Generation Friends: An Inside Look at the Show That Defined a Television Era

Austerlitz, Saul

ISBN 10: 1524743364 / ISBN 13: 9781524743369

Published by Penguin Publishing Group, 2020

Seller Inventory # 1524743364-4-36615019

Synopsis:

Praised by the New Yorker and New York magazine, Saul Austerlitz’s fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Friends, is, according to Newsweek, the “next best thing” to a cast reunion.

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 anyone's wildest expectations. And in this hilarious, informative, and entertaining book, readers will now understand why.

About the Author: Saul Austerlitz is the author of four previous books, including Just a Shot Away and Sitcom. His work has been published by The Boston Globe, The New York Times Magazine, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Slate, and the Los Angeles Times. He is a graduate of Yale and NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, and is an adjunct professor of writing and comedy history at NYU.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Generation Friends: An Inside Look at the ...
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Publication Date: 2020
Binding: paperback
Condition: Fair