This page will contain wikis about sports illustrated, as they become available.Sports IllustratedJuly 1999 cover showing soccer star Brandi ChastainSports Illustrated is a popular weekly American sports magazine owned by media giant Time Warner. It has over 3 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men, 19% of the adult males in the country. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twice. Its "swimsuit issue," which has been published since 1964, is now an annual publishing event that generates its own television shows, videos and calendars. HistoryTwo other magazines named Sports Illustrated were actually started in the 1930s and 1940s, but they both quickly failed. In fact, there was no large-base, general sports magazine with a national following when TIME patriarch Henry Luce began considering whether his company should attempt to fill the gap. At the time, many believed sports was beneath the attention of serious journalism and didn't think sports news could fill a weekly magazine, especially during the winter. A number of advisers to Luce, including Life Magazine's Ernest Havemann, tried to kill the idea, but Luce, who was not a sports fan, decided the time was right. (MacCambridge, 1997, pp. 17-25). After unsuccessfully offering $200,000 to buy the name Sport for the new magazine, they acquired the rights to the name Sports Illustrated instead for just $10,000. The goal of the new magazine was to be "not A sports magazine, but THE sports magazine." Launched on August 16, 1954, it was not profitable and not particularly well run at first, but Luce's timing could not have been better. The popularity of spectator sports in the United States was about to explode, and that popularity came to be driven largely by three things:
The early issues of the magazine seemed caught between two opposing views of its audience. Much of the subject matter was directed at upper class activities (yachting, polo, and even safaris), but upscale would-be advertisers were unconvinced that sports fans were a significant part of their market. (MacCambridge, 1997, pp. 6, 27, 42). InnovationsFrom the start, however, SI did introduce a number of innovations that are generally taken for granted today:
In 1956, Luce asked Time, Inc. senior European Correspondent André Laguerre to come to New York and help define the magazine's character. Many of the staff had serious doubts that the English-born Frenchman could possibly know anything about American sports, but Laguerre won them over, and during his term as Managing Editor (1960 - 1974), SI became a model for other middle-class American magazines. Its writers developed their own characteristic style by daring to tell people what was important. Many would say that the magazine legitimized sports -- and being a sports fan -- for a huge segment of the American population. The steady creation of landmark stories (e.g., "The Black Athlete - A Shameful Story" by Jack Olsen and "Paper Lion" by George Plimpton) showed that sports fans could be readers, and a generation of sportswriters patterned their own writing after what they read in SI. (MacCambridge, 1997, pp. 5-8, 160). Color PrintingThe magazine's photographers also made their mark with innovations like putting cameras in the goal at a hockey game and behind a glass backboard at a basketball game. In 1965, offset printing began to allow the color pages of the magazine to be printed overnight, not only producing crisper and brighter images, but also finally enabling the editors to merge the best color with the latest news. By 1967, the magazine was printing 200 pages of "fast color" a year; in 1983, SI became the first American full-color newsweekly. An intense rivalry developed between photographers, particularly Walter Iooss and Neil Leifer, to get a decisive cover shot that would be on newsstands and in mailboxes only a few days later. (MacCambridge, 1997, pp. 108-111, 139-141, 149-151, 236). In the late 1970s and early 1980s, during Gil Rogin's term as Managing Editor, the feature stories of Frank Deford became the magazine's anchor. "Bonus pieces" on Pete Rozelle, Bear Bryant, Howard Cosell and others became some of the most quoted sources about these figures, and Deford established a reputation as one of the best writers of the time. (MacCambridge, 1997, pp. 236-238). Creative DeclineAfter the death of Henry Luce in 1967, the creative freedom that the staff had enjoyed seemed to diminish. By the 1980s and 1990s, the magazine had become more profitable than ever, but many also believed it had become more predictable. Mark Mulvoy was the first top editor whose background contained nothing but sports; he had grown up as one of the magazine's readers, but he had no interest in fiction, movies, hobbies or history. Mulvoy's top writer Rick Reilly had also been raised on SI and followed in the footsteps