BeautifulFriends-ship
took the cast for a celebration dinner in Las Vegas. He had to lend them all cash to play the tables. urrows said: “You knew from the instant we shot the pilot how electrifying the six of them were together. I told the cast, ‘This is your last shot at anonymity’.”
The pilot in September 1994 was watched by 22million Americans. Some critics were sniffy and unconvinced but it was popular with viewers. Six months later, it was on Channel 4.
An indulgent audience did not mind that it was unrealistic. Chef Monica and waitress Rachel lived in a huge apartment in New York’s desirable West Village. But their rent was just $200 a month.
Monica was the only chef, ever, who did not have to work nights, splits or go in early to check deliveries.
Chandler also had a demanding job in finance yet never had to stay late, pull all-nighters or do anything that got in the way of sitting on a velvet sofa.
Before Joey was cast as Dr Drake Ramoray on Days Of Our Lives, he was an unemployed actor living in a delightful neighbourhood without having to wait on tables, mix cocktails, drive a cab or do other grunt work to pay his rent.
All these plot holes, and more, were overlooked because Friends was funny, sassy and aspirational. It was easy viewing, a desirable life broken into 22-minute chunks, where nothing was too dark to joke about.
Even Phoebe’s bleak backstory, including homelessness and suicide, blended seamlessly into Joey’s latest MONICA’S BEST PLATES Monica’s control-freakery is pushed to the limits when Chandler insists they use the fancy china she picked out as their wedding gift. JOEY’S THANKSGIVING PANTS Despite there being only three turkey-eaters at the table, Joey insists on polishing off the whole bird. He changes into a pair of Phoebe’s maternity leggings halfway through. PHOEBE TEACHES CHRISSIE HYNDE SMELLY CAT When the Pretenders frontwoman replaced Phoebe as Central Perk’s resident unplugged performer, she had to learn her signature tune. POKING UGLY NAKED GUY After years of gawping at their neighbour Ugly Naked Guy, the friends freak he out when does not appear to be moving. a They build long prodding device to check if he’s alive. RACHEL AND MONICA AT THE 80s PARTY WITH CHANDLER Flashback to when the girls sprayed their hair solid, went to meet Ross at a party and met Chandler in his Flock of Seagulls phase. dating disaster. All this was delivered by an attractive but not unattainable cast. The women wore cute but accessible clothes. Rachel’s bouncy, choppy layers were admired and copied by women all over the world.
This added up to a sweetly profitable hit for NBC. In season one, all the stars were paid $22,500 per episode.
Before they shot season three, when it was clear the show was a monster hit, the six negotiated their salaries. They came away with $75,000 each.
Each year, the numbers went up. By the final two seasons, they were each making $1million an episode. Aniston, Kudrow and Cox were the highest paid women on TV, ever.
In 2000, they added syndication royalties into their package. That means the six stars get a percentage every time the show is sold to a cable channel, or streaming service.
Its brings them each $20million a year.