I'll Be There For You: The One about Friends

by Kelsey Miller

Overview

“The definitive Friends history” that explores all aspects of the classic hit television show (Entertainment Weekly).

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 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.

Praise for I’ll Be There for You

“Deeply reported and brimming with delicious insight . . . a nostalgic, thrilling and bittersweet journey behind the scenes of a TV show that captured the fleeting moment in our lives when friends became family.” —Erin Carlson, author of I’ll Have What She’s Having: How Nora Ephron’s Three Iconic Films Saved the Romantic Comedy

“Miller not only gives all the fascinating backstory on how such a seminal and popular show made it to air, but answers the question that’s been following me for years: how is this show still so popular? I’ll Be There for You isn’t just about Friends—it’s about the specific void that Friends has filled in so many people’s everyday lives.” —Anne Helen Petersen, culture writer at BuzzFeed and author of Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781488098642
Publisher:	Harlequin
Publication date:	01/18/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	305
Sales rank:	641,348
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Kelsey Miller is a journalist and the author of Big Girl: How I Gave Up Dieting and Got a Life. Her work has been featured in Glamour, Allure, Teen Vogue, Salon, People, Good Housekeeping, Women's Health and other outlets.  She is the founder of The Anti-Diet Project, one of Refinery29's most popular franchises, and was the recipient of the Project HEAL Social Impact Award. She lives in Brooklyn.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Sweet Spot 9

Part 1 17

1 The One That Almost Wasn't 19

2 The One with Six Kids and a Fountain 39

Part 2 81

3 The One with Marcel and George Clooney 83

4 The One Where Two Women Got Married 98

5 The One Where We All Got the Haircut 110

6 The One After "The One After the Super Bowl" 124

7 The One Where They All Go to London (and Everywhere Else in the World) 134

Part 3 147

8 The One Where Everything Changed 149

9 The One Where Nobody Died 175

10 The One Where It Ended, Twice 190

11 The Comeback 216

Acknowledgments 241

Source Notes 245

Index 297

Editorial Reviews

10/01/2018
Miller (Big Girl) offers a loving, insightful, and entertaining tour through the ten-season run of the TV sitcom Friends. Beginning with showrunners David Crane and Marta Kauffman pitching a show about six Gen Xers operating as a found family in New York City, the book follows the casting and writing of the program, which ran from 1994 to 2004 on NBC and still enjoys popularity in syndication. Highlights include the cast's determination to work as an ensemble and the importance of filming before a studio audience—with writers retooling jokes on the spot to elicit greater laughs. Miller also revisits the will-they-or-won't-they drama on-screen (Ross and Rachel) and off-screen (publicized contract negotiations that threatened the renewal of Friends). Finally, the author doesn't shy away from more modern criticisms of the series' homophobia, lack of inclusivity, and jokes that rely on body- or slut-shaming. VERDICT Miller successfully revisits a classic television show, demonstrating its larger place in pop culture. A must-read for fans of Must See TV.—Terry Bosky, Madison, WI

Library Journal

"The definitive Friends history."—EW.com



"Deeply reported and brimming with delicious insight, Kelsey Miller's account of the Friends phenomenon takes us on a nostalgic, thrilling and bittersweet journey behind the scenes of a TV show that captured the fleeting moment in our lives when friends became family. I'll Be There For You illuminates the real-life bonds between cast members and how Jennifer Aniston and company stuck together through ups and downs, meteoric fame and iconic haircuts, break-ups and Brad Pitt. All the while, Miller's intelligent analysis of the series' enduring legacy reveals a universal truth: The friendships we make in our twenties change us forever—and for those eager to relive the magic of the past, Friends now feels like family."—Erin Carlson, author of I’ll Have What She’s Having: How Nora Ephron's Three Iconic Films Saved the Romantic Comedy



"Can you write with a fan's affection about both what makes a show timeless and what makes it dated? What makes it rewatchable and what makes it sometimes regrettable? This book suggests that you can."—Linda Holmes, host of NPR’s “Pop Culture Happy Hour”



“I'll Be There for You is a lot like Friends: you come for the comfort, you stay for the much larger (and far more interesting) conversations it sparks. Like Kelsey Miller, I was a casual Friends fan back when it aired — and have been fascinated by the show's afterlife with an entirely new set of fans. Miller not only gives all the fascinating backstory on how such a seminal and popular show made it to air, but answers the question that's been following me for years: how is this show still so popular? I'll Be There for You isn't just about Friends—it's about the specific void that Friends has filled in so many people's everyday lives.”—Anne Helen Petersen, culture writer at BuzzFeed and author of Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud



“Nostalgic and affectionate, with plenty of dish; just the thing for fans of the show.”—Kirkus Reviews



“This detailed, affectionate look at the history of the 1990s megahit Friends traces the show from its beginnings… to one of the defining cultural touchstones for an entire generation… A smart, nostalgic read.”—Booklist



