Product Description
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The ultimate collection for every 'Friends' fan, this box set
contains every episode ever made of the phenomenally successful
US sitcom, which centres around the lives and loves of six
attractive 20-something New Yorkers: Ross (David Schwimmer),
Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Chandler (Matthew Perry), Monica
(Courteney Cox Arquette), Joey (Matt LeBlanc) and Phoebe (Lisa
Kudrow). The series began in 1994 with the episode 'The One Where
it All Began', where Rachel jilts her man at the altar and comes
into the lives of the rest of the gang. And finished with the
two-parter 'The Last One' in which Ross is desperate to be with
Rachel, but she is set on going to Paris. He and Phoebe chase her
to the airport, but accidentally go to the wrong airport. They
manage to get to the right airport just in time, and Ross tells
Rachel he loves her, but, in a dazed state, she gets on the plane
anyway... Chandler and Monica finish packing for their move to
the suburbs, and the friends bid each other an emotional goodbye.
.co.uk Review
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A US sitcom behemoth with a global brand, Friends out of
the gate in 1994 with snappy writing and an attractive cast. The
exploits of sensitive paleontologist Ross Geller (played by David
Schwimmer), his obsessive-compulsive sister Monica Geller
(Courteney Cox, now Cox-Arquette); Monica's roommate Rachel Green
(Jennifer Aniston), a spoiled rich girl trying to live on her
own; earthy aromatherapist/masseuse Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow);
and Monica's neighbours across the hall -- sarcastic Chandler
Bing (Matthew Perry) and his struggling actor roommate Joey
Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) became a nationwide obsession, spawned
pop-culture trends (remember "The Rachel" haircut?) and was a
ratings hit for its entire run.
The first two seasons were mostly centered on the on-off saga of
Ross and Rachel, and while their relationship remained a strong
presence through romantic rivals and even a baby, the other
characters eventually moved from sideshow players into a shared
comedic lead. But Friends was not without its heart. Most of the
cast had dysfunctional relationships with their parents and went
through loss, divorce, marriage, parenthood, and love triangles.
The emotional pregnancies of Rachel (by Ross) and Phoebe
(surrogate to her half-brother's triplets) won the actresses Emmy
Awards, and Joey's tender feelings for Rachel in Season 8 won
LeBlanc, the most improved actor in the series, a nomination.
Most sitcoms run out of ideas by the fifth season, but Friends
gave itself a refreshing jolt the minute Monica and Chandler
wound up in bed together. Their budding romance was not only the
one of the funniest plot arcs of the series, but one of the most
sentimental, as they planned a wedding, struggled to have a child
and eventually turned to adoption. By seasons seven and onwards,
the characters had each "grown up" from young singletons to
thirtysomethings finding permanence in their careers and love
lives but never losing the laughs.
Friends featured a parade of celebrity guests, but utilised most
of the stars as more than mere cameos: The sextet's parents were
all brilliantly cast, particularly Kathleen Turner as Chandler's
drag-queen her and Teri Garr as Phoebe's dizzy mom. Everyone
from George Clooney to Sean Penn to Julia Roberts to Bruce Willis
has appeared on the sitcom, and Tom Selleck certainly enjoyed a
career resuscitation after his recurring role as Monica's older
man.
Yet, no star power ever penetrated the bond between the six
stars and their unmatchable chemistry worked for ten seasons.
Even though the show is probably repeated somewhere in the world
every day, this boxed set of Friends remains watchable over and
over again -- even if that theme song eventually grates on your
nerves! --Sally Giles