Little Owl restaurant, West Village, 1–2
Living Single, 103
London, episodes set in, 205, 207–8, 209–13
Lookingglass theater company, 30, 145
Los Angeles, filming of Friends in, 2
Los Angeles Times, 78, 103, 129, 130
Lucille Lortel Theatre, 2, 3
Ludwin, Rick, 12
Lyle, Amaani
background of, 242
dismissal of, 244
lawsuit of, 244, 245–49
and writers’ assistant job, 241–44
Lynch, Jane, 35
M*A*S*H, 12, 290
Mad About You, 33, 34, 35–36, 64, 78, 277
Madame’s Place, 20
Madman of the People, 64
Malins, Greg
and Joey in Chandler’s clothes, 166
and Lyle, 241, 242, 244
and Phoebe’s childbirth scene, 161
and phone call from fiancée, 166–67
and Ross and Rachel storyline, 206
and sex scene in the museum, 140
Marcel the monkey, 92–93, 160–61
Marin, Richard, 129
Mary Tyler Moore Show, The, 12, 16, 131
Master and Margarita, The, 30
McCormack, Eric, 31
McGuire, Debra, 131–37, 191, 308
McKeon, Nancy, 37
McMillan, Chris, 129, 130
media coverage of Friends, 98–100
Merchant, Natalie, 65
millennial audience, 320–21
Miller, Barbara, 27, 32
Minnesota proposal, 213–14
Miramax, 10
Monica
apartment lost in trivia game, 173–74, 177–78, 179, 180
apartment’s design/decor, 124–25, 126, 127–28
apartment’s location, 2, 3
and Ben’s head-injury, 112, 166
and casting Friends, 27, 28, 36–37
and Chandler (see Monica and Chandler)
character development of, 22, 36–37, 81–82
and costume design, 132, 135
and Cox’s personality exaggerated, 82
and critics’ reactions to premiere, 79
employment of, 83–84
and frame on door, 128
and jellyfish storyline, 209
Jewish background of, 110
and Joey, 37, 38, 40
past life of, 181
and pilot for Friends, 56–58, 59, 62–63
and pitch for Friends, 22
and prom video episode, 120, 121
and Rachel and Joey storyline, 263
and Richard, 196–97, 227–28, 234
and Ross and Rachel storyline, 142
and Ross’s wedding, 208
and series finale, 286–87
and sexual content, 62–63, 112
and Thanksgiving dinner episode, 81
and trivia game episode, 174–75, 176–78, 179
and Van Damme storyline, 108, 167
and Vegas episode, 233
wedding ring of, 288
Monica and Chandler, 207–31
and adoption storyline, 230–31
audience’s reaction to hotel room scene, 212–13
and bathtub scene, 217
and bomb-centered plotline, 267, 268–69
Chandler’s bungles, 217–19
Chandler’s declaration of love, 222
clandestine period of, 217–18, 219–22
egalitarianism of, 228–29
emotional tenor of, 226–27, 231
and Friends! The Musical Parody, 325
infertility storyline of, 230
and last season of show, 284
and Phoebe’s pseudo-seduction of Chandler, 220–22
and proposal(s) of marriage, 227–28, 236
and reorientation of show, 222–23, 225–26, 229–30
and Richard’s reappearance, 227–28, 234, 235–36
Ross and Rachel compared to, 226, 231
and series finale, 286
and shark jollies sequence, 229
and Vegas episode, 234, 235–37
wedding rings of, 288
writers’ development of storyline, 207–9, 213, 229–30
Monty, 30
Moonlighting, 90, 131
“Moonlight” music video, 315–16
Moonves, Leslie (Les), 15, 24, 42, 73–74, 106, 249
movies
movie roles for Friends stars, 100–101
movie vs. television stardom, 100, 101, 130–31
Muddling Through, 41, 42, 43, 46–47
Murder, She Wrote, 8
Murphy Brown, 131
NBC
and Aniston’s contract with CBS, 43
and casting Ross, 31–32
and contract negotiations, 145–49, 279, 281–82
Friends picked up by, 63, 86–87
and Joey series spinoff, 298
leadership at, 9
overnight ratings for, 13
and pilot for Friends, 23, 25
and pitch for Friends, 23–25
and product promotions, 101–2
and revenue from Friends, 270
scheduling of shows at, 61
search for next big series, 13–14
and Seinfeld, 12–13
and series finale for Friends, 286
standards division of, 110–11, 139
and time slot of Friends, 78, 103, 108
Tinker’s search for good series, 11
urban-living comedies in lineup of, 104
and youth market, 8–9, 13–14
Netflix purchase of rights to Friends, 319
New York City
and appeal of Friends, 289
economic recovery of, 289
real vs. imaginary geography of, 1–3
searching for traces of Friends in, 1–3, 4
as setting for Sex and the City and Seinfeld, 2
white, middle-class depiction of, 102–3, 125, 289, 320
New York Times, The, 77, 288–89
90 Bedford Street, 2, 3
NYPD Blue, 10
O’Brien, Conan, 33