of many of the great writers that he grew up admiring, but many felt that the magazine as a whole came to reflect Mulvoy's complete lack of sophistication. Critics said that it rarely broke (or even featured) stories on the major controversies in sports (drugs, violence, commercialism) any more, and that it focused on major sports and celebrities to the exclusion of other topics. The proliferation of "commemorative issues" and crass subscription incentives seemed to some like an exchange of journalistic integrity for commercial opportunism. More importantly, perhaps, many feel that 24-hour-a-day cable sports television networks and sports news web sites have forever diminished the role a weekly publication can play in today's world, and that it is unlikely any magazine will ever again achieve the level of prominence that SI once had. (MacCambridge, 1997, pp. 8-9, 268-273, 354-358, 394-398, 402-405). Sportsman of the YearSince its inception, Sports Illustrated has annually presented the "Sportsman of the Year" award. The Cover JinxDecember, 1970 Sports Illustrated cover showing Texas Longhorn fullback Steve "Woo-Woo" WorsterWhen Major League Baseball player Eddie Mathews, pictured on the cover of Volume 1, Issue 1, suffered a hand injury a week later that forced him to miss seven games, the "Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx" -- a.k.a. "The Dreaded SI Cover Jinx" -- was born, as some noted that bad things seemed to happen to people soon after they appeared on the magazine's cover. Other notable cover coincidences include:
While the list of "examples" of the jinx is extensive, an individual record 49 cover appearances by Michael Jordan and team record 61 covers by the New York Yankees have not hindered their success. Writers
SpinoffsSports Illustrated has helped launched a number of related publishing ventures, including:
References
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Sports Illustrated has helped launched a number of related publishing ventures, including:. Among the controversies where:. While the list of "examples" of the jinx is extensive, an individual record 49 cover appearances by Michael Jordan and team record 61 covers by the New York Yankees have not hindered their success. The television series prompted some criticism from cultural commentators on both the political left and right. Other notable cover coincidences include:. It includes the voices of characters Janice, Gunther and Jack & Judy Geller as hosts. "The Dreaded SI Cover Jinx" -- was born, as some noted that bad things seemed to happen to people soon after they appeared on the magazine's cover. A new PS2, PC and Xbox game called "Friends: The One with All the Trivia" was released simultaneously with the Season 10 box set. When Major League Baseball player Eddie Mathews, pictured on the cover of Volume 1, Issue 1, suffered a hand injury a week later that forced him to miss seven games, the "Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx" -- a.k.a. The trivia includes questions from all ten seasons. Since its inception, Sports Illustrated has annually presented the "Sportsman of the Year" award. Recently, a Scene It version of Friends was released with actual show clips, trivia questions and other puzzles on screen. 8-9, 268-273, 354-358, 394-398, 402-405). There have been two version of a board game relased, one being a carboard box version with fewer question and the other a die cast collector editon with more questions. (MacCambridge, 1997, pp. The trivia book spans seasons 1-8. More importantly, perhaps, many feel that 24-hour-a-day cable sports television networks and sports news web sites have forever diminished the role a weekly publication can play in today's world, and that it is unlikely any magazine will ever again achieve the level of prominence that SI once had. A few trivia games have been released over the years as well as a trivia book. The proliferation of "commemorative issues" and crass subscription incentives seemed to some like an exchange of journalistic integrity for commercial opportunism. But the rumours continued after that, with Kathleen Turner claiming that NBC bosses approached her about reprising her role as Chandler's father within the sitcom: [6]. Critics said that it rarely broke (or even featured) stories on the major controversies in sports (drugs, violence, commercialism) any more, and that it focused on major sports and celebrities to the exclusion of other topics. [5]. Mulvoy's top writer Rick Reilly had also been raised on SI and followed in the footsteps of many of the great writers that he grew up admiring, but many felt that the magazine as a whole came to reflect Mulvoy's complete lack of sophistication. An NBC spokesperson later indicated that these rumours were untrue. Mark Mulvoy was the first top editor whose background contained nothing but sports; he had grown up as one of the magazine's readers, but he had no interest in fiction, movies, hobbies or history. [3] [4]. By the 1980s and 1990s, the magazine had become more profitable than ever, but many also believed it had become more predictable. The cast were apparently receiving $5 million per cast member for their participation in the specials, which were rumoured to air some time in 2007. After the death of Henry Luce in 1967, the creative freedom that the staff had enjoyed seemed to diminish. In January 2006, NBC was reported to have announced that the six stars of Friends, including Jennifer Aniston, would reunite to make four "double episode" special editions of the series. 