FRIENDS: 25 Things You Didn’t Know About the Iconic Series

More than a quarter of a century ago, six friends from New York sat on the couch at Central Perk for the first time and, to the delight of the audience, remained there for another magical decade, forever changing the face of modern pop culture. On this occasion, we present a modest collection of trivia about this cherished sitcom.

1. The first pitch for the series was created in July 1993 and bore the title Insomnia Cafe. Before the pilot aired a little over a year later, other titles were considered, such as Friends Like Us, Six of One, or Once Upon a Time in the West Village. The second of these titles was shortened to avoid association with another series airing at the time on a rival network, These Friends of Mine, which, after the success of Friends, was also renamed—this time to Ellen (after its star, Ellen DeGeneres).

2. The series was shot entirely on 35mm film, in a format close to today’s television standard (16:9). This recording was then transferred to the NTSC system, which reduced the broadcast quality but later allowed the series to be refreshed in HD without compromising the frame composition.

3. Filming for the series began in the summer of 1994 in front of a live audience, who were further entertained between takes by hired comedians. Unlike many other sitcoms, the laughter heard in the background of Friends is a genuine reaction to the jokes, often enhanced by bloopers and other events occurring off-camera. Apart from a few outdoor scenes (London, the funeral) and special moments (naked Rachel fooling around in her apartment, any appearance of Tom Selleck, whose presence amplified the audience’s applause), as well as cliffhangers, where the audience’s emotions were uncontrollable and the laughter track had to be added later, this element remained a strength and hallmark of the series until the very end.

4. Initially, Friends did not have the characteristic naming convention for episodes (The One with/where…). In fact, no titles appeared in the opening credits, so they were introduced later for better organization and as a kind of joke. The only exceptions to this rule are two episodes: the final one (The Last One) and the centennial (The One Hundredth, also known as The One with the Triplets).

5. The opening sequence of each episode was originally meant to consist solely of the characters dancing spontaneously around a fountain. This summer scene was filmed on a chilly, pale dawn at Warner Bros. Studios, but after viewing it, the producers decided it lacked connection with the audience. They opted to mix it with clips from the series. These were updated with each season and sometimes modified for special occasions.

6. The cheerful pop song accompanying the opening sequence, I’ll Be There for You, which is also one of the series’ taglines, is heavily inspired by the work of The Beatles, especially two hits: I Feel Fine (from which the guitar riff was borrowed) and Paperback Writer. The creators were also influenced by Pleasant Valley Sunday by The Monkees. Interestingly, the original theme song for Friends was supposed to be Shiny Happy People by R.E.M., which later appeared in one of the episodes and was included on the official soundtrack.

7. The friends’ meeting place was initially supposed to be entirely different. NBC executives were skeptical about centering the action around the then-unpopular coffeehouses like Central Perk and wanted the setting to be a traditional American diner. Fortunately, this idea didn’t take off, and Central Perk significantly boosted the popularity of similar spots, inspiring numerous ventures modeled after the series. The name was even officially registered by an Iranian businessman, who opened a chain of restaurants under this brand in as many as 32 countries. The original Central Perk is now one of the most popular tourist attractions at Warner Bros. Studios, and a miniature version is set to be released as a LEGO set soon.

8. Although the series is inseparably tied to New York, not a single scene involving the cast was filmed in the city.

9. Friends was greenlit for an eleventh season by the producers. However, both the creators and the cast unanimously rejected the idea, arguing that extending the series would only tarnish the positive impression and reception of the final season. For similar reasons, the much-rumored movie was never made, as all six friends never agreed to participate.

10. All the Friends characters are named after characters from another popular U.S. soap opera, All My Children (aired from 1970 to 2013). Ross and Chandler reference Ross Chandler, Joey comes from Joey Martin, Phoebe is a nod to Phoebe Tyler Wallingford, and Monica derives from Monique Cortland. Meanwhile, Rachel Green corresponds to Janet Green.

11. If you didn’t notice: Ross’s wife, Carol, looks completely different in her first episode (the second chronologically) than in later ones. She is played by Anita Barone, who later took a more lucrative role in The Jeff Foxworthy Show. She was replaced by Jane Sibbett.

