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FRIENDS To Return For Season 10!!

Mother of God... by Smegohki II	Dec 22nd, 2002 01:35:50 AM
That's all.
Interesting by Gheorghe Zamfir	Dec 22nd, 2002 01:58:08 AM
It's fun to watch the Thursday night must-see-tv slot turn into derivitive junk. But the people get what they ask for. Ratings juggernauts like Friends tell the network to put on crap like Good Morning Miami.
I agree with Smegohki... by FilmCritic3000	Dec 22nd, 2002 02:08:48 AM
Maybe I'm crazy but both "Friends" and "Seinfeld" have never been funny. Ever. I've tried and tried to enjoy them but they seem bland to me. Maybe I'm in the minority here, but that's just my opinion.
Best show of "Must see TV thursday"... Scrubs by neovsmatrix	Dec 22nd, 2002 02:13:04 AM

Talk about going to the well... by Adus	Dec 22nd, 2002 02:28:36 AM
Once too often. Personally I enjoy "Friends" but hasn't anyone at NBC ever heard old saying "All Good Things must come to an end?} Now last season was wonderful and this season seems to be lagging a little IMHO. Not there haven't been some gems the Freddie Prinze Jr., episode was hilarious. As was the Thenksgiving episode with Christina Applegate and I throughly enjoyed the futile attmpts at bonding between Ross and Phoebe's boyfriend played by Paul Rudd. But I'm sensing a defintie ebb in energy there. Plus haven't they already done all viable romantic combinations with these characters once next.. Monica has a n affair with Joey or how about a menage a tois with Phoebe, Ross and Rachel... come to think of it that may not be such a bad idea j/k/ As far as Scrubs being the best show on "Must See Thursday" goes I have to say I agree with that 100 percent.
make it stop please!!!! by yeah i'm a jerk!	Dec 22nd, 2002 02:30:22 AM
god i don't know which is worse, watching these no talent losers called "friends" or watching those smug bastard osama bin laden videos. at least you know the bin laden videos will stop once uncle sam puts the bullet in his skull, but dammit this friends shit keeps going on.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! by BRTick	Dec 22nd, 2002 02:34:37 AM
OOOOOOOOOOHHHHH GODDDDD!!!! NOOOOOOOOO! WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!! YOU DIRTY BASTARDS!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!!!!!!!!! OHHHH GODDD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! also, jennifer aniston is a hottie.
Well maybe they weren't funny to YOU... by happywaffle	Dec 22nd, 2002 02:51:10 AM
But they obviously had some fans somewhere. If "Friends" is mindless Cheese Whiz, then the time to complain was 8 or 9 seasons ago. I personally think it's a nice half-hour's entertainment. "Friends" isn't dreck - "Elimidate" is dreck.
Am I supposed to be ecstatic or something? by wash	Dec 22nd, 2002 02:57:07 AM
Woop-de-fucking-doo. Many great shows have died for this one's sins.
$9 million???!!! by statto4ever	Dec 22nd, 2002 03:00:58 AM
I like the show n'all, but 9 million dollars per episode? That's just lunacy. How can the people involved sleep at night spending that kind of cash on a TV show when people around the world are dying of starvation.
in other news a dead horse is beaten deader by Tall_Boy	Dec 22nd, 2002 03:05:24 AM
Does anyone still watch this show?
Fuck This Mother Fucking Piece of Shit!! by NYC	Dec 22nd, 2002 03:12:26 AM
God I hate that show! So fuckin' annoying! Excellent shows like Once and Again only last three season and this garbage just won't die. I'll never understand the mass appeal of it. Must be subliminal messages planted within. It doesn't exist in my world anyway. I'll just watch Three's Company and Leave it to Beaver reruns. Fuck friends!!!!!......p.s. I can only hope for a bombing at that particular studio next year. There must be some divine reason it's going to continue.
it stopped being "FRIENDS" a long damn time ago... by the_patriot	Dec 22nd, 2002 03:20:09 AM
"Now I don't wanna get off on a rant here, but..." The show has since become "middle aged married people who occasionally fuck each other." Literally or figuratively. I'll give you that the show was once funny. Yes, it was - when they were all just friends and not all fucking trite, boring married people. Is this show still on? Yes. Why? Because it's easier to pay millions for a past its prime dying piece of shit that still gets half decent ratings than to take a chance on new shows that might not even do what this is. Besides, where else are these actors going to get paid this obscene an amount of money to act like themselves? And excuse me- I use the word "actors" VERY LOOSELY. Like so many things, Friends will be drilled into the ground and end on a bad, sour note- and people will look back and lament. Until that day, we're just stuck with people who are fans of the show defending until their death how good it is- and not realizing how good it USED TO BE, and isn't anymore. For further reference on this topic, please see Season 4 of The Sopranos, or Seasons 6-9 of the X-Files. "But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong."
a by MovieView	Dec 22nd, 2002 04:19:11 AM
a
How come everyone is so shocked? by MovieView	Dec 22nd, 2002 04:26:40 AM
You do realize that its all business? Don't you? People bitch about how actors get paid so much and teachers don't but parents cry fowl when property taxes get raised. They would never think of paying an extra $8/hour to send their kid to school but they easily plop down the $8 to see the next Julia Roberts movie. Why do actors get paid more then teachers, because audiences want to pay actors more then teachers. If each Friend is getting 1.5 million per episode, its because they are at that point in their career now and have earned it. It's their asking price. Maybe they wanted to put the show to bed but everyone has a price, so do you. It's just business, deal with it.
So now they have more opportunities to have famous movie stars a by Andy Travis	Dec 22nd, 2002 05:04:01 AM
I'm leaving.
Stop yanking our chains by Just Plain Steve	Dec 22nd, 2002 05:44:47 AM
One of the reasons so many people are watching this show is because it is their last season. I did not get interested in Seinfeld until it was going off the air. If NBC keeps telling us its their last year, people will start to fell like they are being milked for prophets
Is this show still on? by Spam Gamgee	Dec 22nd, 2002 05:45:13 AM
Does anyone still watch this show? Go ahead, ridicule and banish me.
