Making Friends
By Hilary De Vries
The six stars of Friends are an opinionated lot, if ever there was one. Spending time with them means knowing (with absolute certainty) that Courteney Cox hates her new haircut, that David Schwimmer loves the new baby, and that everyone is really glad the monkey is history. "He ate live worms and vomited," says Matthew Perry, who plays Chandler. "It was a little gross."
A year ago, these fun Friends facts probably wouldn't have seemed so, well, fun to us. Last September, we really didn't know who our Friends were, and frankly, we didn't care. Back then, the fledgling series about six twenty-somethings commiserating over cappuccino was seen by critics as something of a gamble--an attempt to go where no network sitcom had gone before: to the heart of the elusive Generation X.
But the critics ate crow. After a debut year when it consistnetly landed in the Nielson Top 10--even ousting Seinfeld from the prized number-one slot this summer--Friends has powered its way into TV's front ranks. And with nine Emmy nominations and a top-of-the-charts theme song, Friends is now considered the new trendsetter in network comedy.
"In the beginning we were call the Gen X Seinfeld," says a slightly smug Kevin Bright, who shares an executive-producer credit with series creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman. "Now we're the show that everyone else is compared to."
"We always expected Friends to strike a chord with younger audiences," says Warren Littlefield, NBC Entertainment president. "But it has become a huge hit with all age groups, a show that can go anywhere and do anything."
Well, maybe not anything. The show's creators know that success means sticking with a winning formula. In terms of plot developments, that will mean carefully considered reversals in the top storylines: Ross's infatuation with Rachel will now become Rachel's infatuation with Ross. Eventually, the two will manage to get their timing right. Meanwhile, perfectionist Monica will find her life less than perfect when she loses her job, and commitment-shy Chandler may experience his first serious relationship.
But these tinkerings are minor when it comes to assessing the phenomenon of Friends. A flood of Friends merchandise--mugs, calendars, jerseys, caps, and a soundtrack album--is about to hit stores. A national ad campaign for the dairy industry, featuring Lisa Kudrow's and Jennifer Aniston's milk-mustachioed faces, will also be launched this month. And next month, another add campaign, this one for Waterman pens, will feature the series' writers.
It would not be overstating to say that the six cast members have become bona fide stars, millionaires in the making, with entourages, film deals, and the kind fo fame in which even a haircut makes news.
"Before I got Friends, I was selling my furniture in order to eat," says a slightly dazed Matt LeBlanc, who plays Joey. "I was literally broke. Now, I just bought a house and made my first film."
"I've been on a hit show before," adds Cox, a former costar on Family Ties. "But this is faster than anything I could have imagined. In less than a year, we're number one? That's so quick."
It may be a little too quick. Some people think the price of such overnight success may be a second-season setback.
This fall, the series has three tough hurdles to clear: new competition, in the form of at least a half-dozen Gen-X shows; a decidedly uncool new time slot, Thursdays at 8 P.M. rather than 9:30; and the loss of legendary sitcom director James Burrows (Taxi, Cheers, Frasier) who will remain in the cool 9:30 time slot by directing NBC's new Caroline In The City.