236-238). Ratings by country for the finale:. (MacCambridge, 1997, pp. During the 2001–2002 season, Friends was the highest rated show in America according to the Nielsen Ratings. "Bonus pieces" on Pete Rozelle, Bear Bryant, Howard Cosell and others became some of the most quoted sources about these figures, and Deford established a reputation as one of the best writers of the time. However, it did not surpass the ratings received by series finales for M*A*S*H (106m), Cheers (80.4m) or Seinfeld (76.3m), nor was it the most watched episode of Friends—that accolade remains with the season two episode The One After the Superbowl, which aired on January 28, 1996 and drew 52.9m viewers. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, during Gil Rogin's term as Managing Editor, the feature stories of Frank Deford became the magazine's anchor. The 66-minute series finale was named by Entertainment Tonight as the biggest US TV moment of the year 2004, and was the second highest rated show in 2004 beaten only by the Super Bowl. 108-111, 139-141, 149-151, 236). The episode ends with Chandler and Monica moving out of their apartment, and everyone going for one last coffee at Central Perk. (MacCambridge, 1997, pp. As the message ends, she arrives at Ross' apartment, and they kiss. An intense rivalry developed between photographers, particularly Walter Iooss and Neil Leifer, to get a decisive cover shot that would be on newsstands and in mailboxes only a few days later. Ross gets back to his apartment and finds a message from Rachel on his answering machine, telling him she does still love him and is trying to get off the plane. By 1967, the magazine was printing 200 pages of "fast color" a year; in 1983, SI became the first American full-color newsweekly. However, she rejects him. In 1965, offset printing began to allow the color pages of the magazine to be printed overnight, not only producing crisper and brighter images, but also finally enabling the editors to merge the best color with the latest news. In the final episode, Ross realizes he still loves Rachel, and after she leaves for Paris, he goes after her. The magazine's photographers also made their mark with innovations like putting cameras in the goal at a hockey game and behind a glass backboard at a basketball game. They then sleep together. 5-8, 160). He is upset about this until Rachel tells him it was too hard to say goodbye to him. (MacCambridge, 1997, pp. The group holds a going-away party for her and she says goodbye to each of them in turn, except Ross. The steady creation of landmark stories (e.g., "The Black Athlete - A Shameful Story" by Jack Olsen and "Paper Lion" by George Plimpton) showed that sports fans could be readers, and a generation of sportswriters patterned their own writing after what they read in SI. Rachel accepts a job in Paris. Many would say that the magazine legitimized sports -- and being a sports fan -- for a huge segment of the American population. Erica gives birth to twins, a boy and a girl, who are named Jack (after Monica's dad) and Erica (after Erica). Its writers developed their own characteristic style by daring to tell people what was important. Chandler and Monica apply to adopt the baby of a pregnant woman named Erica and also decide to move out of their apartment into a house in the suburbs. Many of the staff had serious doubts that the English-born Frenchman could possibly know anything about American sports, but Laguerre won them over, and during his term as Managing Editor (1960 - 1974), SI became a model for other middle-class American magazines. Mike and Phoebe get married, and decide to have a baby. senior European Correspondent André Laguerre to come to New York and help define the magazine's character. Joey and Rachel's relationship doesn't last and Charlie goes back to an old boyfriend. In 1956, Luce asked Time, Inc. He kisses Rachel. From the start, however, SI did introduce a number of innovations that are generally taken for granted today:. However, when Joey sees Charlie and Ross kissing he changes his mind. 6, 27, 42). Joey learns Rachel likes him, but refuses her advances. (MacCambridge, 