Book Review: Generation Friends: An Inside Look at the Show That Defined a Television Era by Saul Austerlitz
Generation Friends: An Inside Look at the Show That Defined a Television Era by Saul Austerlitz
Publisher: Dutton
Release Date: September 17, 2019
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Friends, published for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the show’s premiere. Howyoudoin’?
In September 1994, six friends sat down in their favorite coffee shop and began bantering about sex, relationships, jobs, and just about everything else. A quarter of a century later, new fans are still finding their way into the lives of Rachel, Ross, Joey, Chandler, Monica, and Phoebe, and thanks to the show’s immensely talented creators, its intimate understanding of its youthful audience, and its reign during network television’s last moment of dominance, Friends has become the most influential and beloved show of its era. Friends has never gone on a break, and this is the story of how it all happened.
Noted pop culture historian Saul Austerlitz utilizes exclusive interviews with creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman, executive producer Kevin Bright, director James Burrows, and many other producers, writers, and cast members to tell the story of Friends’ creation, its remarkable decade-long run, and its astonishing Netflix-fueled afterlife. Readers will go behind the scenes to hear from the people who were present as the show was developed and cast, written and filmed. There will be talk of trivia contests, prom videos, trips to London, Super Bowls, lesbian weddings, wildly popular hairstyles, superstar cameos, mad dashes to the airport, and million-dollar contracts. They’ll also discover surprising details—that Monica and Joey were the show’s original romantic couple, how Danielle Steel probably saved Jennifer Aniston’s career, and why Friends is still so popular that if it was a new show, its over-the-air broadcast reruns would be the ninth-highest-rated program on TV.
The show that defined the 1990s has a legacy that has endured beyond wildest expectations. And in this hilarious, informative, and entertaining book, readers will now understand why.
I’ve been a die-hard Friends fan from day one – which was twenty-five years ago! When I heard about this book, I knew I had to have it. Saul Austerlitz starts from the very beginning – how the creators came up with the concept for the show, the casting process, and the network machinations to get the show on the air. There was quite a bit that I didn’t know.
Instead of moving through the show episode by episode, he covers plotlines – like Ross and Rachel, Monica and Chandler, on so-on. He discusses the writers’ processes and offers some editorializing too. He seems to think none of us liked the Rachel/Joey pairing but I did! I was not a huge fan of Ross and Rachel – mainly because of Ross. But I digress – I could write a whole other post on my feelings about Ross and Rachel.
This is truly a book about the show, not the actors. He does cover their famous all for one, one for all philosophy concerning contract negotiations and other aspects of their professional lives but you won’t find much behind the scenes personal dirt on any of the stars. And that’s the way it should be for this type of book.
I really wish I would have read this book before Friends stopped streaming on Netflix. There are several episodes I want to rewatch. Even though I’ve seen each episode multiple times, Austerlitz managed to include tidbits about some of them that I didn’t notice. I do have all 10 seasons on DVD packed away somewhere around here. Time to dig them out! This book is a must read for Friends fans everywhere.
