When the first episode of the series under the uncomplicated name āFriendsā was released on television screens in 1994, few could have imagined that this project would become a cult not only in the homeland, but around the world. Indeed, today it is the most famous, popular and most revised project. You can find out about reviews about the series Friends, as well as about the plot and the main characters of the picture from this article.
Awards
The series Friends won an unprecedented number of awards for the sitcom. There are more than thirty nominations for an Emmy, of which the film project has won six awards. In addition, the film won the Screen Actors Guild Award in 1996 in the nomination "Best Cast of a Comedy Series" and was nominated for a Golden Globe ten times.
In 1998, the film received the prestigious BAFTA Awadrs Award in the nomination "Best Foreign Television Program".
And in 2003, Jennifer Aniston for shooting in the project received the same Golden Globe for Best Actress in Television. This show won six times in the nomination āFavorite Seriesā, according to reviews of the series āFriendsā, collected from viewers.
Sitcom held on the first lines of ratings for almost ten years and became the most successful project in the history of television. Ten seasons of the painting came to an end in 2004. The final episode 18 of the season 10 of the best series "Friends" was released on May 6. This episode was watched by more than 50 million viewers.
History of creation
The creators of the series - Martha Kaufman and David Crane - have long been familiar and were friends from the student bench. After graduation, they took up writing scripts for television projects and for theaters on Broadway.
In 1993, Kaufman and Crane created the concept of a television show about six friends. The new project had the working title āCafe Insomniaā and talked about how young children after college graduate from independent life in New York. At the same time, NBC Channel President Warren Littlefeld was looking for screenwriters for a new multi-part film about the youth of the 90s. When the work of Kaufman and Crane fell into his hands, it turned out that this was exactly what was needed, and the team started to work.
The name of the film was first changed to Friends Like Us and then shortened to compact Friends.
Casting
Casting for roles in the show was held among more than a thousand artists of Los Angeles and New York, and as a result, 75 candidates were selected for each of the six roles. The results of the selection did not satisfy the creators of the series - their concept of characters was different from the characters of the approved actors. However, it is now impossible to imagine āFriendsā without the beauty of Rachel, the bore of Ross, the serious Monica, the creative vegetarian Phoebe, the witty Chandler and the charming Joe.
Casting completion
So, the selection has been completed. The role of the loser actor Joey Tribbiani was received by handsome Matt Leblanc, who liked the production staff very much and endowed his character with funny and memorable features. He cannot boast of his mind or education, likes to eat well and enjoys success with the opposite sex.
Lisa Kudrow was approved for the role of the eccentric Phoebe Bouffe. Her heroine gained a lot of fans due to the bright, unusual character. Clever Monica Geller went to the wonderful actress Courtney Cox, who by that time could already be called a movie star. Monica is a pathological neat and she just loves to cook. Monica's brother, Ross, was played by David Schwimmer. Ross was conceived as the most educated and smart of the whole company, he is eccentric and touching.
Jennifer Aniston played in the series the role of Rachel Green, a spectacular and eccentric blonde from a wealthy family. The role of Chandler Bing was played by Matthew Perry. Chandler is a witty but complex-minded hero working in the office and failing in relations with the ladies. In the ten years that have passed since the filming began, the stars of the project have changed a lot. What do the actors of the series āFriendsā look like now? Photos can be seen in this article.
Project scenario
Martha Kaufman and David Crane, along with a team of promising young screenwriters, began writing the script. And in 1994, the crew went to California to start filming in the pavilions of Warner Brothers. By September 1994, the first season of the show was over. The premiere, which aired on NBC on September 22, saw more than 22 million people.
The plot of the series "Friends"
The plot of the sitcom āFriendsā is straightforward and does not pretend to complicated ups and downs. Throughout the show, between the characters romantic relationships, quarrels and breakups arise, but the most important thing that connects them is strong friendship.
The theme of the plot was the relationship between Ross and Rachel. Initially, as conceived by the filmmakers, Monica and Joe were supposed to be the main pair of paintings. Martha Kaufman considered these artists the most suitable for each other. However, during the filming, the concept has changed a bit.