1997, pp. Joey and Charlie break up. Much of the subject matter was directed at upper class activities (yachting, polo, and even safaris), but upscale would-be advertisers were unconvinced that sports fans were a significant part of their market. Mike comes to Barbados and gets engaged to Phoebe. The early issues of the magazine seemed caught between two opposing views of its audience. Monica learns David is planning on proposing to Phoebe, and calls Mike to tell him to get back together with her. The popularity of spectator sports in the United States was about to explode, and that popularity came to be driven largely by three things:. Phoebe takes her boyfriend David (whom she first met in the first season) and Joey takes his girlfriend Charlie. The goal of the new magazine was to be "not A sports magazine, but THE sports magazine." Launched on August 16, 1954, it was not profitable and not particularly well run at first, but Luce's timing could not have been better. The group goes to Barbados. After unsuccessfully offering $200,000 to buy the name Sport for the new magazine, they acquired the rights to the name Sports Illustrated instead for just $10,000. Rachel begins to develop feelings for Joey. 17-25). They move in together, but when he tells Phoebe he doesn't want to get married they break up. (MacCambridge, 1997, pp. Phoebe starts dating Mike Hanigan. A number of advisers to Luce, including Life Magazine's Ernest Havemann, tried to kill the idea, but Luce, who was not a sports fan, decided the time was right. Chandler and Monica cannot conceive a baby, so decide to adopt. At the time, many believed sports was beneath the attention of serious journalism and didn't think sports news could fill a weekly magazine, especially during the winter. When a female associate comes on to him, he quits and starts a new job in advertising. In fact, there was no large-base, general sports magazine with a national following when TIME patriarch Henry Luce began considering whether his company should attempt to fill the gap. He puts up with this for a while, but when he finds himself working in Tulsa over Christmas. Two other magazines named Sports Illustrated were actually started in the 1930s and 1940s, but they both quickly failed. Chandler's job requires him to be in Tulsa. . Rachel decides to move back in with Joey and takes Emma with her. Its "swimsuit issue," which has been published since 1964, is now an annual publishing event that generates its own television shows, videos and calendars. Rachel finds out that Joey wasn't proposing to her, and neither was Ross. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twice. Monica and Chandler decide to have a baby. It has over 3 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men, 19% of the adult males in the country. Rachel, seeing Joey on one knee with an engagement ring, thinks that he's proposing to her, and says "yes". Sports Illustrated is a popular weekly American sports magazine owned by media giant Time Warner. He bends down to pick it up. Michael MacCambridge, 1997, The Franchise: A History of Sports Illustrated Magazine, Hyperion Press ISBN 0786862165. After Rachel gives birth to their daughter, Emma, Joey finds the engagement ring. Ceased publication in December 2005 because of a weak advertising climate. Ross keeps the ring in his coat pocket, even though he doesn't want to propose to Rachel. Circulation of one million readers between the ages of 18 and 24. Rachel goes into labor, and while she's in the hospital Ross's mother approaches him with a ring to give to Rachel. Distributed free on 72 college campuses through a network of college newspapers. Joey later reveals his feelings to Rachel, who politely rejects him. Dedicated to college athletics and the sports interests of college students. Feeling that Ross is missing out on his fatherly duties, Joey reluctantly suggests that Rachel move in with Ross, and she does so. Launched on September 4, 2003. As Rachel and Joey continue living together, Joey starts to develop feelings for her. Sports Illustrated on Campus magazine
Launched in March 2000. Rachel confirms she is pregnant and Ross is the father. Sports Illustrated Women magazine (highest circulation 400,000)
SI.com sports news web site
Won the "Parents' Choice Magazine Award" 7 times. They later break up. Won the "Distinguished Achievement for Excellence in Educational Publishing" award 11 times. Rachel gets a promotion in Ralph Lauren and hires an assistant, Tag, whom she begins dating. Launched in January 1989. Monica and Chandler begin planning their wedding. Sports Illustrated for Kids magazine (circulation 950,000)