O’Connor, John J., 77, 78
Ohlmeyer, Don, 50, 62–63, 79–80, 112
“One After Joey and Rachel Kiss, The, The,” 263
“One After Ross Says Rachel, The,” 217
“One After the Superbowl, The,” 94, 108–10, 200, 270
“One Hundredth, The,” 71, 161
“One in Barbados Part 1, The,” 227, 262
“One in Massapequa, The,” 274
“One in Vegas, The,” 233–37
“One Where Chandler Takes a Bath, The,” 269
“One Where Eddie Moves In, The,” 179, 287
“One Where Everybody Finds Out, The,” 220–22, 325
“One Where Heckles Dies, The,” 216
“One Where Joey Dates Rachel, The,” 257
“One Where Joey Moves Out, The,” 140, 215–16
“One Where Joey Speaks French, The,” 274
“One Where the Monkey Gets Away, The,” 160–61
“One Where Nana Dies Twice, The,” 215
“One Where No One Proposes, The,” 261
“One Where No One’s Ready, The,” 135, 166, 315
“One Where Old Yeller Dies, The,” 196
“One Where Rachel Finds Out, The,” 89, 107
“One Where Rachel Has a Baby, The,” 261
“One Where Rachel Smokes, The,” 155
“One Where Rachel’s Sister Babysits, The,” 230
&nbs
p; “One Where Rachel Tells . . . , The,” 269
“One Where Ross and Rachel Take a Break, The,” 141–43
“One Where Ross and Rachel . . . You Know, The,” 139–40
“One Where Ross Can’t Flirt, The,” 200
“One Where Ross Finds Out, The,” 118–20
“One Where Ross Got High, The,” 194, 313
“One with All the Kissing, The,” 217, 308
“One with All the Poker, The,” 87–88, 161, 168, 171
“One with All the Resolutions, The,” 165, 220
“One with All the Thanksgivings, The,” 222
“One with the Baby on the Bus, The,” 163
“One with the Ball, The,” 158
“One with the Birth, The,” 256
“One with the Birth Mother, The,” 231
“One with the Blackout, The,” 85, 162
“One with Chandler’s Dad, The,” 228
“One with Chandler’s Work Laugh, The,” 223
“One with the Chicken Pox, The,” 199
“One with the Cop, The,” 165
“One with the Dollhouses, The,” 190, 288
“One with the Dozen Lasagnas, The,” 91
“One with the East German Laundry Detergent, The,” 85, 94
“One with the Embryos, The,” 171–83, 287
knowledge/loyalty demonstrated in, 177
and past lives of characters, 180–82
surrogate pregnancy of Phoebe, 172–73, 175–76, 178–80
trivia game storyline in, 173–78, 179
“One with the Fertility Test, The,” 230
“One with the Football, The,” 189
“One with the Giant Poking Device, The,” 166, 190
“One with the Ick Factor, The,” 214
“One with the Jellyfish, The,” 209
“One with Joey’s New Brain, The,” 199
“One with Joey’s New Girlfriend, The,” 204, 209
“One with the Kips, The,” 218
“One with the Late Thanksgiving, The,” 317
“One with the Lesbian Wedding, The,” 113–14, 115–16, 135–36, 214
“One with the List, The,” 214
“One with Monica’s Thunder, The,” 273
“One with the Monkey, The,” 93
“One with the Morning After, The,” 142
“One Without the Ski Trip, The,” 114–15
“One with Phoebe’s Cookies, The,” 165
“One with Phoebe’s Uterus, The,” 112
“One with the Prom Video, The,” 107–8, 120–22, 171
“One with the Proposal, The,” 227
“One with Rachel’s Assistant, The,” 215
“One with Rachel’s Book, The,” 256
“One with Rachel’s Going Away Party, The,” 275
“One with the Red Sweater, The,” 229
“One with Ross’s New Girlfriend, The,” 118
“One with Ross’s Sandwich, The,” 219–20
“One with the Routine, The,” 287
“One with the Rumor, The,” 197, 199
“One with the Sharks, The,” 229
“One with the Sonogram at the End, The,” 84
“One with the Stain, The,” 257
“One with Two Parts, The,” 93
Oprah Winfrey Show, The, 98–99
overnight ratings, 13
Pallbearer, The, 100, 147
Paolo (Rachel’s boyfriend), 86, 140, 162, 172
Pat the Cop (proposed character), 25–26, 62, 96
Penn, Sean, 198
Perkins, Ken Parish, 78
Perry, Matthew
background of, 44, 223
Burrows’s advice to, 72
and casting Chandler, 44, 45, 46
and children of crew members, 191
comedic sensibilities of, 186
and contract negotiations, 148
and Emmy awards snub, 270
and film roles, 100
and first read-through of pilot script, 49
and life after Friends, 301
and product promotions, 102
and Rolling Stone cover, 99
storyline killed by, 161
substance abuse struggles of, 223–25, 323
See also Chandler
Personals (musical), 17, 69
Phoebe
apartment of, 2, 3
and casting Friends, 27, 28, 34–35
and costume design, 132
creation of character, 22
in delivery room, 161
