Vanity Fair has an extensive oral history of Friends, in which they talk to the folks responsible for the show about its entire life. They didn't talk to the whole case — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and Matthew Perry are absent — but it's a pretty fascinating look at one of the most popular sitcoms of all time. Here's Matt LeBlanc on developing Joey as a character: There was a conversation I had early on, when the show was just starting to take shape, and I remember standing back and being as objective as I could about Joey and thinking, This thing could go a long time. Does [...]
Duels or “classy show-downs” as they are often called by no one, have been solving hot debates for ages. They're useful for delivering crowds a champion, through often unpredictable means (just ask Alexander Hamilton). Television loves a surprise, so what better way to measure and battle elements of TV than with a duel? Here, we will battle two characters in an imaginary contest of wills. Sometimes a winner will be crowned because of pertinent facts, and sometimes in spite of them.
This week? Gloria Pritchett v. Phoebe Buffay at Crime-Fighting
These two tremendous characters from comedy ensemble casts have more than what it takes to catch (or be) a thief. They are [...]
Tina Fey may be producing Fancy Nancy, based on a series of children's books about a girl named Nancy with a taste for all things you-know-what. It doesn't look like Fey will have an acting role in the film, which is probably good since it saves us all from spending money on a movie made solely for young children who enjoy the finer things in life.
ABC's picked up a pilot starring Mandy Moore as a newlywed who gets a chance to run a cool restaurant in her hometown, bringing her closer to her "needy and high maintenance family." Some may say they have not been anticipating [...]
The latest hip Hollywood thing to know about is the Friends mafia. Yes, there is a secret cabal of writers for Friends who, seven years after the finale, still get all their show ideas developed instantly without any problems because, well, they wrote for a little show called Friends, MAYBE YOU'VE HEARD OF IT? They also (just guessing here) have monthly midnight meetings in torch-lit caverns where they wear robes and chant about how much they hate Greg Daniels and Dan Harmon.
Alas! It turns out that just having written on a successful show doesn't mean you'll be a great showrunner – or even a great writer. The [...]
The No Fact Zone has an excellent, lengthy interview with Stephen Colbert up today, and it's well worth reading for any fans of him and The Colbert Report. Here's a section that I found particularly engaging, in which he talks about his relationship with Jon Stewart:
Jon is a real inspiration to me. I’m very lucky to have him as the guy I learned how to produce and write and run a show like this from. He’s also an inspiration for the dedication he puts into the show every day, holding on to a high standard of distilling the jokes down into satire. Or at least distilling the [...]
Duels, or “classy show-downs” as they are often called by no one, have been solving hot debates for ages. They're useful for delivering crowds a champion, through often unpredictable means (just ask Alexander Hamilton). Television loves a surprise, so what better way to measure and battle elements of TV than with a duel? Here, we will battle two characters in an imaginary contest of wills. Sometimes a winner will be crowned because of pertinent facts, and sometimes in spite of them.
This week’s duel? Friends' Central Perk v. Seinfeld's Monk’s Café in Online Reviews.
Central Perk 9/28/1995 ****
I LOVE this café! That blond waitress never gets my order right, but it’s [...]
The Best Sitcom Episode Ever Tournament is pitting 32 of the greatest episodes of funny TV shows ever produced against each other in a single-elimination winner-takes-all (well, takes-nothing) competition. Every day, we're putting up episodes for you, our loyal readers, to vote on. Today: Friends vs. Frasier and The Dick Van Dyke Show vs. Get Smart.
Friends — "The One With the Embryos," January 15, 1998The One With the Embryos has a simple plot: a competition between the guys (Joey and Chandler) and girls (Monica and Rachel) to see which side knows the other better. The jokes are plentiful and soundly funny, because they all stem directly from [...]
Janeane Garofalo has done it all. She's an accomplished stand-up whose influence continues to resonate today. She was also a key player in The Ben Stiller Show, The Larry Sanders Show and Wet Hot American Summer, three major works in the comedy nerd canon, and she’s guest starred on Seinfeld, NewsRadio, Mr. Show, and Stella. Garofalo has balanced an eclectic array of positions in the entertainment industry, having worked as a radio host, an author, a movie star, and lately, a dramatic actress. Over the years, Garofalo has drawn admiration for her work in cult comedies and ire from conservatives who disagree with her political views. Along the way, [...]
Casting is one of the most important processes in television. Placing the right actors in the right roles can determine whether or not an entire show rings true. Lost Roles is a weekly series that examines the missed opportunities — the roles that could have been — and explores how some casting choices that almost happened could have changed the entertainment industry and the comedy world at large.
While Friends isn't held in high esteem by comedy nerds these days and its influence on modern sitcoms is lacking, it is still very much worth acknowledging the show for its massive success and decade-long ratings dominance. Friends represents [...]
The Friends XXX Parody begins with what I can only describe as an Emmy-worthy parody of the famous Friends theme song, featuring such lyrics as “these friends go all the way” and “these friends love to screw.” I would have found it a little on-the-nose if I wasn’t busy adding it to my Party playlist. Unfortunately, this song may very well be the best part of the film.
We first meet our 6 protagonists in Canoga Perk, the Los Angeles version of Central Perk that makes considerably less sense. Here, we learn that “Russ’s” wife Carol has cheated on him with another woman (season 1), “Moanica” and “Sandler” are [...]
The Best Sitcom Episode Ever Tournament is pitting 32 of the greatest episodes of funny TV shows ever produced against each other in a single-elimination winner-takes-all (well, takes-nothing) competition. Every day, we're putting up episodes for you, our loyal readers, to vote on. Today: Seinfeld vs. Friends and I Love Lucy vs. The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Seinfeld — "The Contest," November 18, 1992 Forget best sitcom episode ever — I would argue that the funniest moment from any sitcom ever is the above, when Kramer bursts in Jerry's door, slams money down on the counter, and says "I'm out!" It still forces a belly laugh from me, even [...]
Last night saw the midseason break returns of Parks and Recreation, The Office, and Up All Night, as well as the season premiere of the sorely missed 30 Rock. It…was good. Very good, in fact, but not great, because Community was absent, and will be until some undetermined time in the spring.
So: you’ve got two hours of scheduling (8-10 p.m. EST), room enough for four shows, but what about Community? Where will it go when it returns? It’s been a problem that’s plagued NBC for years, through pretty much everything has plagued NBC since Friends went off the air. All they’re missing is a literal plague. Below are [...]
Most television sitcoms are obsessed with sex. Typically, there is at least one character that continually brags about his or her sexual conquests. Some well-known lotharios include Barney from How I Met Your Mother — although Ted is getting up there since after six seasons he has still not actually talked about who the mother is — and GOB from Arrested Development, even though many of the women he has “sealed the deal” with have been out of spite for his brother Michael. This doesn’t stop with men though, as female characters have also been use for comedic sexual exploitation like Elaine’s “sponge-worthy” theory on Seinfeld and Samantha from [...]
