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Friends season 1

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Friends (season 1)
Season 1
Friends season 1 DVD cover
No. of episodes24
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseSeptember 22, 1994 (1994-09-22) –
May 18, 1995 (1995-05-18)
Season chronology
Next →
Season 2
List of episodes

The first season of Friends, an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, premiered on NBC on September 22, 1994. Friends was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television. The season contains 24 episodes and concluded airing on May 18, 1995.

Season synopsis

This season introduces the six main characters: Rachel Green, Monica Geller, Phoebe Buffay, Joey Tribbiani, Chandler Bing and Ross Geller. Rachel, who left her fiancé at the altar on her wedding day, has come to New York and ends up living with Monica. It is established early on in the season that Ross has been in love with Rachel since the two characters attended high school. Several episodes revolve around his attempts to tell her how he feels. Meanwhile, Ross's estranged lesbian ex-wife, Carol, is pregnant with his baby. This puts Ross and Carol's lesbian life partner, Susan, in an awkward position. Due to the loneliness, Ross gets a capucin monkey who he names Marcel.[1] When the baby is born at the end of the season, Ross, Carol, and Susan agree to name him Ben after a name tag on a janitor's uniform worn by Phoebe. The episodic nature of the season sees the characters learning moral lessons about life and having multiple dates, many of which go wrong, yet each episode still ended happily. The recurring character of Janice is introduced as a girlfriend Chandler breaks up with in an early episode but frequently returns to. Ross leaves for a fossil dig in China at the end of the season, but when Chandler lets it slip about Ross's continuing feelings for Rachel on her birthday, she is shocked to find out. She rushes off to the airport to tell him about her feelings, but he has already boarded the plane. The season ends with a cliffhanger in which Rachel goes to greet Ross at the airport after his return, unbeknownst to her that he has a new girlfriend.

Reception

Early reviews of the series were mixed. Tom Feran of The Plain Dealer wrote that the series traded "vaguely and less successfully on the hanging-out style of Seinfeld",[2] while Ann Hodges of the Houston Chronicle called it "the new Seinfeld wannabe, but it will never be as funny as Seinfeld."[3] In the Los Angeles Daily News, Ray Richmond named the series as "one of the brighter comedies of the new season",[4] and the Los Angeles Times called it "flat-out the best comedy series of the new season".[5] Chicago Sun-Times' Ginny Holbert found Joey and Rachel's characteristics to be underdeveloped,[6] while Richmond commended the cast as a "likeable, youth ensemble" with "good chemistry"[4] Robert Bianco of USA Today was complimentary of Schwimmer, calling him "terrific". He also praised the female leads, but was concerned that Perry's role as Chandler was "undefined" and that LeBlanc was "relying too much on the same brain-dead stud routine that was already tired the last two times he tried it".[7] The authors of Friends Like Us: The Unofficial Guide to Friends thought that the cast was "trying just a little too hard", in particular Perry and Schwimmer.[8]

Cast and characters

See also: List of Friends characters
(In particular, Introduced in season 1 or Only in season 1)