as described in pitch, 34
dollhouse of, 190, 288
employment of, 83
Joey’s hitting on, 261
and lobster analogy, 120, 121, 314
and Mike, 254
and Monica and Chandler storyline, 220–22
past life of, 182
and pilot for Friends, 56
and prom video episode, 121
and Ross and Rachel storyline, 120, 121, 142, 285, 293, 314
and series finale, 285, 287
and “Smelly Cat” song, 163–64
surrogate pregnancy of, 172–73, 175–76, 178–80
and twin sister, Ursula, 34, 64
and Vegas episode, 233–34
pilot for Friends, 53–60
audience response to, 51, 62
and Bright’s temporary fourth wall, 58
Burrows’s direction of, 47–49, 50–51
characters established in, 55–60
and chemistry of ensemble, 48
and creative license of actors, 49
filming of, 54–55
first read-through of script, 47–49
NBC’s feedback on, 25, 50, 61–63
pilot commitment required of NBC, 23
Ross and Rachel story established in, 56, 58–59
and set design of show, 124
title of, 54
tweaking script for, 53–54
pitch for Friends, 21–22, 34, 37–38
Pitt, Brad, 182, 197, 199, 305
political context of Friends, 10, 267–70, 320
Powers That Be, The, 23
producing Friends, 185–201
camera lock-in day, 190
and directors, 194–95
editing episodes, 194
and guest performers, 195–201
and nursery for children of crew members, 191
refining script, 188, 189, 191, 192–94
rehearsing episodes, 187–91
sets/props preparations, 189–90
shooting episodes, 191–94
and studio audiences, 109, 192, 193, 199–201
as team effort, 188–89
on Warner Bros. soundstage, 2
product promotions, 101–2
Pulp Fiction, 10
queer stories on Friends
Carol’s coming out as lesbian, 30, 55, 85
and gay panic present in series, 215, 318–19
lesbian wedding episode, 113–14, 115–16
and new generation of fans, 318–19
public reaction to, 115
and sexual content, 115
Quinn, Charlie, 104
race/ethnicities of characters, 110. See also diversity struggles of Friends
Rachel
apartment of, 3, 173–74, 177–78, 179, 180
and casting Friends, 27, 28, 36–37, 40–41, 42–43, 46–47
and costume design, 132, 133–34, 136–37, 308, 314
employment/professional life of, 3, 83, 85, 136, 274–75, 295
as feminist voice of show, 257
; Gunther’s unrequited love for, 95–96, 141, 285
hairstyle of, 128–30, 137
Jewish background of, 110
and Marcel the monkey, 160–61
and Monica and Chandler storyline, 220
past life of, 181
and pilot for Friends, 56–60
and poker-game episode, 88, 168
pregnancy of, 230, 255, 256–57, 260, 273
and Ross (see Ross and Rachel)
runaway bride backstory for, 40, 56–57
and series finale, 285, 287
and sexual content, 112, 140
trifle of, 194
and trivia game episode, 174–75, 176–78, 179
and Van Damme storyline, 108, 167
wedding dress of, 132
Rachel and Joey, 254–61, 262–65, 281, 313–14
The Rachel haircut, 128–30, 137
Ralph Lauren clothing, 136
Rapaport, Michael, 198
ratings of Friends, 13, 99, 106, 198, 270, 277
Reagan, Ronald, 12
realism, lack of, 4
Reality Check, 16, 21, 54
Reich, Andrew, 68, 161, 165, 174, 193, 198, 287
Reiser, Paul, 277, 280, 281
the Rembrandts, 65, 104–5
Remini, Leah, 37
reruns (syndication) of Friends, 99, 146, 149, 270
reunion rumors, 307–8
Ribisi, Giovanni, 92, 172
Rich, Frank, 17
Richard (Monica’s boyfriend), 196–97, 227–28
Roberts, Julia, 108, 109
Rolling Stone cover, 99
Roseanne, 13, 14, 113
Rosenberg, Howard, 78
Ross
apartment of, 2, 3
and Ben, 88, 211, 274, 318
and casting Friends, 27, 28, 29–32
and Charlie, 262, 263, 264
and costume design, 133
couch-moving sequence, 165
and critics’ reactions to premiere, 79
and Emily, 205, 233
employment of, 83, 84
failed marriage of, 30, 55, 85, 141 (see also Carol)
homophobia of, 318–19
Jewish background of, 110
and Joey’s dog sculpture, 179
language/conversational style of, 87
and Marcel the monkey, 92–94, 160–61
negative character traits of, 86, 140, 260, 317
and new generation of fans, 313–14, 316–17, 324
past life of, 182
and pilot for Friends, 55–56, 57, 58–59, 62
and poker-game episode, 88, 168
and prom video episode, 121
and Rachel and Joey storyline, 260–61, 263–64
and Rachel’s trifle, 194
and season one’s plot ideas, 70
and series finale, 285, 287
and trivia game episode, 175, 176–78, 179
wedding in London, 205–6, 208, 210–11
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