"Is this show still on?" or "Does anyone still watch this show?" by Banky the Hack	Dec 22nd, 2002 07:43:47 AM
You know, I think they're valid questions considering how weak the writing is on this show anymore. I'll readily admit I found earlier Friends episodes funny, and some, downright hilarious (especially when they're Chandler/Joeycentric). But lately, episodes have nary elicited a chuckle. I just wish that a show could stop when it's good, and not flail about in death and get ichor on everything. And I definitely think the same questions are applicable to Survivor, considering how much buzz it got in the first and second series' and how bad of an idea it was to begin with. Reality TV is like the reign of Pol Pot...it's not a lot of fun to live through, but everyone knows someone with enough power will eventually get sick enough of him to do something about it. I just wish someone would do the same with reality TV. Especially when good shows like "Firefly" are headed down the tubes, overly swamped out by reality shows, just because NASCAR fans can't watch races at night.
Trust me, Lord Sidious couldn't and never would conceive of evil by XTheCrovvX	Dec 22nd, 2002 08:00:21 AM
I just dont get it....I really dont. I dont ask "is this show still on?", i ask WHY is this show still on?? What is so goddamned funny about this show that 10 million people "get" each week that i dont....personally, once Seinfeld and 3rd Rock left, there was NO reason to ever turn to NBC except for SNL. I just...dont....fucking...get it. Revolution is my name.
"Reality TV is like the reign of Pol Pot...it's not a lot of fun by Indiana Clones	Dec 22nd, 2002 08:21:25 AM
Best talkback quote ever. Friends isn't funny/glamourous/nice to look at anymore because they're all old. It peaked halfway through Season 3.
Stop Watching by serpico04	Dec 22nd, 2002 09:29:59 AM
All you guys that are shitting on the show are obviously still watching it in order to form an opinion. If you want the show to leave, it's easy STOP WATCHING IT
Why Friends has been so successful by IdFuckAvril	Dec 22nd, 2002 09:33:09 AM
Because the characters serve as friend surrogates for most of the show's viewership (the vast majority of which are female). Seriously. So many women that I have met over the past decade who had fucked up social relationships, or couldn't maintain good friendships (particularly with other women), loved to watch Friends. Of course, this is sad. But it's so true. I'm neither generalizing nor kidding about this, people. It's also the reason why MTV's The Real World remains such a success, but slightly different: With Friends, you socialize vicariously with these pals getting along, having wacky adventures together, loving one another. With The Real World, you live vicariously through their bitchiness, angst and whininess toward and with one another. These two series' successes are indicative of how asocially confused a lot of young female Americans are nowadays.
Still a very funny show.... by MechaniFerret	Dec 22nd, 2002 09:47:57 AM
I laugh at every episode of Friends. The ep where Phoebe meets her new boyfriend's(Paul Rudd) parents is classic. The ep with Freddie Prinze, Jr. was great as well.(it proves that with good enough material Freddie can be damn funny) Adding Paul Rudd was an excellent idea. He is just a naturally funny guy.(see Wet Hot American Summer) The episode with Christina Applegate was great as well.(really just because Christina is still one of the hottest actresses today and she is quite good with funny material) They need to get someone less attractive than Jennifer Aniston next time, because I didn't even notice her in that episode. Matt LeBlanc is still great as Joey and Matthew Perry as well as Lisa Kudrow have their moments. Unfortunately, Jennifer Aniston(though very talented IMO) has been reduced to nothing more than a pretty face. David Schwimmer is talented(check his work on Band of Brothers), but Ross is just not interesting anymore. Courtney Cox is a beautiful woman, but her anorexic-frame and stale/robotic delivery has made her the least interesting "friend". She is probably bored with it, even though she is the one that brought them all together. See how easy it is to be honest and not say things just to "fit in"? MF
And furthermore... by IdFuckAvril	Dec 22nd, 2002 09:49:36 AM
To those of you griping about the storytelling and plots of Friends, I have this to say: IT DOESN'T MATTER. The point of this series is, again, "relationships". Not plot. Not quality storytelling. "Relationships." Who's hooking up with whom. Who's having a baby. Who's gonna date the hot stud/chick who will be played by a hot stud/chick movie star/pop singer/musician/model in a "self-effacing" manner. By the way, I'm not saying that the vast majority of American women are like this -- just that there is a large minority of women who watch Friends who are. Friends is a safe, comfy, cozy way to have virtual friends, without having to deal directly with the shit, drama, and overall dullness of real friendships.
I have to agree with the patriot... by RenoNevada2000	Dec 22nd, 2002 10:02:35 AM
This cast stopped being the hip, young generation about four years ago. Courtney Cox definitely looks all of her 39 years, though that could be partly due to dieting herself down to Crypt Keeper weight. The rest of the cast are comfortably in their middle `30s with the surprising exception of Lisa Kudrow who doesn't look like she just turned 40. (Well according to the IMDB her birthday is 7/30/63.) I'll admit I watched the show when it first came on and it wasn't bad, but by spring it had been on the cover of ROLLING STONE and I think it was all downhill from there. They became a victim of their own hype. At first I liked that they were a sitcom with continuing story lines. I readily accepted it in shows like Babylon 5 and what was to follow, why wouldn't I like it in my sitcoms? Well, because on some of the other shows the storylines grew out of the characters and felt like organic evolution. On FRIENDS it always seemed to be thrown together as they went along (sorta like the feeling I had about X-FILES come to think of it). It stopped being a sit-com and became a soap-com. Thankfully, Thursday night is now my night to go with friends, do some swing dancing and enjoy the company of people my own age who aren't trying to be ten years younger.
ratings ratings ratings by Kcir	Dec 22nd, 2002 10:04:50 AM
Its a business and this show gets the numbers. It seems a lot of posters here IF running a network would grind it into bankruptcy by keeping cult shows that few watch yet aviod the mass entertainment powerhouses.
? by Kcir	Dec 22nd, 2002 10:07:10 AM
"enjoy the company of people my own age who aren't trying to be ten years younger" Ahhh...like the cast of Buffy?
