I love Friends — I specifically remember that the first episode I watched was Chandler & Monica’s wedding, which the internet tells me was in 2001. So I came to it late but thanks to endless reruns on TBS, and then the purchase of the box set, and now the wonder of Netflix, I’ve seen every episode over and over and over. You probably don’t need to be a superfan to enjoy this oral history of the show, but superfans will definitely get a lot out of it.
In the same style as Seinfeldia or those awesome oral histories Vanity Fair does, Miller combines interviews with just about every person ever involved with the show (the actors, producers, writers, network execs) and her own research to give us a fully-formed views of Friends, from start to finish. Beyond that, really — she starts with David Crane and Marta Kauffman’s failed attempts to get a sitcom off the ground and ends with the impact Friends continues to have on the world, 15 years (FIFTEEN YEARS Y’ALL) after its finale.
A lot of this book is really fun — so much trivia, so much behind-the-scenes knowledge. Miller talks about how the cast banded together for equal pay, and became a true ensemble by refusing to let any one person stand ahead or behind the rest. This led to some massive paydays, but it also really bonded them as a group — a bond that shines through on every page. Miller does not gloss over the problematic parts of Friends, either — the lack of diversity, the treatment of Chandler’s father (a trans woman), various homophobic remarks that pop up in episodes you remember loving but can’t help but to cringe at now. She interviews people who felt thrilled to see a lesbian couple on TV, and others who feel they can’t look past the tasteless jokes.
There’s no doubt that the show was insanely influential, and remains so to this day. I literally have Friends coasters on my desk right now. The guest stars, the jokes, the Rachel — it’s a part of our pop culture and this book is a wonderful homage to it.