Aurora Starchild
Oh, Friends. Widely considered to be one of the best sitcoms of all-time, the show was a TV staple during its decade-long run. It inspired copycat shows ad infinitum and made a comeback with a whole new audience when Netflix hosted the series in 2015. In total, Friends has released 236 episodes over the course of 10 seasons. So, it’s natural that, with all that footage, there would be a few bloopers…
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What Was Friends About, Anyways?
Oh, come on. You don’t know? To summarize for those who literally live under prehistoric rocks, the show is about 6 friends in their 20s-30s. Three women (Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe) and three men (Joey, Chandler, and Ross) hang out all the time. They’re usually in Monica’s apartment in New York’s Central Park, but of course each character has their own plotline. Relationships come and go, drama and fun are had, characters evolve…
Jennifer Aniston (Rachel), Courteney Cox (Monica), Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe) Matt LeBlanc (Joey), Matthew Perry (Chandler), and David Schwimmer (Ross) all shot to superstardom from the series. Interestingly, Friends went through a lot of title changes in the NBC offices prior to airing. Its original tentative title was Insomnia Café. That changed to Six of One, then Friends Like Us, and was settled with Friends.
Friends Reception: Lovers and Haters
One of the most popular TV shows of all time, Friends episodes averaged about 20 to 30 million viewers for each one. The most watched Friends episode was “The One After the Superbowl,” aired on January 28, 1996, with 52.9 million viewers.
Friends received 62 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning 6 in total. It also won a Golden Globe, 6 People’s Choice Awards, one Screen Actors Guild Award, an American Comedy Award, a GLAAD Media Award, 3 Logie Awards, and one Satellite Award. The show holds a solid 8.9-star rating on IMDb and a 93% Average Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes.
At its inception, however, Friends received some backlash. Critics referred to it as a “Seinfeld wannabe.” It also has been criticized for its obvious lack of diversity. Co-creator Marta Kauffman has since acknowledged this, apologizing for both a lack of ethnic diversity and for misgendering Chandler’s trans parent.
Friends Bloopers
Now that we’ve laid it all out for you, let’s get to the Friends bloopers. Here are some hilarious compilations — try not to laugh too hard!
The Friends Reunion
We know what you’re thinking. You miss Friends, don’t you. If you haven’t seen it yet, Friends: The Reunion is a 104-minute special available on HBO Max. Hosted by James Corden, the six stars sit in front of a live studio audience in Burbank and chat it up with trivia and talk show segments. It’s essentially a trip down memory lane for viewers and actors alike.
Although initially planned in 2019, the filming was delayed twice due to COVID. It was finally released on May 27, 2021. You can watch the trailer below.