BTW... by RenoNevada2000	Dec 22nd, 2002 10:09:50 AM
I'm not saying that the cast is talentless mind you. Aniston was brillant in THE GOOD GIRL this year. While I didn't see BAND OF BROTHERS, Schwimmer was very memorable in a pre-FRIENDS role in the first three or four episodes of NYPD BLUE. (Hey, if I can remember THAT, he had to have been decent.) I just think that these characters have been played out due to too many seemingly calculated situations. At this point I think everyone has seen each other naked. The only thins left to do with these guys is have someone come out of the closet (Joey being the most obvious "comedic" choice)or have a menage a trois as another poster suggested. Better yet, break the ultimate taboo and have Ross and Monica screw each other. But only as a sweeps stunt.
Sorry, but Kudlow hit the wall about two years ago by the G-man	Dec 22nd, 2002 10:12:02 AM
And Cox is walking right up to the wall (but might be able to avoid it if she gained some weight). Aniston is still cute as a button but she's also about seven years younger than the other two.
Peternorth.... by The Tao of Joe	Dec 22nd, 2002 10:12:57 AM
Dude, I would never let a girl who watches friends touch my special area. I am a man of principle, and if those principles mean that the women I date are few and far in between, then so be it! No, but seriously, thats cool an all that you can accept a girls love for a ridiculous show geared for cyphers. I remember one time on saved by the bell when zack morris fell in love with a morbidly obease girl. I am sure its got to feel the same way. I think I even remember a tv movie that starred BOB SAGAT as a man who fell in love with this woman who had a terrible disease that would one day kill her. That might be closer. Anyways, my new girlfriend touches my special area quite a bit, and I dont have to put up with her taste in annoying shows, though she does have a pension for spongebob squarepants, but I can put up with that show because she says I remind her of sponge bob in some weird way, and that thats why she is attracted to me. Ok. Anywho. I dont even know why I posted. ANother year of this show would be like another year of a show in cspan-2, since I don't watch either. Now I must go clean my room up, its the last unclean room in my house, and my party is in like 8 hours. wish me luck gents.
kcir... by RenoNevada2000	Dec 22nd, 2002 10:22:23 AM
Ummm, Sarah Michelle Geller is 25 playing a 21 year old character. That's only a four year difference. What ages are the FRIENDS supposed to be? I keep getting the feeling that they're supposed to be locked in at their mid-20s, sort of the equivelant of comic-book aging. And even if they're supposed to be at the cusp of their 30s, how many early people in their early 30's look as bad as Courtney Cox and aren't a bulemic or heroin junkie?
Peternorth- by RenoNevada2000	Dec 22nd, 2002 10:26:01 AM
Hey I too have a girlfriend who likes to touch my secret place. She likes my secret place so much I get to put it in her secret place. But then again we have time to do that as we aren't watching the 14 reruns of FRIENDS a day that seem to air....
Great points, YodaMan. Your insight decries your screen name. by XTheCrovvX	Dec 22nd, 2002 10:51:26 AM
That explains a lot.Also explains the Sex and the City thing too. Which brings about an intriguing question...if thats the appeal of "relationship shows", what brought the lawyer/cop/doctor trend around? Ideal vision of these three professions doing what theyre supposed to do instead of lying, abusing power, and whoring for HMOs, respectively? Food for thought on a Sunday morning....Revolution is my name.
dont watch by darlin13	Dec 22nd, 2002 10:51:50 AM
dont watch the show but happy that they renewed it. I cant imagine what godawful crap nbc would put on in place of friends
So, crucify me-- by radio1_mike	Dec 22nd, 2002 10:56:35 AM
But, uh... I like Friends. Sorry, banish me to the hinterlands, but I have always liked it and always will.
Oh boy! by Sofa King	Dec 22nd, 2002 11:00:25 AM
A Freinds talkback! Now I can show everyone here how cool I am by bashing a mainstream show, calling it's viewers morons while being blind to the fact that the writting is smarter than the crap that I watch!
it by supertoyslast	Dec 22nd, 2002 11:09:38 AM
Um... isn't that CSI?
This should have been the last season by Jack Burton	Dec 22nd, 2002 11:55:40 AM
I know that NBC desperately needs "Friends" since they seem incapable of getting any sitcom to match it or "Seinfeld"'s ratings, but come on! I've watched the show since the beginning, I've always liked it, and it's usually one of the funniest shows out there. But this season it feels like it's stretching itself thin. I figured the tension between Rachel and Ross would keep up and the show would end with them finally getting married (again) and in the final seconds Monica would reveal she was pregnant. The End. I'm guessing now the final season will either deal with Monica and Chandler having a baby or Rachel and Ross getting back together, or most likely, both. It's starting to feel a little too "Been there, done that." And the whole "Chandler commuting to Oklahoma" thing seems a bit desperate.
I don't know anyone that still watches it by coop	Dec 22nd, 2002 01:05:05 PM
And Barry loving it is no shock. The last time I watched, Rachel and Ross got drunk and got married in Vegas. I only have so much time to watch tv and I schedule certain nights to stay home. Thursday is not one of those nights. Also, How much money is this show making that they can afford to pay that much per episode? Doesn't this make the actors some of the highest paid in Hollywood? That's what, around 25 million a year each? That Jim Carrey kind of money and he doesn't make it every year.
9 million an episode is nothing, Star Wars costs 115 million an by NeofromtheMatrix	Dec 22nd, 2002 01:25:37 PM
But seriously, I haven't watched a single episode of Friends since I discovered Will & Grace. Debra Messing can have me as her pretend-gay roomate anytime!
How the hell can this show take place in NY without not having O by LordWeymont	Dec 22nd, 2002 01:41:29 PM
Where are the African-Americans? Nice apartment they live in... how much does that run? WHERE ARE THE MINORITIES THAT MAKE NY ONE OF THE MOST WONDERFULLY DIVERSE CITIES IN THE WORLD? As a scoiology/politcal science major, I am DISTURBED that "Friends" is the most watched television ... why? Because "Friends" is exactly what NY is not, COMPLETELY WHITE. This show is lamer than Saget. My girlfriend will be estatic too...
by DyslexicHeart	Dec 22nd, 2002 01:42:01 PM
NBC will most likely slot thier American re-make of the hit british comedy, "Coupling" opposite Friends next season. Scrubs is the best show on NBC period, slightly ahead of The West Wing and the consumate but overlooked Third Watch.