Steve Rushin. They eventually swap, so Rachel lives with Joey instead. Ed Hinton (1995-2000). Rachel moves in with Chandler and Monica, Phoebe moves in with Joey. Paul Zimmerman. A fire wrecks Phoebe and Rachel's apartment. Tom Verducci. Out of a job and desperate for money, Joey gets a job at Central Perk and tries out other acting gigs until he lands a permanent (but short-lived) role as the main star of Mac and Cheese. Gary Van Sickle. When Janine reveals she doesn't like Chandler and Monica, Joey breaks up with her. Phil Taylor. Joey gets a female roommate, Janine, and they start dating. Rick Reilly. Chandler and Monica move in together, and Rachel moves in with Phoebe. Arash Markazi. Ross gets a new job teaching paleontology at New York University, and dates Rachel's sister and one of his students. Peter King. Rachel finds out and forces Ross to go ahead with the annulment, but they are ineligible for one and file for divorce. Gary Smith. After finding out that they are now married, Ross and Rachel agree to get an annulment, but Ross doesn't want to have been divorced three times and lies to Rachel, telling her he has had the marriage annulled when he actually hasn't. Frank Deford. Ross and Rachel get drunk and they get married. Marty Burns. Everyone goes to Vegas to see him. March 6, 2005 - The University of Illinois men's basketball team was 29-0 the day of their appearance, losing their final regular season game to Ohio State University. Joey gets the lead in a movie, but travels to Las Vegas to find production has shut down. June 5, 1995 - Three days after his appearance, San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Williams, the National League leader in home runs, batting average and RBIs, fouled a pitch off his right foot, breaking it, and forcing him to miss 2 1/2 months. Rachel starts a new job at Ralph Lauren. September 4, 1989 - Not his picture, but Major League Baseball Commissioner Bart Giamatti's words about Pete Rose appeared on the cover the week Giamatti died of a heart attack. Eventually everybody finds out, and they're all happy about it. December 14, 1970 - The University of Texas, 10-0 and enjoying a 30-game winning streak, fumbled nine times in its next game, a 24-11 loss to Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl. Chandler and Monica continue an intimate relationship in secret. February 13, 1961 - Laurence Owen was billed as "America's Most Exciting Girl Skater." Two days after the cover date, Owen and the rest of the United States figure skating team perished in a plane crash. She tries to keep one after becoming attached to them, but finds out that Frank and Alice are unwilling to give up a child. May 26, 1958 - SI's 1958 Indianapolis 500 preview issue featured Pat O'Connor, who was killed in a 15-car pileup during the first lap of the race. Phoebe gives birth to triplets. Notre Dame had also been the last team to defeat Oklahoma before the streak began, in 1953. Ross moves into Ugly Naked Guy's apartment when he leaves. The cover carried the headline "Why Oklahoma is unbeatable." In their very next game, Oklahoma lost to the University of Notre Dame, which was in the middle of a down period. Ross agrees, but Emily continues to make unreasonable demands and they divorce. November 18, 1957 -- The University of Oklahoma had won 47 consecutive games, which remains the longest winning streak in the history of college football. The group goes back to New York where Emily calls Ross and tells him that she will only stay married if he promises he will never see Rachel again. January 31, 1955 - The week that an issue featuring her was on the stands, skier Jill Kinmont struck a tree during a practice run and was paralyzed from the neck down. Ross and Emily's wedding continues despite Ross' faux pas and they are married, but Emily disappears at the reception. In-depth sports reporting from writers like Robert Creamer, Tex Maule and Dan Jenkins. The wedding goes ahead, but comes to an abrupt halt when Ross says "I take thee, Rachel" instead of "I take thee, Emily". Scouting reports - including a World Series Preview and New Year's Day bowl game roundup that enhanced the viewing of games on television. When she gets there, she sees him with Emily and decides it wouldn't be right to ruin the wedding. Liberal use of color photos - though the six-week lead time initially meant they were unable to depict timely subject matter. Rachel realizes she still loves Ross and goes to London to tell him. Sports Illustrated. Chandler comforts her and they end up sleeping together. television, and. At the wedding rehearsal dinner, Monica becomes depressed because she's not married. economic prosperity. The group travels to London for the wedding, except Phoebe, who is in her last trimester, and Rachel, who doesn't want to see Ross get married. Ross dates a British woman, Emily, and they become engaged. The girls hate their new apartment, so Joey and Chandler agree to switch apartments when Monica and Rachel make out. Monica and Rachel switch apartments with Joey and