Once Friends went off the air in 2004, the cast began raking in syndication income. It’s significant. Twenty-million dollars per year, per cast member, is nothing to laugh at.
Honestly, though, Warner Bros. is the real winner. The show generates $1 billion per year for the studio. Contributing to those profits was Netflix’s $100 million licensing agreement that expired at the beginning of 2020. So next time you wonder why you can’t watch Friends on Netflix anymore, you’ll know. $100 million is a steep price tag!
The Controversy that Never Happened
NBC was bracing for a storm of hate mail following the one where Ross’ ex, Carol, tied the knot with Susan in the second season. It was the first gay ladies’ marriage presented on TV and the show’s execs expected the worst. That anxiety has been cited as the reason for not portraying the nuptial kiss. The network was prepared. They had over 100 operators manning the phones. Expecting an onslaught of calls, perhaps a million, they were very surprised. Executive producer Marta Kauffman told The Hollywood Reporter, “They got two.” Two calls. No one cared.
To be sure, concerns were not unfounded. Two local TV networks refused to air the episode. That would be, KJAC in Fort Arthur, Texas and WLIO in Lima, Ohio. Carol and Susan’s marriage was nearly the first gay marriage on TV. Earlier that season, Roseanne featured a gay marriage between two men.
No One Wanted Joey and Rachel Together
A 2018 book about the sitcom reveals that no one on the cast wanted the Joey/Rachel thing to happen. Kelsey Miller’s book, I’ll Be There for You: The One About Friends points out that Aniston did not like the script, saying chemistry beyond physical attraction would flounder. She also said the show has always been all about Ross and Rachel. A relationship between the other two would have been unwatchable after a while, the book argues.
Aniston told Elle how she felt about the Joey-Rachel twist: “No! No, no. They tried!” Explaining, that if there was post friends afterworld, Joey and Rachel would have never made it. Aniston wasn’t the only one strongly against it. LeBlanc was the cast member who most staunchly rejected the idea. He hated it. He said it was not like Joey’s character to take his friend’s girl.
The Story Behind the Framed Peephole
The set designer who is the mastermind behind the wall color in Monica’s apartment is also responsible for inventing the peephole frame. The playful purple interior practically defines the iconic Friends’ chill pad. Designer John Schaffner said, “Color is really important in terms of establishing the show identity.” Adding, “When you switched to Friends, you saw that it was purple, and you stayed tuned.” You’ve seen his work on The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men as well.
But the frame on the door happened very much by chance. Schaffner and decorator Greg Grande had to solve the problem of a boring front door. It was Greg who found the yellow frame at a craft fair, thinking it would make a nice side table piece, but the glass broke! So, Grande tried placing it over the peephole. Everybody definitely loved it.
David Schwimmer’s a Director?
Yes! Schwimmer directed 10 episodes of Friends. Pictured above, he is going over jokes with the show’s writers, deliberating upon a certain scene. He was like Friends’ golden boy. “Ross” was the very first character the producer’s cast, and (little-known fact) the show was actually anchored around Schwimmer’s portrayal of the paleontologist professor with the snazzy apartment. Plus, he got paid most to start. They developed Ross with Schwimmer in mind. Good thing he took the part!
Ironically, Schwimmer had just about given up on television work when the role came along. He didn’t even audition, the creators requested he star. Obviously, they had him in mind all along! But, at the time, he was busy working on his stage career with a Chicago theatre company. Thankfully, he could not turn the part down. “It was hugely flattering, and I thought, ‘Well, it’s quite disrespectful with all this talent asking to meet and consider it. I’d be an idiot not to go.’”