A Mental Floss Best Book of 2018 A Bustle Book to Know in October An InStyle 10 Books You Won’t Be Able to Put Down This October SIX FRIENDS THAT BECAME A FAMILY. A TELEVISION SHOW THAT BECAME A PHENOMENON. Today, Friends is remembered as an icon of ’90s comedy and the Must See TV years. But when the series debuted in 1994, no one anticipated the sensation it would become. From the first … sensation it would become. From the first wave of Friends mania to the backlash and renaissance that followed, the show maintained an uncanny connection to its audience, who saw it both as a reflection of their own lives and an aspirational escape from reality. In the years since, Friends has evolved from prime-time megahit to nostalgic novelty, and finally, to certified classic. Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe have entered the pantheon of great television characters, and yet their stories remain relevant still.
I’ll Be There for You is a deep dive into Friends history and lore, exploring all aspects of the show, from its unlikely origins to the societal conditions that amplified its success. Journalist and pop culture expert Kelsey Miller relives the show’s most powerful moments, sheds light on its sometimes dated and problematic elements, and examines the worldwide trends that Friends catalyzed, from contemporary coffee culture to the wildly popular ’90s haircut The Rachel. Taking readers behind the scenes, Miller traces the cast’s rise to fame and untangles the complex relationship between the actors and their characters. Weaving in revelatory interviews and personal stories, she investigates the role of celebrity media, world-changing events and the dawning of the digital age–all of which influenced both the series and its viewers.
I’ll Be There for You is the definitive retrospective of Friends, not only for fans of the series, but for anyone who’s ever wondered what it is about this show–and television comedy–that resonates so powerfully.
more
Yes — I am a diehard Friends fan. So, receiving this book as a gift was probably inevitable. I appreciated learning more about the background and trajectory of the show. This book also reinforced the longstanding popularity. As the author quotes from a fan in the book, “It’s like wrapping yourself up in a warm blanket.” There was, and is, something comforting and universal that keeps viewers tuned in.
Ya’ll, I am THOROUGHLY enjoying the audiobook. It’s nostalgic. It takes us to the creation of the book, how the actors and actresses were selected, and so much more. It is such a fun listen and I’m ready to sit down and binge watch all the episodes at one time.
I wish that it had dug deeper into the social issues, and not told me quite so much I already knew
I loved this book! I was skeptical at first because I usually start books like this and just really don’t like them. I couldn’t put it down and learned so much about the show!
Over the course of the book, we get a well-researched look at the sitcom Friends and the impact it has had on the US and the world in the 25 years since it premiered. We learn about how the creators met and came up with the show, the path the actors took before they landed on the show, and some of the bumps and growing pains that everyone experienced during the 10 years the show was on the air. There is also talk about the impact the show has had on fashion, trends, and overall pop culture the world over.
Author Kelsey Miller starts out by talking about her own connection to the show, and at various times in the book she talks about how she gained insight into the show (and vice versa) while talking to her real-life friends about it. As I said, the book is well-researched, but that is part of the problem – it has too much research, rehashing stories we can find elsewhere with little new insights from the cast and crew. I did find her commentary on a few episodes and arcs to be interesting. I had already thought of some of her comments myself, and the rest make perfect sense to me. My biggest issue with the book is the way she works modern social issues into a look at a comedy from 25 years ago. Now, I’m not saying that the issues on the show aren’t worth talking about. This is the only part of the book where she did her any original research, reaching out to people to get reactions to the show’s handing of diversity, etc. However, her experts all seem to be of the opinion that it would be nice if the show had done a better job, but that was TV in the day, and it is a funny comedy that wasn’t trying to push an agenda. It is clear she wasn’t happy these people didn’t agree with her more since she obvious thinks these are major issues in the show. She even spends much of the last chapter talking about the lawsuit a writer’s assistant brought for a hostile work environment and speculating how it would have been handled in the current environment. These complaints aside, I found the book very readable, and when I picked it up, I was hooked. I was even choking up as I read about the taping of the final episodes. This would probably appeal most to die hard Friends fans, but most of the material here they probably already know.
Audiobook.
OH MY GAWD. This is the one of the most well written, intriguing non-fiction books I’ve ever read. If you love Friends, this is a must read. It doesn’t just gush over the show, it discusses it’s relevance and the problems with it. And yet, I’ve come out of this still appreciating the show. I now know and recognize the issues, but still frequently turn to the show for comfort.
I’m so glad I read/listened to this book, especially since Friends will be leaving Netflix before too long and I’ll lose my comfort food.
I laughed and cried through the show and book, because it means that much to me. I’m in the time of my life where my friends should be my family (not the case), but I relate more to the characters struggling through their twenties. I live for the hope that in your late twenties/early thirties is when life comes together and you start to get things together.
For fans of the TV series Friends, this is a must-read behind the scenes look at the cultural phenomenon. Beyond just being informative and entertaining, it takes a thought-provoking dive into cultural and social issues that arise from the 90’s sitcom.
“How you doin?” Not well. Not well at all. Ugh!
I love Friends so I was so excited to be selected to read this (from NetGalley). I wish I hadn’t.
I figured once I got past the very long-winded, self-serving intro about the author by the author (about how she loved Friends, not about her writing qualifications) that I would get some good tidbits and stories that I hadn’t yet heard. Not really. There was nothing new at all. The writing was so dull. Although it was interesting to learn about the history the creators of the show had together, even that went on way too long. It felt like a chore to read (I guess it kind of was).
As I was reading, and getting increasingly more bored and frustrated, my star ratings were decreasing. I figured I’d give her 2 stars just because she had to wade through so many interviews to include in this work (she had no personal interviews unless you count her talking to her friends and family or one person in the biz that had had no actual connection to Friends) but then she just went way off the rails for me. That’s why I had to end this book with a 1-star rating.
You can’t look at a sitcom of 20 years ago with today’s eyes. If you want to write a book about how Friends wouldn’t fly as a sitcom today that’s perfectly fine but don’t tout this book as the “definitve retrospective of Friends.” Title it accordingly such as ‘Why I Think Friends is Offensive Today.’ Either you’re offended by Friends or you like it. It seems to me she’s too wishy-washy to really tell. You really can’t have it both ways.
Miller seemed to be stuck on things like how Carol & Susan were or were not portrayed, Fat Monica, Chandler’s dad, the lack of diversity, and at one point she talked about ‘slut shaming.’ Again, fine if you want to write about those topics but don’t try to make this sound like a memory book about the actual show Friends.
I don’t know what I was expecting but definitely not this. I do not recommend this book as a fun “retrospective” of Friends.