Chandler after losing a bet. She does sleep with him, and they break up. Chandler suspects that Kathy is sleeping with a fellow cast member after watching one of her plays. Joey is angry, but forgives Chandler when he sees that Chandler and Kathy love each other. Joey and Kathy break up after Kathy kisses Chandler. Joey begins dating Kathy, but Chandler likes her too. She becomes pregnant with triplets. Phoebe agrees to be a surrogate mother for her half brother Frank and his wife Alice. Phoebe tells her twin sister Ursula, who knew all along. Phoebe learns the older Phoebe is her real mother. However, when Ross insists that they were on a break, they break up again. Ross decides to get back together with Rachel, and breaks up with Bonnie. Ross must decide between Rachel and Bonnie. Ross and Rachel argue about this and start to feel like they still love each other. Rachel is unhappy and persuades Bonnie to shave her head so Ross will be less attracted to her. Rachel becomes upset when Ross starts dating Bonnie, who unexpectedly comes to the beach. She invites the group to go with her to the beach. Phoebe finds a woman who knew her parents. Joey's acting career continues to fail. Joey and Chandler buy a chick and a duck as pets. He tries to resume his relationship with Rachel without telling her, but she finds out and they break up. Feeling depressed, he sleeps with another woman. After hearing a phone call between Rachel and her boss, he assumes Rachel is dating him. Tension between Ross and Rachel culminates on their anniversary, and Rachel suggests they take a break. Ross becomes convinced her new boss wants to date her, and becomes increasingly jealous. Rachel quits her job at Central Perk for a job at Bloomingdale's. Monica dates Richard Burke, a friend of her parents who is significantly older than her, but break up when Richard tells her he doesn't want to have children. Phoebe finds she has a half brother called Frank and they start building a relationship. With no income Joey moves back into Chandler's apartment and Eddie leaves. When Joey states in an interview that he writes his own lines, the show's writers kill off his character. Left on his own, Chandler gets a new roommate, Eddie, who is insane. Drake Ramoray on the soap Days of our Lives, and earns enough money to move into his own apartment. Joey gets an acting job as Dr. They later get back together when Rachel sees how sincere Ross is. Unfortunately, Rachel discovers this list, becomes angry, and rejects Ross. He decides he loves Rachel, and breaks up with Julie. Ross is unable to choose between Rachel and Julie and decides to make a list of the advantages and disadvantages of both women. He and Rachel kiss. Ross hears the message and becomes confused over his own feelings. While drunk, Rachel leaves a message on Ross's answer machine saying she is over him. Unaware that Rachel likes him, Ross starts a relationship with Julie, whom he met in China. Rachel decides she would like to start a romantic relationship with Ross, and goes to meet him at the airport when he returns from China, unaware that he is getting off the plane with another woman.. While he is gone, Chandler accidentally reveals to Rachel that Ross is in love with her. On Rachel's birthday, Ross leaves for a paleontological trip to China. Throughout the season he fails to make his feelings known to her, and eventually Chandler and Joey persuade him to move on. Ross reveals he had a crush on Rachel in high school (unbeknownst to Rachel), and he still has feelings for her. and she gives birth to a boy, named Ben, who is subsequently raised by Carol and her partner, Susan. Ross discovers his ex-wife Carol is pregnant. She moves in with Monica, gets a job as a waitress at Central Perk, and struggles to work for a living, having previously lived a rich life. Monica's old school friend, Rachel, enters Central Perk wearing a wedding dress, having just run away from her wedding to Barry Farber. Monica, Phoebe and Ross all live alone, while Chandler and Joey live together. Phoebe, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Ross meet up in Central Perk shortly after Ross's wife Carol realizes she is a lesbian and divorces him. However, NBC has not yet confirmed this rumour, but has said that "Negotiations on future projects are going on all the time." [2]. It has been rumoured that NBC will produce a pilot for another spin-off from the series entitled It's a Guy Thing featuring Joey, Chandler and Ross. The spinoff debuted to strong ratings, but its numbers have sunk since then, and there is speculation that it will not be renewed after its second season, ending in spring 2006. It has been hinted at that Matthew Perry will be the first to, however. Past Friends cast members are expected to have cameo appearances on the show from time to time, though as of December 2005, none