Creators of ‘Hollywood’s favourite show’ adamant sitcom had its time and place in culture, writes
Bethonie Butler
Are you against reboots and reunions in general? Or is there something unique about Friends that would make it hard?
Crane: I really like StarWars and I really like StarTrek, but I really don’t want to see Friends come back that way. I think it depends on what you’re talking about. One of the things that makes it particularly difficult with our show was that it was a multi-camera show in front of an audience. So when people talk about “Oh, there should be a Friends movie,” it totally changes the nature of what the show was. It isn’t in, like, a show like Sex andtheCity, which was much more (filmlike) in its original form.
Kauffman: We used to joke that we were going to do a cartoon called “Friends Babies.”
Crane: There you go, that’s your reboot. On one hand, I was going to say that the actors have all gone on to do really good work and so it’s not like you’re not getting to see them. And as far as if you really want to see Friends, God knows, knock on wood, it’s on TV. It’s also on Netflix. Do you ever hear from people who are watching it for the first time?
Crane: It is shocking how much we don’t remember. We’ll run into people who talk about moments or scenes or stories and I’m like, “I have the vaguest recollection”. We worked hard those 10 years and a lot of stuff is just, I don’t know… Kauffman: Gone. Crane: It is amazing the number of children of friends who are discovering the show for the first time and that’s so exciting. The fact that it feels current and contemporary to them and that they can invest in these characters, stories from like 20 years ago and that there’s still something relatable and aspirational – that part of it is incredibly exciting and gratifying.
Kauffman: And surprising. A few weeks ago, someone posted on Reddit that it was the day Chandler Bing was supposed to call Susie Moss, referring to an episode from 20 years ago ( TheOne AftertheSuperBowlPart2?). Does it surprise you how invested people still are in the show and the characters?
Kauffman: It’s sort of surreal. And truly wonderful. I don’t think we can be any more proud or grateful that the show has retained its fanbase.
Crane: You don’t do the work for that – it was just each week trying to tell a funny story and to invest in these people and the fact that that investment is still here all these years later and, apparently, with this new level of enthusiasm, it’s fantastic.
Kauffman: We used to say at the end of the show – “another one that didn’t suck”.
Crane: And here we are, apparently they didn’t. What do you watch on television now?
Kauffman: I watch drama. I don’t watch a lot of comedy except David’s shows. Watching comedy is like work.
Crane: I’d agree for the most part. I definitely watch Marta’s show. Jeffrey (Klarik) and I watch SiliconValley and Veep, which really make us laugh. On the whole it’s dramas. Do you think a lot has changed about sitcoms, in particular?
Kauffman: When we did Friends, there was a big concern about can you do a show about people that age and have people who aren’t that age watch? No one asked me that question about Graceand Frankie. Now that there’s more of an opportunity to do niche television, you can do the show completely that you want to do.
When we did Friends at first, they wanted an older character and we said no.
Crane: The argument that we made was if you’re telling stories that people can relate to it doesn’t matter how old the characters are. And certainly everyone has been that age and everyone has wanted to have those kinds of friends. What did you learn from Friends that have translated to your later projects?
Kauffman: Everything. We learned so many valuable lessons, some that were very surprising to us.
Dramaturgically, you always hear that you want to see things in the moment, you want to see things happen, you don’t want to talk about things, but with Friends, it was more fun when they talked about it. There were many lessons learned about story, about characters, about working with actors and working with directors. Do either of you have a favourite episode?
Kauffman: That’s like saying, “Do you have a favourite child?”
Crane: This is not a favourite one, but there is certainly a very fond place in my heart for any of the Thanksgiving shows. Somehow everything always came together for those.
And anytime anyone had a baby. The baby shows – it was like, I think we knew, okay, this has got to count, you can’t have some middling C story that might or might not work. I think everyone brought their A-game to those shows. How do you view the show’s legacy now?
Kauffman: That’s a very big word. I think for me personally the greatest part of it is that people still get joy from it. It makes them happy.
It makes them smile, it makes them laugh, it makes them care. And I certainly still get a great deal of joy from the memory of doing it.
Crane: There’s something so digestible about television. You watch it, you enjoy it and you move on. The fact that we’re still here is astonishing.
Kauffman: I also believe that’s because television is a very intimate experience. It’s in your home, you watch it in your PJs and while you’re folding towels. It’s a different experience. I think for that reason those characters and their stories can stay with you. – Washington Post