Rachel's HOTPANTS in Gunther's future? by Gellar's Ass	Dec 22nd, 2002 01:42:34 PM
Gunther Centralperk better get to bone the Holy Hell out of Rachel Green before the series is over. It's the right thing to do.
The Whiteness of "Friends," sadly, is not as unrealistic as you by the G-man	Dec 22nd, 2002 01:56:32 PM
As I recall from when I lived there, while NYC was a diverse city, it was also an incredibly, defacto, segegated city.
there be SHARKS in these here waters... by imageburn13	Dec 22nd, 2002 02:14:08 PM

First! by Darth Cuddles	Dec 22nd, 2002 02:17:10 PM

and I like to hit the return key alot by imageburn13	Dec 22nd, 2002 02:42:05 PM
I wouldnt mind it one bit if situation-comedy TV fell into ancient history tomorrow. Not a bit. Just make commercials a little longer and funnier. And living in NYC for the last three years, I'm taking the side of the poster who said that Friends isn't diverse enough. You're right. I dont know where that other guy is/was living, but here in Manhatty, and Brooklyn, SHIT EVERYWHERE is a melting pot of diversity.
I hate sitcoms. by Feudal Fetus	Dec 22nd, 2002 02:55:41 PM
I hate them. I hate, Hate, HATE(!!!) sitcoms! I hate how claustrophobic they are because they take place in the same three rooms on a sound stage. I hate the studio audience, especially when they break out into applause in the middle of a scene and the actors just have to stand there staring at each other until the noise dies down before they can say the next line. Or when two characters kiss and they go, "Oooooo!" I hate the cynical, sarcastic sitcoms like "Just Shoot Me". I hate naive, sappy sitcoms like "Full House". I hate the wacky neighbor. I hate how most sitcom charachters are either middle-class suburbanites or trendy urbanites. I don't even like them in a "this is so bad it's good" guilty pleasure sort of way. I never laughed at The Honeymooners, and I'll never laugh at Everybody Loves Raymond. I hate sitcoms...!! Except Mork and Mindy.
$9m per show? This is obscene by Charlie & Tex	Dec 22nd, 2002 03:09:26 PM
For God's sake, it's a 22 minute sitcom, that is for the most part studio-bound. When a movie costs about $100m, you can generally see the money up on screen, but with something like this (Frasier also costs quite a bit to produce, too), you can't help but see that this is a standard sticom and that these are a bunch of TV actors who have all pretty much bombed when trying to transfer to tbe big screen. Remember the big fuss a couple of years ago when WB gave the cast a deadline to renew their contracts or they were going to cancel the show? The company should have just told them to fuck off and canned the damned thing back then - there's nothing worse than a show continuing just for the sake of money - and yes, we also think that Star Trek should come to an end, too...
People bitch too much. by Belvis	Dec 22nd, 2002 03:28:03 PM
There are exactly 168 hours of television on per week. Assuming that most people have at least 50 channels available to them, that's 8400 hours of possible television to watch in a single week. Last I checked, Friends runs for 30 miutes a week. If you don't like it, TURN THE FUCKING CHANNEL. Or at least stop bitching about it. TV shows are made for one reason only, to entertain. The fact that some people enjoy Friends, Seinfeld, or any other show that the pseudo-intellectuals like to call crap, doesn't make them the scum of the Earth. Lighten up people, and quit being so goddamned pretentious. You'll all live a lot longer. Oh, and I am sure that there are a lot of people out there who think that Once and Again, Roswell, Freaks & Geeks, and all of the less mainstream shows sucked ass. It's just too bad that so many people have to try so hard to be different.
imageburn, I was "that other guy" by the G-man	Dec 22nd, 2002 03:28:18 PM
As I said, I am speaking of my recollection of NY over ten years ago, during the racially polarized Dinkins years. My then-girlfriend was a real life "Rachel Green" (worked at Bloomies) and lived on the upper East Side and, while the city itself was certainly diverse, my recollection was that whites and blacks did not socialize that much with each other. I don't speak of that with approval, simply noting that, based on what I saw, it's not that surprising that the six on the show are all white. That being said, I think where the show really falls down is when not only are the six main principals white, but so are most of the supporting cast/guest stars (doctors, secretaries, coworkers, passersby on the street, etc.).
More fun with calculators... by RenoNevada2000	Dec 22nd, 2002 03:51:37 PM
At $9 million a 22 minute episode, it breaks down to $409,090.90 a minute or $6,818.18 per SECOND!!!! Or to put it yet another way, it costs $18 million dollars per decent joke.
ARRRGGGGHHHH Firefly gets cancelled and Friends stays on the air by BJC0410	Dec 22nd, 2002 04:37:08 PM
I liked "friends" but it is way past it's prime like NYPD blue and ER and Frasier. It seems like these shows just keep going after they've jumped the shark about 20 times. NBC be bold and grab Firefly and throw it into that thusday slot and give it time and you'll have one of your biggest hits... EVER. Remeber how you cancelled Star Trek? well Fox made an even Bigger mistake.
Let's hope this doesn't mean driving the show into the ground (a by a goonie	Dec 22nd, 2002 04:43:41 PM
Man, did Thailand suck. Yay, a cocky car salesman won a million bucks. Yay, a bunch of people I don't like on an a pretty island. Burnett and co. managed to revitalize the series with Marquesas after Africa proved to be such a bore. Let's hope they can do it again.
Is Survivor still on the air? by Wungolioth	Dec 22nd, 2002 05:25:10 PM
You didn't specify we couldn't make fun of Survivor Herc. Just taking advantage of a loophole...
Someone put this fucking show out of it's misery by MyNameDoesn'tFit	Dec 22nd, 2002 06:10:01 PM
And put us out of ours at the same time. Kill two birds with one stone.
Dear God! by Taelon	Dec 22nd, 2002 07:41:41 PM
I finished watching this show ages ago as the stories were getting too predictable and nothing interesting seemed to happen. Every twist came back to the Ross/Rachel break and I was getting so tired of it. However, last season I found myself watching it as they tried to uncover who was the father of Rachels child, but when the mystery was revealed it got so boring again and I just see it as a waste of precious air time!
