PRAY FOR SEASON 7 !!

*SNIFFS*

Friends to Go? There have been numerous speculations and rumours that Friends, the most popular sitcom on TV, will be history at the conclusion of the current season. It appears to be true. According to recent reports, Lisa Kudrow, thinks the stars of Friends are too old to be playing twentysomethings characters and is reportedly urging her fellow cast members to call it quits when this season (the sixth season) ends.

Kudrow maintains that the characters' lifestyles are beyond belief at this point. She thinks that in real life, the aging members of the gang would be starting families and focusing on their careers, not whiling away the hours at a New York City coffee shop. Obviously, Kudrow, who was raved by critics for her role in The Opposite of Sex, has forgotten that she's starring in a comedy!

OK....Lisa.... but please.. another season.. another season.. *pray* *pray* *pray*

In article , "HeLeNa *!*" wrote:

I would argue that even twentysomethings wouldn't spend every waking moment hanging out at home or in a coffee-house, but in a sitcom, we are allowed a certain suspension of belief for the sake of a (hopefully) entertaining storyline. As for the premise that aging thirtysomethings wouldn't be at home with the kids, I would note that NYC has plenty of 30+ and 40+ singles who like to spend time with each other. I've been going out for dinner regularly with the same pool of friends for nearly two years.

The problem with FRIENDS today is that what started out as a funny show about people has evolved into a show about funny people - Monica's competitiveness and anal-retentativenes; Joey's incompetent acting skills; Ross' jealousies and irrationalities have all been exagerated for laughs, rather than letting the comedy derive from the situations around them.

There are any number of storylines that could be developed to "grow" the characters - Joey reflecting on his career path, Phoebe and Ursula working out their estrangement, Monica and Chandler resolving both how to live with each other, and where to take their relationship, and Ross & Rachel...well, working things out one way or another. FRIENDS has talented writers who could address these plot lines seriously, while at the same time making them funny.

In article , Chris Bastian wrote:

Damned good point there, Chris. :)

So how do we communicate such good ideas?

Are the cast holding out for artistic control instead of money?

Tennant

quits

be

hours

critics

a

But a comedy has to be based in realism in order for it to work, and what
Lisa Kudrow allegedly has been saying is all too true.  The show could
continue, if they're willing to let these characters mature into their 30s.
It's not as though they'd be less interesting or less funny if they actually
did start doing the things she's talking about and started acting their age.
I for one miss Chandler's office.   Maybe Phoebe could get a job there
again.   Or something.  I'd agree with what Lisa Kudrow is apparently
saying.  It's time to grow up.

I'm glad to see at least one person in the organization is aware of this.

Obviously, Kudrow, who was raved by

No. She hasn't. Making a comedy does not *automatically* mean that you are to assume that your audience is as stupid and shallow as possible. Believability does actually make a comedy better.

I agree with this. It's past time.

Claire Abraham wrote in message news:[email]...

this

would

Me too, me too! I'm aware too!

in

Ah, yes, observational humor. But being intelligent is a great way for humor. It's why I like Frasier a little bit more than I like Friends. I don't think Ross or Chandler could ever have said "Anything else in the box, Pandora?" like Niles could.

what

30s.

Okay, how do we mature the characters? The most obvious way would be marrying off Chandler and Monica, and have them "work" on starting a family. Chandler realizes he wants to be a father and wants to have kids with Monica. Monica... takes it down a notch. Ross might be made more mature by interacting with Ben more. Joey gets an actual career as an actor going. Phoebe... hmm. Give me a second. Rachel... uh...

Bobby C.

This will work.

No. They have GOT to resolve the Ross and Rachel storyline. It is way, way past time they did that. That means either they need to reunite, or they need to be seen *completely happy* with other partners. This will never be resolved as long as there is pining.

Might be nice if they gave her a regular job.

See above.

Claire Abraham wrote in message news:[email]...

have

father

The writers seem to think it will. I personally think they have themselves in the ultimate Catch-22: The fans will pitch a fit if R&R don't reunite, but R&R are so hard to write as a couple (according to MNL at least), so they want to keep them apart... which causes the fans to pitch a fit. And the only way to resolve this would be to get them back together in the final episode... which will also cause fans to pitch a fit (since it is the final episode). No pleasing anyone anytime. (And I doubt anyone at NBC, Warner Bros. or BK&C are going to *force* the writers to put R&R together again, since I sometimes wonder if network pressure is why R&R got together in the first place.)

Bobby C.

Please explain this statement. The writers are the ones who keep throwing little hints at us - the Vegas wedding, Rachel telling Ross that it wasn't the time for them at Thanksgiving, Ross telling Rachel why he stopped with Jill... *THEY* are the ones who keep making absolutely sure we never stop wondering. It is their fault everybody hasn't given up yet, and it is absolutely, obviously deliberate. I am very, very tired of being manipulated. It's started to make me mad. I wish like hell Ross had married Emily and stayed that way happily.

I personally think they have themselves

I didn't say they *had* to put them back together. I said they needed to *resolve* this storyline. I mean the pining and wondering needs to be over. It has gotten beyond ridiculous.

By the way, I'm sorry, but since the Chandler and Monica show is now
ending its second year I haven't got even the slightest bit of respect
for MNL's whining that they couldn't write a happy couple.  Not one
shred.   They just chose not to, and have opted for this combination
instead.  And for those who will go on about how Chandler and Monica are
saner and more stable than Ross and Rachel were - well, yeah.  Because
the writing staff hadn't declared the situation to be a problem they had
to fix three months after they paired them.  Ross and Rachel didn't get
sick and dysfunctional until the writing staff condemned them to death
in September of 1996.  There had been, at the time, only three months of
episodes featuring them as a couple then.    (TV Guide's Preview issue
that year fortold the breakup.  It was already decided.) That's when the
jealousy and craziness began.  They were pretty damned charming before
that.

Claire Abraham wrote:

That is the truth! If the show ends with no resolution to the Ross and Rachel story, I personally would feel very screwed over. Don't know the writers' intentions but this is how I would feel if this happens. It would be something like watching an engrossing movie (that goes on for 6 years), stringing me along, then suddenly it has a crappy or unresolved ending. I would HATE that movie forever. And I would never watch another BKC sitcom again.

Laurie

What recent reports???? Can't anybody be bothered to name a source around here?

By the way, there are tons better things to pray for than this.