have, and none have been asked. It centres on the Friends character Joey Tribbiani, still played by LeBlanc, who moved to Los Angeles to advance his career as an actor. Joey premiered September 9, 2004 on NBC. The show also inspired the cultural meme of the laminated list. Along with this, Joey Tribbiani's catchphrase, “How you doin'?” has become a popular part of American slang, often used as a pick-up line or when greeting friends. Jennifer Aniston, in particular, had her hair-style copied by many women. [1] Also commonly said by the characters, particularly Monica, was the loud “I know!” The series has also been noted for its impact on everyday-fashion and hair-styles. The use of “so” to mean “very” or “really” was not invented by any Friends writer, but it is quite arguable that the extensive use of the phrase in the series encouraged its use in everyday life. Friends has, in some areas, made a notable contribution to language, fashion, and (to a lesser extent) women's attitudes. For a full list of gags, see Running gags in Friends.. Some of the most famous include:. Friends had many running gags throughout the span of the show. See also: List of significant others of Friends and List of guest stars on Friends. The band's record label required them to write additional material and re-record the track as a full-length song, which peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at #17. The show's theme song, "I'll Be There For You" by The Rembrandts, became a major hit after a Tennessee disc jockey looped it into a full length track and played it on the radio. A constant story line throughout the series was the on-again/off-again romance between Ross and Rachel, and later in the series, the developing relationship between Chandler and Monica. Phoebe makes out a living as a singer-songwriter and a masseuse. Paleontologist Ross eventually becomes a college professor. After on-and-off success as a soap opera actor Joey's career eventually stabilized with a regular part on a soap opera from which he was initially fired earlier in the series' run. Chandler eventually switched to a career in advertising by the last few seasons. Monica struggled for the first several seasons for success, and later became head chef at a well-respected restaurant. After cutting herself off from her father's money, Rachel got her first job as a waitress in the coffee shop and later becomes a personal shopper at Bloomingdale's, then a buyer for Ralph Lauren. The settings for the show include Monica's apartment, Chandler and Joey's apartment and the coffee shop downstairs, Central Perk. They hang out with Monica's brother, Ross – who recently divorced his lesbian wife – and Phoebe, the "free spirit" of the bunch and Monica's old roommate. The pair live across the hall from Chandler and Joey. As the pilot begins, Rachel has just left her fiancé Barry at the altar and moves in with her childhood best friend, Monica. The show focused on the lives of a group of six friends living in a state of arrested development: spoiled Daddy's girl Rachel Green; compulsively clean chef Monica Geller; wise-cracking, perennially unlucky-in-love, underconfident office drone Chandler Bing; oversexed, clueless actor Joey Tribbiani; divorced paleontologist nerd Ross Geller; and flaky, positive, masseuse, and aspiring folk singer-songwriter Phoebe Buffay. The last episode was released on DVD 5 days after its broadcast. Advertisements during the series finale, which attracted an audience of over 52 million viewers, cost $2,000,000 for a 30-second spot in the United States and CAD$190,000 in Canada. By the end of the series the six main cast members were each paid US$1,000,000 per episode. Friends is one of the most successful sitcoms in the US. . In the US, its first episode was aired on September 22, 1994, the last on May 6, 2004. Television for NBC in the US, first broadcast on that network and followed by other broadcast networks in numerous countries throughout the world. The program was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions in association with Warner Bros. Friends was a long-running American television sitcom centered on the lives of a group of six twenty-somethings (eventually thirty-somethings) consisting of three men and three women living in New York City. Social conservatives were upset when Friends became the first network show on American television to feature a lesbian wedding ceremony, and social liberals often felt that the lesbian characters in the show were unfairly sidelined. At the end of the series, the show addressed this quip, with the joke that the characters were able to afford the nice apartments through rent control. The characters lived in upper-middle class apartments, despite the fact that throughout the series the characters had jobs that could never afford such an apartment. The fact