RenoNevada2000... by midnight fairy	Dec 22nd, 2002 08:07:29 PM
No, Sarah Michelle Gellar was a 25 year old actress playing a 16-year-old in earlier episodes. It was almost as bad as Grease. So fucking unbelievable. Yeah...like that girl is 16 freakin' years old. I think not. Of course it's kind of necessary at that age...a 16-year-old actress would not have the maturity or skill necessary to perform a serious acting role.
Oh...and on topic... by midnight fairy	Dec 22nd, 2002 08:13:43 PM
I've never liked Friends, but am not entirely suprised that it's back for another season. In fact, I'm hardly suprised at all. Sure, they were hyping this as the last season, and that's what everyone was saying, but come on. A long-running cash cow like that is bound to stick around on its deathbed for quite awhile till it can be kept alive no longer. That's a reason to admire Seinfeld...it went out on top. BTW, I was never interested in Seinfeld until years after its end, and now it's one of my favorite shows.
Going out on a limb here, but.... by Buff-Angel	Dec 22nd, 2002 09:47:03 PM
There seem to be a lot of people who don't like the show, but seem to know an awful lot about it. This leads me to believe that they, too, must be watching. If they hate the show so much, and want it off the air, then don't tune in. This will cause ratings to drop and the show to finally have a FINAL season. In the mean time, shut the fuck up and let the rest of us who only watch shows we enjoy do just that, enjoy them.
Despite its mass appeal, FRIENDS tends to be written funnily and by SnapT	Dec 22nd, 2002 09:47:07 PM
I hope the good writers get some of that $9 million per episode. Because the guy who plays Ross and the lady who plays Rachel and so on aren't as valuable if they don't have funny words to say.
just for you JPX... by Buff-Angel	Dec 22nd, 2002 09:49:24 PM
Cool, I really enjoy the show. I am glad it is on for another season and hope it is on even longer.
Midnight Fairy, Math, and Sarah Michelle Gellar by Voice O. Reason	Dec 22nd, 2002 10:20:43 PM
Are you saying that Sarah Michelle Gellar has been 25 for the last SIX YEARS? She was probably 19 when the show started. Get it? 25-6=19. Math is our friend!
I'm not surprised by koosbane	Dec 22nd, 2002 10:36:49 PM
afterall, Full House ran for 8 years.
SMG's age- by RenoNevada2000	Dec 22nd, 2002 11:09:31 PM
Sarah Michelle Gellar was born on 4/14/77. It's a matter of public record you troglodyte. You know you can use the internet for things other than downlloading porn of fat German housefraus...
It's not that bad folks by ginta1971	Dec 22nd, 2002 11:17:17 PM
Just like with any other show, it's quality has fulxiated up and down. For instance, during season 7 I wanted to blast it with a 12 gauge. Season 8 I was glad I restrained myself. Season 9 has been a mixed bag, but I think they are actually builind a continuing plot for once. Just because something is popular doesn't mean it's bad. Look at X-Files, their best episodes were when it was a big show.
It's rare. by dorfer	Dec 23rd, 2002 12:26:56 AM
It's rare to find 6 actors who really want to continue working together after so many years. They want to do it. They also want lots of money. For that, I cannot blame them. And Friends has been better than a lot of the crap networks try to pass before us of late. I miss Seinfeld. --d
hahaha....thanks for the good laugh guys... by midnight fairy	Dec 23rd, 2002 01:37:18 AM
for getting so out of joint over a simple mistake a tired girl made. yes, a girl, no downloading of fat German porn here...and I actually have other things to do than look up SMG's age, hence I thought she was much older than 19 at the beginning of the show since she looked much older to me. Anyway...have fun insulting people's intelligence because of a single faux paus. I'm sorry, being the troglodyte that I am I probably didn't spell that right.
Midnight Fairy Is SOOOOO cool! by Voice O. Reason	Dec 23rd, 2002 02:05:33 AM
A quick recap: The original point was that the Friends cast isn't playing their own age group any longer. You tried to draw a parrallel by stating that Sarah Michelle Gellar was 25 playing 16, which isn't true. Then, when your error was pointed out, you tried to pretend like you were cooler than everyone else. In summary: Your previous point is invalid, your rebuttal was lazy, and may God have mercy on your soul. (You would've had better luck if you'd cited Charisma Carpenter.)
There's talks of a "Joey" spinoff after Season 10... by Monkey_King	Dec 23rd, 2002 06:29:56 AM
would some of the original cast members appear as well? Wouldn't it still be FRIENDS?
midnight fairy by RenoNevada2000	Dec 23rd, 2002 06:50:20 AM
If you don't have the aproximately 30 seconds it took me to look up SMG's age on the IMDB than why are you wasting your time here?
OMG, PMG, like totally OMG. Bored now. Sure theres diversity by BannthisUcommies	Dec 23rd, 2002 09:00:26 AM
Last year was moderately good. Its trailed off dramatically since.
I Love Friends by Jyoti	Dec 23rd, 2002 09:05:04 AM
Shit yeah. I like 24, Alias, Scrubs, Gilmore Girls and FastLane as well so what does that say? Nothing except that I like diverse shows and just because I don't spew crap out of my mouth like other "serious" tv watchers, doesn't mean that there's something fundamentally wrong with me. Friends is a good show, sure sometimes the episodes are crap, but then again so are some episodes of Buffy, which many of you "serious" tv watchers bitch about like little girls, so obviously the bad writing waters don't only flow around the set of Friends. Hell I even like Good Morning Miami ... at least now that they're pushing that chick Penny, because she's much funnier than that sappy bitch Dylan. I've seen three episodes of CSI. WHY? Because I have a personal boycott going on against CBS, for the specific reason that they chose to go up against my show Friends during Survivor's second season. Only saw those three episodes because I was at someone else's house and couldn't actually wrestle the remote from them. So just because some of you don't like the show, doesn't mean that it's crap. Just in your definition.
p.s Friends Ages by Jyoti	Dec 23rd, 2002 09:24:37 AM
The entire cast of Friends are in their 30's. Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Aniston being the youngest at 33. Those pissing on the show talking about they're too old to play their characters, well they're people in their thirties playing people in their thirties. Granted they're playing people in their early thirties and Courtney is in her late thirties, doesn't make it that big a leap. It's way different than when the kids on 90210 were playing 16yr olds when a few of them were pushing 30.
