Friends

A Reading of the Sitcom

Simone Knox, Kai Hanno Schwind

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN:
  9783030254285
• eBook ISBN:
  9783030254292
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Film & Video
• Index: Social Sciences

This book offers a long overdue, extensive study of one of the most beloved television shows: Friends. Why has this sitcom become the seminal success that it is? And how does it continue to engage viewers around the world a quarter century after its first broadcast? Featuring original interviews with key creative personnel (including co-creator Marta Kauffman and executive producer Kevin S. Bright), the book provides answers by identifying a strategy of intimacy that informs Friends' use of humour, performance, style and set design. The authors provide fascinating analyses of some of the most well-remembered scenes—the one where Ross can't get his leather pants back on, and Ross and Rachel's break-up, to name just a couple—and reflect on how and why A-list guest performances sometimes fell short of the standards set by the ensemble cast. Also considered are the iconic look of Monica's apartment as well as the programme's much discussed politics of representation and the critical backlash it has received in recent years. An exploration of Joey, the infamous spin-off, and several attempts to adapt Friends' successful formula across the globe, round out the discussion, with insights into mistranslated jokes and much more. For students, scholars, creative industry practitioners and fans alike, this is a compelling read that lets us glimpse behind the scenes of what has become a cultural phenomenon and semi-permanent fixture in many of our homes.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Front Matter
• 1. Introduction: The One where They Take Stock and Identify the Strategy of Intimacy
• 2. The One with All the Laughing and the Hugging: Specificity of Humour and Comedic Types
• 3. The One where They Tame the Three-Headed Monster: Foregrounding Holistic Performance
• 4. The One where They Look at Monica’s Apartment: Style, Space, Set Design
• 5. The One with the Emblematic Problematic Fave: Friends and the Politics of Representation
• 6. The One with the Orbit of Failure: The Joey Spin-Off, Other Adaptations and the Global Reception of Friends
• 7. Conclusion: The One where They’ll Still Be There for You—Reflections on Friends’ Place in Television Culture for Its 25th Anniversary
• Back Matter