12. Rachel’s self-help book in episode 43, Be Your Own Wind-keeper, was created specifically for the series and is credited to Jennifer Milmore. Milmore is an actress who briefly appeared in two episodes of the third season and the wife of one of the show’s writers.

13. In one episode, it is revealed that Phoebe has a twin sister, Ursula. From then on, Lisa Kudrow occasionally had to act opposite herself in some scenes. This idea stemmed from the fact that Kudrow had previously played a minor character in another sitcom, Mad About You. Both shows aired around the same time and were set in New York, so the creators decided to justify Kudrow’s double presence to viewers.

14. Joey and Chandler’s favorite show is Baywatch, and their crush is one of its stars, Yasmine Bleeth. Bleeth and Matthew Perry, who played Chandler, were briefly a couple during this period.

15. During the series’ filming, Matthew Perry struggled with drug addiction to the extent that he later admitted to barely remembering filming certain seasons. He also battled alcohol and health issues, which is why Chandler’s weight fluctuates drastically in the middle seasons.

16. One of the most distinctive elements of the series’ set is the gold frame around the peephole on Monica’s apartment door. This was originally a mirror, accidentally broken by a crew member, and it stayed that way.

17. In the episode The One Where Joey Speaks French, the character struggles with the language. In reality, Matt LeBlanc speaks fluent French. In contrast, Lisa Kudrow, who pretends to speak perfect French and, on another occasion, Italian, does not know either language. Similarly, Jennifer Aniston’s Rachel struggled as a waitress, despite Aniston having real-life experience in the role.

18. If you didn’t notice: in the early episodes, the friends’ apartments are numbered 4 and 5, which later magically change to 19 and 20, even though there was no move. The creators realized that the original numbering placed the apartments on the ground floor, making it impossible for the characters to spy on the Ugly Naked Guy.

19. The final episode of the series drew 52.5 million viewers, making it the fifth most-watched finale in U.S. television history. Only the finales of Seinfeld, The Fugitive, Cheers, and the unbeatable MASH* garnered higher viewership. However, the earlier episode The One After the Superbowl attracted even more viewers—52.9 million—though it was split into two parts.

20. According to IMDb ratings, the best episode of Friends is The One Where Everybody Finds Out, with an average score of 9.7 out of 10. The lowest-rated episode is The One with the Invitations, with an average of 7.3.

21. The salary of each of the friends during the first season was a mere twenty-two and a half thousand dollars per episode (for which the financially struggling Matt LeBlanc immediately bought himself food, while Courteney Cox bought… a Porsche). In the second season, this amount doubled. In the following seasons, the actors managed to negotiate salaries of $75,000, $85,000, $100,000, $125,000, and $750,000 per episode, eventually reaching a flat $1 million per episode for the final two seasons, plus royalties. This made the Friends cast the highest-paid ensemble in the history of cable television.

22. Although the creators initially had very limited funds (which is why The One Where No One’s Ready does not go beyond the four walls of Monica’s apartment), as the popularity of Friends grew, so did its budget. In the later seasons, the budget soared to an impressive $10 million per episode. Even years later, Friends remains among the most expensive series in television history. At the same time, with an annual revenue exceeding $1 billion in profits, it is also one of the most lucrative series of all time.

23. Speaking of money… As everyone knows, Joey was happy to borrow from his best friend, Chandler. By the end of the ten years, he had accumulated a debt of nearly $120,000 (not including interest). No wonder he could afford gold bracelets with personalized inscriptions.

24. James Michael Tyler, aka Gunther, is the most frequently appearing character on screen aside from the six friends. He is seen in over one hundred episodes. To think that until the second season, Gunther had neither a name nor any speaking lines, and Tyler himself got the role only because he had previously worked in a coffee shop and was the only extra who knew how to operate a cappuccino machine…

25. 236 episodes—24 per season (except for the final season, which consists of 18 episodes). Each episode averages 22 minutes, which adds up to 88 hours of viewing (or 5,280 minutes of enjoyment). Over 10 years, the series earned 63 Emmy nominations and won one Golden Globe—for Jennifer Aniston. These are the numbers that define Friends.