Quick Links
There was so much that went on behind the scenes during 'Friends', such as storylines that were never used, like Phoebe using medication, or the show needing to edit the crowd noise when Jennifer Aniston went off script.The show also had a tendency to rewrite lines on the spot. We'll take a look at an instance that saw Lisa Kudrow come up with a unique idea to ensure that one of her lines was good enough for the show.
The Writers On 'Friends' Had A Habit Of Changing Lines If The Jokes Didn't Catch
'Friends' was not shot like a normal television series. The show did things differently, especially when it came to the writing. Matthew Perry loved the approach, as he stated that in some others shows he had worked, you could not dare to touch anything that was in the script.
The late James Michael Tyler revealed alongside Metro that it was an approach the show would typically use, especially if a joke didn't land with the audience.
"Everyone would huddle around a table and you’d have members of the cast, Matthew Perry, who would jump in and join the writers so you could get a better laugh."
"And yes if you didn’t get the right response, because writers laugh at their own jokes, but if it didn’t land they’d huddle and five minutes later have an entirely different joke that landed."
Clearly, the writers were on top of their game during each episode and that's what made the show so great and re-watchable all these years later.
Not only were those behind the scenes highly involved with the rewrites, but it turns out, the cast was just as interested.
Lisa Kudrow Told The Producers To Ask The Audience If They Understood Her Joke
Regarded as one of the most memorable episodes ever, 'The One In Vegas' took place during season 5. It was an iconic episode which of course ended with Ross and Rachel getting hitched, thanks to one too many beverages...
As we saw in a special behind the scenes feature, there is a great deal of work than goes into each episode, and that includes the crowd's reaction to a line.
During this particular line, the writers weren't convinced that the audience full understood Phoebe's joke, given the mild reaction that it got.
"What's the big deal, it's not like a real marriage. When you get married in Vegas you're only married in Vegas."
Once Monica makes it clear that this isn't the case, Phoebe hilariously responds by saying, "OMG... oh well," while walking off. The moment can be seen in the video below at the 26:30 mark.
The producers weren't thrilled with the reaction, and they started to think that it was because the audience didn't get the joke. In addition, they also thought that perhaps the audience thought Phoebe was talking about Ross and Rachel and not herself. Everyone brainstormed ideas on how to improve the scene, including David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston.
Ultimately, it was Lisa Kudrow that made the wise decision to tell the writers to ask the audience if they got the joke.
The scene turned out to be perfect, though you have to love the crew's decision to ask the audience.
What Do 'Friends' Fans Think Of This Tactic?
The behind the scenes video shows just how much work it took to put the show together. From the set design, to audience laughter, to adding the music in during scenes, it was all quite the process backstage.
'Friends' fans agreed, the behind the scenes work from the cast and crew was quite remarkable.
"I had no idea this much work goes into a show. Now I get it when winning an award, the actors thank the whole crew. It is sooo important. It's crazy. Now I appreciate Friends even more, if that's even possible!"
"Shutout and thank you to all the people who weren't known or famous that made this amazing show great. So much respect to these people."
"The script in friends is genius, the same episode can be just as funny after you've watched it 9 times."
Clearly, the fans appreciated the effort and this continues to be the case years after the show wrapped up.