Flashback: Friends

I have a good mind to excise the more and more incidental TV from my Encore’s World of Film & TV; it's become more and more superfluous. Still, it’s as good a time as any to recall one of my favourite shows in memory. I’m not as avid a TV watcher and with good reason. We’re constantly bemoaning the state of cinema, but if any media entity needs a rebirth it’s the small screen. I’ve always been an enthusiastic fan of Friends. There was actually a period of time when I doubted the sense of humour of anyone who didn’t like the show. Even though the show is geared at young adults more than anyone I’ve been watching since I was a preteen and it’s one of the few shows I hasten to see when reruns are on. But what’s the charm of Friends?

The biggest plus of Friends is the chemistry of the cast members. I’m hard-pressed to remember any other ensemble cast that works so well. The producers certainly hit the jackpot with their casting, but what makes Friends even more satisfying is the goodness of the guest players that come and go. Sure, there guest stars are not as abundant as Will & Grace but with stints from Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, Tom Selleck, Brad Pitt, David Arquette, Gabrielle Union, Winona Ryder, Christina Applegate and countless others – each of which worked – I think, perhaps it was the writing that made this series thrived so. Friends is riddled with running gags I wonder how audiences thrust into the middle seasons would pick up the many references to earlier episodes (Chandler’s Dad, Smelly Cat, Monica’s weight &etc). But, to its credit Friends work even if the allusions aren’t always perceptible.

Everyone ends up having a favourite and though mine are easily stratified (ranking them it’s a close tie between Perry and Kudrow followed by Schwimmer then Cox then Aniston and LeBlanc with their characters ranking likewise) I don’t fault anyone who doesn’t have my favourite. The idiosyncrasies of each though ridiculous still manage to be authentic. And though I’m not big on LeBlanc I must give him props for making some of the more cringe worthy story lines work (his Day of Our Lives stint, par exemple). Few shows, if any, put that goofy smile on my face like Friends. It’s strange how parts of the show have trickled down to us (Ross knocking his wrists together instead of flipping someone off; or Joey’s now legendary catchphrase “How you doing?”). Friends epitomises my love affair with TV in the early years of the last decade. They don’t make them like this anymore.

          

Should I eliminate the TV from my Encore’s World? Is Friends as important as I believe it to be? Who’s your favourite?