Episodes

See also: List of Friends episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
11"The Pilot"[a]James BurrowsDavid Crane & Marta KauffmanSeptember 22, 1994 (1994-09-22)45665021.5[10]
22"The One with the Sonogram at the End"James BurrowsDavid Crane & Marta KauffmanSeptember 29, 1994 (1994-09-29)45665220.2[10]
33"The One with the Thumb"James BurrowsJeffrey Astrof & Mike SikowitzOctober 6, 1994 (1994-10-06)45665119.5[10]
44"The One with George Stephanopoulos"James BurrowsAlexa JungeOctober 13, 1994 (1994-10-13)45665419.7[10]
55"The One with the East German Laundry Detergent"Pamela FrymanJeff Greenstein & Jeff StraussOctober 20, 1994 (1994-10-20)45665318.6[10]
66"The One with the Butt"Arlene SanfordAdam Chase & Ira UngerleiderOctober 27, 1994 (1994-10-27)45665518.2[10]
77"The One with the Blackout"James BurrowsJeffrey Astrof & Mike SikowitzNovember 3, 1994 (1994-11-03)45665623.5[10]
88"The One Where Nana Dies Twice"James BurrowsMarta Kauffman & David CraneNovember 10, 1994 (1994-11-10)45665721.1[10]
99"The One Where Underdog Gets Away"James BurrowsJeff Greenstein & Jeff StraussNovember 17, 1994 (1994-11-17)45665923.1[10]
1010"The One with the Monkey"Peter BonerzAdam Chase & Ira UngerleiderDecember 15, 1994 (1994-12-15)45666119.9[11]
1111"The One with Mrs. Bing"James BurrowsAlexa JungeJanuary 5, 1995 (1995-01-05)45666026.6[11]
1212"The One with the Dozen Lasagnas"Paul LazarusJeffrey Astrof & Mike Sikowitz & Adam Chase & Ira UngerleiderJanuary 12, 1995 (1995-01-12)45665824.0[11]
1313"The One with the Boobies"Alan MyersonAlexa JungeJanuary 19, 1995 (1995-01-19)45666425.8[11]
1414"The One with the Candy Hearts"James BurrowsBill LawrenceFebruary 9, 1995 (1995-02-09)45666723.8[11]
1515"The One with the Stoned Guy"Alan MyersonJeff Greenstein & Jeff StraussFebruary 16, 1995 (1995-02-16)45666324.8[11]
16–1716–17"The One with Two Parts"Michael LembeckMarta Kauffman & David CraneFebruary 23, 1995 (1995-02-23)45666526.1[11]
1818"The One with All the Poker"James BurrowsJeffrey Astrof & Mike SikowitzMarch 2, 1995 (1995-03-02)45666230.4[11]
1919"The One Where the Monkey Gets Away"Peter BonerzJeffrey Astrof & Mike SikowitzMarch 9, 1995 (1995-03-09)45666829.4[12]
2020"The One with the Evil Orthodontist"Peter BonerzDoty AbramsApril 6, 1995 (1995-04-06)45666930.0[12]
2121"The One with the Fake Monica"Gail MancusoAdam Chase & Ira UngerleiderApril 27, 1995 (1995-04-27)45667128.4[12]
2222"The One with the Ick Factor"Robby BensonAlexa JungeMay 4, 1995 (1995-05-04)45667029.9[12]
2323"The One with the Birth"James BurrowsStory: David Crane & Marta Kauffman
Teleplay: Jeff Greenstein & Jeff Strauss		May 11, 1995 (1995-05-11)45667228.7[12]
2424"The One Where Rachel Finds Out"Kevin S. BrightChris BrownMay 18, 1995 (1995-05-18)45667331.3[12]

Awards and Nominations

47th Primetime Emmy Awards

  • Nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series
  • Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (David Schwimmer) (Episode: "The One with the Blackout")
  • Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Lisa Kudrow) (Episode: "The One with the Monkey")
  • Nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (Christina Pickles) (Episode: "The One Where Nana Dies Twice")
  • Nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (James Burrows) (Episode: "The One with the Blackout")
  • Nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (Jeff Greenstein, Jeff Strauss) (Episode: "The One Where Underdog Gets Away")

11th TCA Awards

  • Nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy

Writers Guild of America Awards

  • Nomination for Best Comedy Episode (Jeff Greenstein & Jeff Strauss) (Episode: "The One Where Underdog Gets Away")

Directors Guild of America Awards

  • Nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (James Burrows) (Episode: "The One with the Birth")

Notes

  1. ^ Alternate titles given to the pilot episode are "The One Where Monica Gets a Roommate", "The One Where It All Began" and "The First One".[9]

References

  1. ^ ""Friends" The One with the Monkey". Retrieved November 12, 2012.
  2. ^ Feran, Tom (September 22, 1994). "New Series Softens Dabney Coleman—A Little", The Plain Dealer, Newhouse Newspapers. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
  3. ^ Hodges, Ann (September 22, 1994). "NBC sitcoms make Thursday less funny", Houston Chronicle, Hearst Newspapers. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
  4. ^ a b Richmond, Ray (September 22, 1994). "Season Premiere of Friends Leaves Room to Grow", (Registration required). Los Angeles Daily News, Los Angeles Newspaper Group. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
  5. ^ Rosenberg, Howard (September 22, 1994). "NBC's Strongest Evening of the Week Has Its Weak Spot", (Registration required). Los Angeles Times, Tribune Company. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
  6. ^ Holbert, Ginny (September 22, 1994). "X Marks Spot For Friends On Thursday". (Registration required). Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
  7. ^ Bianco, Robert (September 22, 1994). "Six Friends Sittin' Around, Talking", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  8. ^ Sangster, p. 14
  9. ^ Sangster & Bailey, p. 11.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Nielsen Ratings" (PDF). USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h "Nielsen Ratings" (PDF). USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  12. ^ a b c d e f "Nielsen Ratings" (PDF). USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  • Sangster, Jim; Bailey, David (2000). Friends Like Us: The Unofficial Guide to Friends (Second ed.). London: Virgin Publishing. ISBN 0753504391.
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