Hey Feudal Fetus don't go talking smack about "The Honeymooners" by TimBenzedrine	Dec 23rd, 2002 11:26:58 AM
While I agree with your assessment of most other sitcoms, The Honeymooners are sacred and simply beyond reproach. First of all, they are the product of another era, so yo really can't judge them by modern standards of comedy, although most of it holds up pretty well. Sure the characters play to the audience, but that's because the entire show was an expanded version of a series of skits from Jackie Gleason's weekly variety show. The network approached him to make a weekly series out of the Honeymooners and he agreed to do it provided they only do one season (about 30+ live episodes at the time- this was before repeats and syndication) He knew he couldn't keep the quality up over an extended period of time. Consequently, the resulting episodes have become enduring classics on their own. And lastly, if it weren't for The Honeymooners and the comediac genius of Art Carney, the world would be deprived of that other fine actor, Barney Rubble.
Who cares by radio1_mike	Dec 23rd, 2002 01:30:56 PM
Who really give a flying fig about the racial diversity in Friends? Oh gee, according to statistics and normalization there should be just one Black Friend? Oh No! He's not there.... AUGGGHHHH! Get real. Complaining that there are blacks on Friends is like complaining there are not any white guys on Girlfriends, or whatever UPN's Monday Night Line up is... What is next...?
Survivor is the worst show ever! by williamp78	Dec 23rd, 2002 01:59:35 PM
First though i would like to confirm that the above mentioned episode of south park was one of the best i have seen and the office is one of the funniest shows of all time. But i am posting to tell you how pitifully pathetic survivor is. The british version was terrible yet they made a second series of it which managed to be even worse. The brits ruined it themselve i hear you say! But no as the same island as the original US version was used and many of the same production staff. The show just plain sucks and quite frankly shows me what level you americans are at when it comes to television. (by the way the prize for the brit version was
Survivor is not the worst show on television!!!!! Are you high? by cameron fry	Dec 23rd, 2002 02:38:31 PM
see subject line.....then go to Home Depot and buy some rope and hang yourselves,,..
American Idol = Solid Gold... Survivor = Battle of the network s by VENOM69	Dec 23rd, 2002 03:42:34 PM
Anyone who enjoys survivor or american Idol is such a complete loser it's unbelievable. reality TV is for idiots who have no 'reality' in which they excel. They watch a bunch of wannabe actors preen and overact just to get exposure so they can read a top ten on letterman someday. Its all decided beforehand just like any other 'reality' show, the fact that people dont know this is hilarious. I'm no huge Friends fan but at least they have funny jokes and attractive people who dont have to mug and fake act to be noticed. It's an easy way to spend 30 minutes. American Idol and Survivor will be the "Solid Gold" and "Battle of the Network Stars" respectively of the future. Take it from a TV veteran, the only reality TV is nightly network news!
Is this show still on? by McCormic	Dec 23rd, 2002 05:02:18 PM
Does anyone still watch this show?
Damnit, Spam! You got there before me. by McCormic	Dec 23rd, 2002 05:03:49 PM

I Knew it would't take long for somebody to complain about the r by Black Jesus	Dec 23rd, 2002 05:38:08 PM
which i've never understood really... maybe i'm misunderstanding the issue or something but who give a shit if out of a group of 6 friends there isn't a black one? i dont have any black friends... does that make me racist? fuck no. yet it's ok to have shows like living single where there are no white people. whatever. you can't have an all black show and then complain about there not being any black people in friends. and don't give me the fucking bullshit about how living single and other all black shows are a direct response to all white shows. not every fucking group of white friends in NYC has a black person in it, just like not ever group of black friends in NYC has a white person in it. it's a nonissue and the only reason it's brought up is so somebody can start a fucking argument.
Where's Chaffro when you need him? by Ron McDonald	Dec 23rd, 2002 05:59:21 PM
I'm surprised this show's going into its 10th season. I'm happy that a show can last this long, but, why Friends? Why not X-Files. Of course with Mulder, instead of all the new characters. And all the posters who say this show is for stupid girls - I agree. There are so many shallow girls in the world who love friends because it's all they have. And, in regards to a Friends talkback, all I'll say is this, "Where's Chaffro when you need him brother?"
One more thing...Simpsons should stay on forever by Ron McDonald	Dec 23rd, 2002 06:05:32 PM
I don't know how long The Simpsons have been on, but 40 years isn't long enough. Hope it stays on forever. Loved this years Halloween clone episode!
Syndication Whores by The Stutter_Man	Dec 23rd, 2002 07:09:26 PM
Jump the Shark should include this category. I understand business is business, but a show going on for more than 5 years is directly responsible for the cancellation of short lived shows. NBC executives would probably still have cancelled Freaks & Geeks even if Frasier, Friends, and Law & Order would have gracefully stepped aside, but at least it would have been given a better shot at the decent time slots. And The Simpsons have sucked since 1994.
just for the record, TimBenzedrine by Feudal Fetus	Dec 23rd, 2002 09:49:50 PM
I too love Jackie Gleason(obviously not as much as you though). I'm just saying the artifical environment of a sitcom just completely destroys any and all humor out of a situation. Case in point: I love Andy Richter's new show simply because it lacks the dull roar of laughter that sitcoms use to underline a gag. And all the rooms have FOUR walls. Did I really need to chime in just to say this? Oh well. Too late. Hitting enter key.... NOW
rolls eyes C-R-A-P! by Zone Zero	Dec 23rd, 2002 10:32:40 PM
What's that spell?!? Streaks in your shorts that's what! Friends needs to die. I bet there are Friends fans who love this news... but I'd bet there's none here. I'm not. I think it's full of dumb. It's dumb that a show with good possibilites like Firefly gets canned and homeless while Friends gets a whole 'nother season. Firefly fans are crying in their eggnog. See what you did!
