Type of Series: sit-com

    Similar Shows: Seinfeld, the greatest sit-com of them all. In fact, to be blunt, Friends is really a rip-off of Seinfeld, a dumbed-down version in many respects.

    It's also a lot like Melrose Place. In the sense that both shows go through story-arcs with ruthless abandon.

    And, Friends, of course, has led to a slew of imitations. Even drama's have taken the Friends template (the excellent Jack & Jill for example) and the Susan Harris sit-com The Secret Lives Of Men, was really a look at Joey, Chandler and Ross without the trio of girls in their world.

    Typical Episode: A typical episode of Friends is usually just the latest chapter in some advancing story-line.

    The Inner Light: I'll be there for you.

    Strengths: Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston, a strong cast, sharp writing, a changing status quo and wonderful characterisations.

    Weaknesses: None, really. Some of my friends talk as if Friends has run out of steam. Nonsense. If anything, the show is better now that it was when it started. It still makes you laugh as much as it did, but (more importantly) we know the characters much, much better now and we really care about them. This season's finale, with Chandler running around trying to find Monica to propose to her before she ran off with Richard (Tom Selleck) was heart-stopping.

    Impressive Characters: Chandler is the most impressive of the characters. His background and attitude to life make him a genuine original.

    Impressive Actors: Matthew Perry is the stand-out star of the series, with Jennifer Aniston close behind. Not that that is meant as a slight on the other cast members. The beauty of this ensemble is that none are weak and any one of them could, on their own, sustain a show of their own.

    That said, Perry is easily the one possessing the most star quality.

    Impressive Guest Actors: Friends attracts the best of the best, when it comes to guest stars: Probably the most popular, ever, was Tom Selleck (Magnum, P.I.), but my favourite is always Elliot Gould (why doesn't he have his own show?). Other notable guest stars have included: John Allen Nelson (Santa Barbara, Baywatch), Clea Lewis (Flying Blind, Ellen), Christina Pickles (St. Elsewhere), Maggie Wheeler as Janice, Sofia Milos (Caroline In The City, The Secret Lives Of Men), Larry Hankin as Heckles, Cosimo Fusco as Paolo, Elinor Donohue (The Odd Couple, Father Knows Best, Get A Life!, Beans Baxter, The Andy Griffith Show), Hank Azaria (The Simpsons, Herman's Head), Morgan Fairchild (Flamingo Road), Fisher Stevens (Key West, Early Edition), Jay Acovone (Stargate SG-1, Hollywood Beat, Beauty And The Beast, As The World Turns, Search For Tomorrow), Jon Lovitz (The Critic), Helen Hunt (Mad About You), George Clooney (Bodies Of Evidence, The Facts of Life, Roseanne, er), Noah Wyle (er), Stan Kirsch (Highlander), Lauren Tom as Julie, Corinne Bohrer (Rude Awakening, The Flash, Emergency Room, Free Spirit), Chrissie Hynde (theme tune to Cupid), Lea Thompson (Caroline In The City), Max Wright (Misfits Of Science, ALF), Arye Gross (Ellen), Michael McKean (Laverne & Shirley), Marlo Thomas (That Girl, The Joey Bishop Show), Phil Leeds (Ally McBeal), Brooke Shields (Suddenly Susan), Chris Isaak, Dan Castellaneta (The Simpsons), Jean-Claude Van Damme, Julia Roberts, Adam Goldberg as Eddie, Peter DeLouise (21 Jump Street, seaQuest DSV), Ron Liebman (Kaz, Central Park West), Charlie Sheen, Giovanni Ribisi as Phoebe's brother, Steven Eckholdt (of the Seinfeld clone It's Like, You Know...) as a recurring nemesis for Ross, Sherilyn Fenn (Rude Awakening, Twin Peaks), Angela Featherstone (Cracker), Dina Meyer (Beverly Hills 90210, Secret Agent Man), Ben Stiller, Robin Williams (Mork And Mindy), Billy Crystal (Soap), Christine Taylor (Party Girl), Teri Garr (Sonny And Cher Comedy Hour, and a dumb Shelly Long sit-com who name escapes me for the moment), Dan Gauthier (Tour Of Duty, Beverly Hills 90210), Paget Brewster as Kathy, who came between Joey and Chandler, Tate Donovan (Partners, Trinity), Charlton Heston, Helen Baxendale as Emily, John Bennett Perry (240-Robert), Sarah Ferguson, Richard Branson, Tom Conti, Hugh Laurie (Jeeves And Wooster), Jennifer Saunders (Absolutely Fabulous), June Whitfield (Terry And June, Absolutely Fabulous), Jane Carr (Dear John), Sam Anderson (Perfect Strangers), Gary Collins (Born Free, Iron Horse, The Sixth Sense, The Wackiest Ship In The Army), Michael Ensign (Paradise), Megan Ward (Dark Skies, Melrose Place), Ron Glass (Barney Miller), Tembi Locke (Sliders), Conchata Ferrell (Peaceable Kingdom), Ralph Lauren, Elle Macpherson, Kristian Alfonso (Falcon Crest, Days Of Our Lives), Louis Mandylor (Martial Law) and Bruce Willis (Moonlighting, Ally McBeal).