that the show is suppose to take place in New York City even though persons of color almost never appeared in the series and that only two non-white characters were given temporary guest-starring roles in the series, reportedly at the demand of actor David Schwimmer. The actors became such close friends that at least one guest star, Tom Selleck, reported sometimes feeling left out. This included requesting that all actors on the show be nominated either for the same category (mostly "Supporting Actor") or not at all, and entering collective instead of individual salary negotiations. The six main actors made deliberate and conscious efforts, from early on, to keep the show's ensemble format and to not allow any one of them to dominate. Behind the scenes, the show was known for its unusually cohesive and unified cast. Courtney Cox was originally approached for the role of Rachel, but convinced the producers that her personality was more suited for the character of Monica—which, amusingly, is the role producers first approached Jennifer Aniston for. Shortly after production began, it was decided that the apartment building where much of the show takes place was too big to have upper apartments with numbers as low as 4 and 5, so the numbers were changed to 19 and 20, respectively. In the first six episodes of Season 1, Chandler and Joey's apartment number was 4, and Monica and Rachel's was 5. Alternate titles were "Six Of One", "Across The Hall", "Insomnia Cafe" and "Friends Like Us". Most episodes were filmed with a laugh track, particularly those featuring Ursula and Phoebe together. Not all episodes were filmed in front of a studio audience. 55 people were paid to come to the studio and watch the first four episodes of "The Six of Us"; the title was thereafter changed to "Friends.". The producers liked the look and decided not to replace the mirror. The picture frame around the peep hole in Monica and Rachel's apartment originally was a framed mirror, but a crew member accidentally broke it. The exterior shot of the Friends' apartment building is actually located at Grove and Bedford streets in the Village. Although the show was filmed in California, it took place in the West Village in Manhattan, New York City. Central Perk, the coffee shop on the show, is based on Chomondley's (pronounced Chumley's), a coffee shop/lounge in Usen Castle at Brandeis University, the alma mater of the show's creators. He was hired because he was the only extra on the set of the pilot who knew how to operate an espresso machine. He can be seen as an extra throughout the first season, and when given a line in the second, the directors were adequately impressed that they created a full-time part for him. James Michael Tyler's character (Gunther) came into the series by accident. Phoebe was not originally envisioned as having a twin, but the show's creators added the fact to explain why Kudrow was appearing on two different shows, at one point on the same night. Lisa Kudrow played Ursula on both Mad About You and Friends. The character of Ursula (Phoebe's twin sister) first appeared in the sitcom Mad About You as a waitress. Australia: 2.54m (OZTAM). United Kingdom: 8.6m (BARB). Canada: 5.159m (BBM Canada). United States: 52.5m (Nielsen). This was first referred to in the episode 'The One With The Baby In The Bus'. The Grandma Killer: In several episodes, usually when one of the cast was reading a newspaper or watching TV, someone refers to a serial killer who strangles grandmas and shoves them in ovens. They also wrote respectful slogans to the 9/11 victims after the September 11 attacks. The Magna Doodle: The Fisher-Price Magna Doodle almost always had something humorously written or drawn on it. How You Doin'?: This is Joey's pick-up line. One exaggerated example, where Ross was mocking Chandler's speech pattern: "The hills are alive with the sound (pause) OF music". Chandler's speech: Chandler has a strange way of speaking, in which he emphasizes the wrong word in his sentences. Oh...My...God!: Janice's catchphrase; used as her introductory line in her later guest appearances. Phoebe's music: Phoebe was often a musician at Central Perk and was known for her rather unusual, original songs. Ross' tendency to marry: Ross marries a total of three times throughout the course of the show, all of which end in divorce. Gunther likes Rachel: When Gunther appeared in an episode it usually involved his anything-but-secret crush on Rachel, who however remains oblivious to his feelings throughout most of the show's run. Gay Chandler: Chandler was often painted with the possibility of being gay, despite his determination to prove himself as the heterosexual he actually was. Fat Monica: Monica, now slim and attractive, was obese as a child. The One With/Where [episode name]: Almost every episode name starts with these three words. |