The beginning of the story
Ross Geller is in love with Rachel from school. In the first series, the plot of the series "Friends" tells that Ross broke up with his wife, who turned out to be a representative of a gay orientation. Rachel, in turn, demonstrates a wayward character, only appearing in the frame - she escapes from her own wedding and bursts into a cafe in a wedding dress, where the whole company sits. Monica offers Rachel to live together.
The relationship of the heroes
Ross and Rachel will soon start dating. They constantly quarrel and part, then reconcile and continue their relationship for seven seasons. By the eighth season, Rachel and Ross become parents and decide to stay together.
By the end of the fourth season, Chandler and Monica became a couple, and in the seventh they got married. Happy newlyweds soon learned that they could not have children and became adoptive parents for the twins Jack and Erica.
Phoebe also found her soul mate. In the plot of the ninth part of the project, Mike Hannigan is introduced, with whom Phoebe first starts a relationship, and in the middle of the tenth season he makes a proposal to the girl. Only Joey remains alone. He could not build a lasting relationship.
Other characters of the picture
In addition to Mike Hannigan, played by comedian Paul Rudd, in Friends there are a few minor, but notable and popular characters. Among them, it is worth highlighting Gunther, manager of the cafe "Central Coffee House". According to the script, this humble man is in love with Rachel.
The role of Gunther unexpectedly was given to James Tyler, who was not an actor at all, but worked as a barista and was the only one who knew how to handle a coffee machine. It's funny that during all 10 seasons the coffee machine was never really turned on.
Maggie Wheeler appeared in Friends in the episodic, but ultimately cult, role of Janice. Chandler met this strange and eccentric girl for a long time.
Participation in the series of movie stars
Over the long history of the series, many movie stars took part in the filming of his episodes. The first to appear in Friends as a cameo was George Clooney, playing a doctor. In another episode, Jean-Claude Van Damme starred, playing himself and introducing confusion into the friendship of Monica and Rachel. By the way, in the same series, you can see Julia Roberts as Chandler's former classmate, Susan. In another episode of the film, Rachelās neighbor on the plane is a character performed by Hugh Laurie, with his usual expressiveness, chopping the truth of the womb.
Other guest stars include Reese Witherspoon, who played Rachel's younger sister. After filming this episode, Aniston did everything to never work with this actress again due to a complete lack of understanding. But Bruce Willis was in the picture quite by accident - he lost the bet to Matthew Perry, and gave the fee for shooting to charity. But the actor nevertheless received his award for participating in Friends, he was awarded the Emmy figurine.
Also interesting is the series with Brad Pitt. In his role, he was supposed to play hostility towards Rachel, although Jennifer Aniston at that time had been his wife for several years. Other Friends cameos include Danny de Vito, Alec Baldwin, Sean Penn, Winona Ryder, Gary Oldman and other star actors.
The fate of the actors of the series "Friends"
The fate of each of the actors of the film project "Friends" has developed in different ways. David Schwimmer, who played the role of Ross in the film, devoted his further career, not to filming a movie, but to directing. Jennifer Aniston, who played the heroine of Rachel, is still a successful and sought-after actress. The biography of the actor of the series "Friends" Matt LeBlanc also developed quite successfully. After filming in the film, the actor took a long break in his career, but after 5 years he returned to the world of cinema. Courtney Cox, the performer of the role of Monica, continues her career and starred in new projects.
TV series reviews
Reviews of the series "Friends" received from viewers, again and again emphasize the continued interest in him. The jokes and quotes from the series are still relevant, and the film continues to be revised. Cafes, hotels, hostels and creative spaces from the universe of Friends are opening all over the world.
The last episode of the cult comedy show meant farewell to beloved heroes and the whole era that they personified. According to the rating of Kinopoisk, the picture is in the top five best series projects, and its rating is 9.3 points out of 10. Many viewers who leave feedback on the TV series Friends say that it has everything: laughter, friendship , love, life, and therefore it is worth it to watch it.