    Impressive Episodes: Many, Friends rarely delivers a weak instalment.

    Impressive Writers: A sit-com, of course, is a wholly collaborative effort, but (for the sake of curiosity) here are all forty Friends writers, listed in order of contribution: Adam Chase (16 writing credits), Scott Silveri (15), Gregory S. Malins (14), Shana Goldberg-Meehan (14), Andrew Reich (14), Ted Cohen (14), Michael Curtis (12), Marta Kauffman (11), David Crane (11), Alexa Junge (11), Seth Kurland (11), Wil Calhoun (9), Jeffrey Astroff (8), Mike Sikowitz (8), Ira Ungerleider (8), Michael Borkow (7), Doty Abrams (5), Perry Rein (5), Gigi McCreery (5), Jeff Greenstein (4), Jeff Strauss (4), Amy Toomin (4), Shelley Condon (4), Chris Brown (3), Alicia Sky Varinaitis (3), Brian Boyle (3), Sherry Bilsing (3), Ellen Plummer (3), Betsy Borns (2), Brown Mandell (2), Mark J. Kunerth (2), Zachary Rosenblatt (2), Bill Lawrence (1), Sebastian Jones (1), Brian Buckner (1), Pang-Ni Landrum (1), Richard Goodman (1), Suzie Villandry (1), David J. Lagana (1) and Brian Caldirola (1 writing credit).

    Less-Than-Impressive Characters:

    Less-Than-Impressive Actors:

    Less-Than-Impressive Episodes:

    Less-Than-Impressive Writers:

    Continuity: Strong. Stronger, really, than any sit-com has ever had. Friends is more like a soap-opera than a sit-com. When you miss an episode of Friends, you've usually missed out on something and when you catch it again, the status quo is different.

    Rewatchability: Huge. Most of the really good episodes invite a second viewing as soon as the credits roll. The chief reason for this is the humour. It's hilarious. The sort of show that provides constant belly laughs. After the laugh-factor there's the likeability thing: these are really nice people and when you get to an episode that changes their lives in some way, you are more than happy to sit back and watch it all again.

    Episode Guide: EpGuides.Com is the best place to go for Episode Guides.

    Reviews:

    Other Info:

    Miscellaneous Comments:    Monday, 05 June 2000

    Well another season is over and Friends has been a blast once more.

    The whole Monica/Chandler romance has easily been the best thing to hit this show in years, sustaining interest and believability more than the Ross/Rachel romance ever did. Mind you, now that the show is gearing up for what will probably be it's final few seasons, I expect that Ross and Rachel will start to become an item again, slowly, and eventually (probably in the series finale) they, too, will walk down the aisle.

    But, all that lies in the future. Chandler and Monica have gotten engaged, and (next season) we'll get to see all the trials and tribulations that that will bring before (presumably this time next year) they tie the knot and (in season nine) we get to see what married life brings.

    Oh, and parenthood (season ten).

    By that stage Ross and Rachel will finally have put that whole "on a break" thing behind them and (season eleven or so) they will get together. Cue: end of the series.

    So there you have it: my prediction. Eleven seasons.

    As you can tell from all this supposition, Friends is a favourite of mine.

    But that wasn't always the case. Gawd no! Fact is, the show was already up and running, already a big hit, already a talking point with my friends, before I deigned to bother with it. The name and the concept were, for me, a big turn off. A show called "Friends"? All about six friends who hang out together.

    Yuck.

    Has the makings of a saccharine overdose. No thank you.

    And then, eventually, I watched one episode.

    And was won over.

    Totally.

    Say what you could, this was a funny show.

    Hilarious in fact.

    So, I cast aside my reservations and haven't looked back since.

    And what a cool trip it's been.

    Friends has never ceased being funny, and has never ceased being charming. Genuinely charming. The sense of friendship between the principles positively radiates off the screen. and it's cool.

    Friends is also that rare thing among TV shows. A series that has evolved a lot without ever changing the important stuff.

    The friendship is the only given in Friends.

    Nothing else.

    Beyond that, the status quo is always something different.

    Friends takes to it's story arcs like no other show I have ever seen. It doesn't just use story arcs to get it through the season. It uses them to give the show identity. The arc becomes the show for the duration. Ross has a secret crush on Rachel; Chandler has an odd room-mate; Monica is dating an older man; Rachel is a clumsy waitress;

    Friends uses up ideas like no other show I've seen. Concepts that might be used to prop up runs of four/five seasons are here used up and discarded within six weeks. Friends sets something up. Uses it to the max for a brief while, then drops it (or changes it). It never looks back, never doubts and never takes a misstep.

    So it never gets tired, or old. Friends is always about something. There's always something new happening.

    And thanks to these writers whatever is happening is always funny.

GRADE: A

Review by Michael Leddy

Comments are welcome: rikerdonegal@hotmail.com

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