Why this will be a major mistake for NBC, even with the high rat by Diskatopia	Dec 23rd, 2002 11:46:11 PM
(1) High ratings or not, a 30 minute show obviously cannot generate a profit at that cost, especially since it is counter-programmed by "Survivor", so you have to wonder how this will be justified to the beancounters, especially since the off-net syndie market is alleged to be flat and even dropping, and the overseas also is dry .........2)The NBC budget for new shows and returning shows will suffer, resulting in more new tripe that is quickly gone to the pilot show graveyard, and lack of quality upgrades in current squeeking by shows. They need to let Friends go gracefully now, and instead buy 9 new shows of quality -- $1,000,000 an ep can draw high-quality talent to high-quality 30 minute pilots, and they don't even have to shoot the wad all at once, they can save some of the quality as midseason replacements, and thus have more chances for high ratings and share for shows across the sked for these new fresh........ (3) Still pretty much all-white, as far as I can tell from previews (never watch it myself)..........(4)writers will be rehashing (subconciously at a minimum)....... (5) maybe I'm cynical, but this smells of extreme desperation on NBC's part-- they are terrified of losing any more audience to cablers and premiums. The problem is, they need to think more on why they are losing the quality shows to cable (hint--for one thing, cable takes more chances now on intelligent shows (The Shield, Monk, etc.), not mass appeal slock-- cable has shown mass audiences will come to intelligent shows)........................ ...I think it is a bad move overall for NBC. Time will tell, February 2004 will be the most important decision time for ensuring network survival at this level.
by MUDDY	Dec 24th, 2002 01:34:44 AM
Am i the only ome in this world that thinks Jennifer Aniston is fugly? She has a man's chin (and a mansion).
Final episode of season 10 MuSt HaVe JaCk BaUeR trying to defuse by Regis Travolta	Dec 24th, 2002 02:24:08 AM
But because Joey and Phoebe and Rachel pester him with stupid questions our man Jack cuts the wrong wire and as the clock ticks down to 00:00:00 we cut to a big mushroom cloud vaporizing all of New York city. Ratings will be through the god damn roof for that series finale.
this show .... by rack	Dec 24th, 2002 03:55:34 PM
started out brown on my front lawn .... then began to harden and turn a whitish color .. only to flake away and dissapate into the wind. none of this should surprise anyone. on network TV, brown always seems to rise to the top ... it's the cream that comes to an early bad end.
Firefly is good, and I didn't like Friends when it was called Li by 1013nomore	Dec 24th, 2002 03:58:31 PM
Fortunately, there are plenty of other things for me to watch that are worth my time. I don't have to watch a stale, predictable sitcom. I really did feel the same way about Living Single as I do about Friends. There isn't enough difference in the point or theme of the shows for me to prefer one over the other. Black cast, mixed cast, or all white, I don't find the concept at all enticing.
The thing that irks me most about Friends... by Cybie	Dec 24th, 2002 07:00:24 PM
The thing that irks me most about Friends is that for the $9 mil NBC pays for one episode, they could get 2 or 3 episodes for a show like Buffy or Farscape! I mean, imagine if a show like Farscape could pay the actors $1mil each, and still have 1 or 2 million to actually film the episode!
Your problem DISKATOPIA... and SIMPSONS fans...and NORTHERN EXPO by VENOM69	Dec 24th, 2002 07:08:11 PM
...is that you're not realizing that w/o friends NBC loses 34 million viewers at 8pm. regardless of where they go, they wont be watching friends, friends' ads and all other lame NBC promos which lead to more viewers down the road. Networks could care less about how much a show costs per episode, they will make it back tenfold, in 20 different mediums. The only reason a network pays $9 mil and episode (which is still ridiculous)is that it generates much much more in many other avenues, too many to mention here in fact...It doesnt matter how good or bad people think it is, I mean, ER sucks ass, Miami Vice died quickly and NYPD blue is a constant repetitive joke that died 7 years back. any DRAMA on TV cannot outlast its premise...if anyone actually believes that every single character on ER has a friend/relative/neighbor/co worker that is gonna die of cancer/aids/heart attack/lou gherigs disease they are complete idiots...a show like this only works for 3-4 seasons until it parodys itself...it becomes just silly that we should believe everyone involved with these shows would suffer so much, which is just to keep the wiewer interested...who would watch if no one died or suffered for 3 straight weeks? The only dramedy that ever remained faithful is NORTHEN EXPOSURE. I would watch every one of those over and over (cept the last season, but even still...) The SIMPSONS is still the best most biting social commentary show ever created and the fact that its still on proves that. Its the only show that I have ever LOVED and it's stayed faithful and still going strong. I hope it goes another 5 seasons at least..100+ more episodes is all I could ask of life...then specials...movies...reunions.. . DVD's...extended episodes...
Why is it that every talkback... by Voice O. Reason	Dec 25th, 2002 07:44:20 AM
...breaks down into a discussion/argument about either Star Wars, Buffy, or Kevin Smith?
Why would NBC ever pay $9 mill for the 2 worst shows ever create by VENOM69	Dec 25th, 2002 12:42:53 PM

I only hope that Ross and Rachael's baby Emma isn't somehow magi by spider15	Dec 25th, 2002 09:13:29 PM
... as seems to always be the case with sitcom babies, as we saw on "Family Ties," "Growing Pains" and "Duet" (remember that show?) just to name three examples. Otherwise, I'm glad "Friends" is coming back for another season. And if I may say so, I've always felt that one of the great things about "Friends" as a long-running show is that the characters actually evolve... Over the past ten years, we've watched Rachael get past being just a spoiled rich brat, Chandler evolve past being an insecure geek, and even Joey got a bit smarter (not that he couldn't gotten much dumber) Most TV simply illustrates how much characters FAIL TO EVOLVE so that the show can remain consistant. At the same time, most shows that have been around for a while (certainly ten years) simply try to give themselves a shot-in-the-arm with a sudden and forced change, such as relocating the show (as the tried - and in my opinion failed - with "Lavern and Shirley") or by adding new characters, often small children (which again I state is a trap which I really hope "Friends" does not fall into). So I hope I don't have to eat these words next season, but I AM glad "Friends" will be back, at least in theory. Try to keep in on ANOTHER year after next, however... THAT might be pushing it.