“Kelsey Miller's encyclopedic history of beloved sitcom Friends does something rare among non-autobiographical works of non-fiction: it welcomes the reader….In addition to this victory of tone, I'll Be There for You is truly a trove of knowledge.”—InStyle, “10 Books You Won't Be Able to Put Down This October”



“Through extensive research and thoughtful examination, Miller’s engaging retrospective explores Friends’ meteoric rise, and how and why it became known as the show for Generation X. I’ll Be There For You is both a loving celebration of one of the most iconic television shows of all time, and a whip-smart piece of pop cultural criticism.”—Bustle



“The definitive retrospective of Friends. If you speak in Friends references and always have the show streaming in the background, this is the book for you.”—Hello Giggles



“An affectionate look at the iconic ’90s television show and the reasons behind its continuing appeal.”—The Columbus Dispatch



“A fond history of the beloved ‘90s sitcom.”—Newsday



“You’ve already re-watched Friends nine hundred times on Netflix, so the next logical step would be to read this deep dive on the ’90s sitcom phenomenon. Through commentary, interviews, and behind-the-scenes anecdotes, Kelsey Miller looks at the history of the show and the reasons for its success, ultimately making you want to rewatch it yet again.”—Brit + Co



“A must for any fans of the mega-show Friends. Kelsey Miller takes us by the hand in order to fully explore all aspects of the huge hit of the 90s show. For any who have wondered about the lives of Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe both on and off screen, this book will be your complete guide!”—Bookstr



“Now you can read interviews and behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the sitcom that captivated millions. From all the Friendsgiving episodes to Janice’s infamous “Oh my God,” I’ll Be There for You: The One About Friends, by Kelsey Miller, shares why the comedy became a fan favorite.”—Family Circle



“Expertly written…Miller is interested in the alchemy of Friends. What factors led to a show about six people becoming a cultural monolith?... I'll Be There For You is a book for everyone, from Friends fanatics who want to rack up trivia to Friends skeptics who want to know what the fuss is about.”—Refinery29





“A delightfully mixed bag: Miller shares the play­ers’ origin stories and gives insight into how TV shows are made. She also considers the show’s impact on ev­erything from advertising to fashion to coffee culture and thoughtfully examines the show’s fatphobia, lack of diversity and depictions of gay characters. It’s an entertaining read for fans.”—BookPage



"The quintessential fan book for those obsessed with the hit TV sitcom 'Friends.' ''I'll Be There For You' gives readers an insider's look at what it takes to launch a show that not only had an impact on a decade of broadcast television, but also remains a pop culture icon."—Associated Press



"Deeply reported...it's hard to believe that any thinkpiece or retrospective will be more nuanced, considered, or better-researched than I'll Be There For You."—Bust



“An absolute gift..thoroughly reported, researched and written in a fun and educational way.”—Good Morning America



“Relive the show that practically made the ’90s in I’ll Be There for You, a homage to the sitcom that made viewers everywhere think they could afford a two-bedroom apartment in New York. Miller gets to the root of her own obsession…to suss out why Friends reruns are still so delicious all these years later.”—Parade

From the Publisher

2018-08-13

Lifestyle journalist Miller (Big Girl: How I Gave up Dieting and Got a Life, 2016) goes behind the scenes of Friends.

In the same rough semantic domain as Seinfeld and the now-forgotten HBO comedy Dream On, Friends had all the virtues and some of the vices of its era—which, the author reminds us, is a quarter-century ago now. It was resolutely white, determinedly nondiverse, and marked by all the gay jokes and sexist tropes of the era, though over its long run it began to change. Miller notes, for example, that Friends featured the first lesbian wedding, though it shied away from anything particularly overt and certainly anything political. Rather blandly, the author explains, "the general consensus was that TV in that time was not a sophisticated or inclusive landscape, and in some ways Friends was better than its peers"—i.e., something was better than nothing. One reason for the success of Friends, Miller capably shows, was the absolute rightness of its cast, some of whom—David Schwimmer in particular—were reluctant, others shrewd in asserting the wisdom of allowing them to make notes and pull together as a true ensemble. (On that note, Courtney Cox emerges as a real hero.) Said one Rolling Stone writer who covered the show, "I've never seen a cast…stick together to the degree they did." Given the post-Friends fortunes of those cast members, it would seem that lightning had been captured in a bottle. Miller is good at the small moments, less so about threading the show into the general culture. And for those clamoring for a reunion, as every other show of the time seems to be rebooting? Let cast member Lisa Kudrow tell it: "That was about people in their twenties, thirties. The show isn't about people in their forties, fifties. And if we have the same problems, that's just sad."

Nostalgic and affectionate, with plenty of dish; just the thing for fans of the show.

Kirkus Reviews