over the years
such as We’re The Millers or He's Just Not That Into You and has won a SAG Award for
outstanding performance by a female actor in a drama series for her role as Alex Levy
on Apple TV Plus' "The Morning Show." After Friends Cox starred in her own show called
"Cougar Town." The series lasted for six seasons, beginning on ABC and concluding on TBS in
2015. Lisa Kudrow had appeared in a lot of shows and movies over the years such as The
Girl on the Train, Scandal and even created and starred on the Showtime series "Web Therapy,"
which lasted for four seasons and got nominated for a Primetime Emmy. And as for Perry, after
the show for a long time, he focused on rehab and his sobriety but appeared in The Kennedys
After Camelot as Ted Kennedy, as well as several theatre shows. So clearly Curious, in their
own way, these six actors had made a career for themselves, which had been helped by the
series that started it all.
And all this brings us now to May 27th when the reunion will happen with the stars looking
back at the show, discussing how it was working on set while being joined by a star-studded
guest list which includes David Beckham, Justin Bieber, and BTS. The episode will be available
to watch on HBO Max. And what’s so special about it is that this reunion will mark the
first time all six Friends have been together on screen since the show wrapped.
So Curious, on a scale of one to seven, how excited are you to watch this episode? Would
you like a continuation of the show? Do you know any interesting facts from the filming?
Who was your favorite character? Let us know in the comments below and as always don’t
forget to like, share and subscribe to our channel! Until next time!