friends friends and more friends by nickboyboy	Dec 26th, 2002 01:56:00 PM
I love friends. Have loved friends from my very first episode. I didn't watch it from the very beginning, as I was hooked on that oft neglected show, My So Called Life, which originally played against Friends. But once I caught my first epi of Friends, I was hooked and have watched it fanatically ever since. I was not looking forward to the pending demise of the episode come May and freely admit I released a loud woohoo when I read in my Variety email that it had been renewed for one more season. I know so many people who don't watch the show, I know a number of people who don't watch it any more, but as far as I am concerned it is still the best comedy on television. It does have its moments where it could have been better, but every comedy does. It brings in more advertising dollars than almost any other show, it is the most watched comedy on television and I daresay it earns its keep and when you get down to it, the almighty dollar in the end is what will make the difference. So welcome home friends for one more year
Thought I'd mention that David Schwimmer attended Northwestern, by Lord Shatner	Dec 26th, 2002 04:41:01 PM
Along with Charlton Heston, Jeffrey Hunter, Warren Beatty, Ann-Margret, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, etc
Any year, another year closer to Cox becoming a true Scarecrow by DomisInnerChild	Dec 27th, 2002 12:48:54 AM
The stick figure lives. Her face is just creepy now.
Awwww... Another season of the Cappucino Coffee Slurping Super by Pizza The Hut	Dec 27th, 2002 12:56:21 AM
...Ugh!
Hooray!!! by Dr.Drake Ramoray	Dec 27th, 2002 03:00:19 AM
I still love the show, and watch it faithfully, bring on more "FRIENDS"!!!
Sure they are back for Season 10..why not? by sofalord	Dec 27th, 2002 09:06:42 AM
What would they do instead? They certainly haven't had stellar motion picture careers? (with the possible exception of Jennifer Anniston I suppose) Maybe Courtney Cox would like to go back to playing on "Misfits of Science"? What was she? The one that could read minds or shoot fireballs out her hands? I forget.
Friends is my favorite Science Fiction/Fantasy show on tv by sofalord	Dec 27th, 2002 09:10:21 AM
...because on in a real fantasy world could a dork like David Schwimmer be getting it on with Jennifer Anniston (remember she goes home to Brad Pitt) and Matthew Perry could nail Courtney Cox. Then of course there is the Bizarro World version of New York City (where 9-11 never happened and there are no black people)
Show: we won't be there for you by the jaseman	Dec 27th, 2002 03:53:47 PM
This show is so tired and out of ideas. I have enjoyed past seasons, but I have to agree with the majority here that the show is worn out. Expired. Effete. It's already changed its premise by bringing in all the kid angles and they've hooked up most of them Twister-style (Red foot Monica, Blue foot Chandler!). Granted, the celebrity cameos can be funny, but it is an indicator of how weak the main character plotlines have become. I believe this season conclusively proves the show has jumped the shark porn.
There may be legs in "Friends" yet...... by ManosTHOF	Dec 27th, 2002 04:41:15 PM
....say, one more year, though it has passed its peak, it still has a lot of the charm it used to. I think "Frasier", however, should be given a bullet to the head and sent to the glue factory pronto.
Friends by johnnysunshine	Dec 28th, 2002 09:56:07 PM
well, seems like showing appreciation for this show is more likely to get you banished from this thread than asking if anyone still watches it. And frankly, I agree with most of the talkbackers here. I never found this show funny and the fact that so many great shows are struggling to stay on the air while NBC throws money at this incredibly generic sitcom irks me too, but this is a business and there's a lot of money wrapped up in this so I'm not surprised. Fro whatever reason, the masses love this show. And no, nothing "cutting edge" will ever be as big as Friends in its own time.
You're not the only one, MUDDY... by midnight fairy	Dec 29th, 2002 07:26:21 PM
Jennifer Aniston's ugly as shit, IMHO.
At 9 mil per episode, why isn't the show in High Definition? by Hawq	Dec 30th, 2002 01:24:56 PM
Can't NBC get a clue and broadcast Friends in High Definition? This may sound silly, but I think one of the appealing things about the show has always been it's use of colorful sets. Color affects your subconscious more than you think. Plus, Jennifer Aniston's nipples deserve 1080i.
Eh, late again! by Jaka	Jan 2nd, 2003 01:51:22 PM
I always post on these damn talkbacks after 1000 other people. So my opinion is probably ignored and likely repetative, but who cares. Like my posts, some of us came late to Friends. I didn't get into it until a couple years ago and still RARELY watch it at 8 on Thursdays. But I HAVE memorized it's local syndication times and catch an hour everynight from 6:30-7:30. Followed by Seinfeld, to which I will totally agree with anyone that says it was never funny. I find Seinfeld to be dry and ANTI-funny most of the time. And Jason ALexanders acting is freakin' terrible. But Friends, I love! I even added the DVD's that have been released to my "must buy" list. What I am wondering though, having watched all these hour long blocks of Friends, is why don't they make the show an hour long dramady and really let the actors stretch a little. Ya know, Friends from 8-9 on Thursays. Sounds ggod to me, but I guess that's wehy I don't run a network.
thanx Venom69 by afa	Jan 4th, 2003 07:59:17 AM
i totally agree with u abt the reality tv shit...its a load of crap and i cant believe that networks are actually making money thru that bullshit...and i would add osbournes 2 tht list... i can do without watching a braindead dysfunctional family which has no bond other than being assholes.. here's hoping noone in this world is cursed by being in such a family.. on a nother note, someone wrote how seiffeld was not funny. thts wrong, it was definitely one of the better programs....it was funny and made u laff without being too over the top or exaggerated....and i also disagree with the person who said that joey;s character has become smarter thru the yrs...if anything he has become dumber.. if u c the first 2 seasons of friends u'll notice that he started out being a little slow... now c the last 2 seasons and u'll c he has 'progressed' to being downright stupid now. AND another point, i also agree with the person who said, somewhere toward the bottom, that the characters are looking really dead. david schwimmer, jennifer aniston and (sometimes)courtney cox aside, all of them look like they just woke up..particularly matt leblanc, he always seems 2 have dark circles under his eyes..

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