Shark Bytes

"we were on a break" ! Come on...two, three, four times I agree but after a while it just souns ridiculous.
And I agree, the characters began to be flta and annoying versions of themselves...But I loved the show until season 5. After that it was became too cliched and unbelievable

Jumped by the love triangle of joey/rache/ross

it was repulsive really thank God they ended it quickly

Yes opinions are entertaining. This thread was fun. No hard feelings. I have strong beliefs and I never take anything personally. I am one of the easiest going people. It is weird because I never usually post to anything. So this was fun.

Opinions, convictions and beliefs are what separate all of us as individuals and there is nothing wrong with disagreeing, not at all.

Love you both too . . . who knows we may get to do this again some time. Just so you know everyone made great points and it was a great discussion. Livened up this thread, that is for sure.

Friends may have touched us all in very different ways but it did make an impact, whether it was great or at times bad. Seasons 1, 2 and 3 are some of my favorites. I will admit that. I liked the rest but those will always be my favorites.

Thank you both and like I said nothing personal at all

Never jumped, the last episodes were as good as the rest. The Joey-Rachel love thing was an awful idea, but the good writing and excellent character acting meant it just about carried through. They always kept it moving just enough so it was fresh but kept its idea.

I think opinions are fascinating , no hard feeling between the 3 of us :D.

I forgot to say one of the reasons that Friends was a gigantic hit is because it provided escapism. 6 beautiful friends with easy-going lives..sure they had covered problems that many people face (i.e: death in the family, infertility, relationship pitfalls) which we all can belong to, but let's face it..their lives were going on the fast lane....

@Steph - The ironic thing is that I'm actually more entertained by this forum thread than I was with the last 2 seasons of the show. And that's in large part to you Steph. So I thank you & extend the olive branch of peace. Let's agree to disagree. You think Friends was flawlessly awesome it's entire run & I think that it was blowing like a whale around season 4 & by the end was a cash cow show with overpaid performers. We obviously also have different opinions on the chain of events leading to the reality televsion era. I'm sorry about the bulb joke too, it was in mean taste. I suck & was being a jerk.

I love you.

I'm HeeHee and I approved this message.

Okay I may take offense to that last comment. I think the fact of the matter is reality television should not be an issue here. I realize we used it to spark an argument. It died. No, I don't think the scripts for FRIENDS were ever recycled. I think that the writers did come up with interesting story lines. I think, yes, there are a lot of shows that go on for way too long. I don't think FRIENDS was one based on the fact that there were still stories to tell.

I mean Monica and Chandler pretty much wrapped up mostly in Season 6, with the proposal. But sorry to say a pushing storyline from the beginning was Ross and Rachel. Their storyline was never resolved. It did need resolution. Joey and Phoebe were pivotal characters as well. When it first started they were one-dimensional and merely entertainment. As the show grew and we got in-touch with Joey and Phoebe as actual essential characters we needed to have some light brought to their lives. I mean Phoebe did need to have a happy ending and I feel her wedding and relationship with Mike gave her that. That was a great episode. I feel Joey never really did get a resolution and no I do not believe he needed a spinoff show. That bombed big time. He did need closure from the show. I mean all six of the characters made the show work, without one, the show would have failed and never would have made it ten years.

I think the show went out on top because it ended in a way that everyone could appreciate. I mean the last scene where the camera pans around the empty apartment and finishes with the last shot on the picture frame on the door is great, very nicely shot.

I am a writer as I ahve stated before. I appreciate what the creators and writers did with the show. I think they eneded it fine and the finale was one of the most watched finales since MASH. I think Frazier came close but I believe FRIENDS beat it out. I will check on that for sure and let you know the actual ratings next week.

No hard feeligns here. I mean as Carl stated it is all just opinion. I have a strong opinion and I am just arguing my point. Reality tv is crap and it is why I no longer even turn on the tv. I mean if FRIENDS was still around I would still watch it on Thursday night due to my loyality to the show. Maybe it jumped in season 3 for some, maybe it jumped during Ross and Rachel but for most loyal fans the show never jumped.

I appreciate everyone's opinion even the fact that I may not have been the "brightest lightbulb" that was great. I mean I simply argued my point just as you have. The reality tv thing was based, originally on the realistic nature of the show argument. I was proving that fiction is not reality, nor should it be viewed as such. I did not start the rant about reality TV and FRIENDS. People on here were stating that FRIENDS was not realistic, with the huge apts, the group of friends themselves and the mistakes that may or not have been made throughout. It was a show and a fine one at that. Not reality and I am glad.

The actors got paid more because they the show was still HOT and they didn't want the actors to cope out too early in the game. Everybody Loves Raymond's star wanted to be paid as much, which was ridiculous and that is why that show ended because they weren't going to pay him as much as the FRIENDS cast.

@Carl - I, personally, feel that shows like friends (more recently shows like the Office US version) have these gigantic fanbases that push the show on longer than the actual storyline needs to run, essentially turning a great show into a parody of itself. Next thing you know, performers are requiring 20 zazillion hundred dollars to show up & act out a recycled script just to milk a couple more years worth of money out of those lovely sponsors/product placers.

Since Steph kept bringing up reality televsion, I stated that I think that the above mentioned formula of show sucking = (more money for actors + recycled scripts) > quality is a pretty real reason that reality television grew so quickly in popularity. Production companies had to recoup some of the millions they were paying to performers to keep them cranking out subpar shows & realized that they could spend like $3 on an entire season of wifeswap & the public would happily watch. That's really the point that I'm making with reality television.

As far as Friends goes, I believe I've said that I thought it was funny/revelant initally & that it went on waaaaay too many seasons. I still believe that. Lucy (as well as Seinfeld & many other extremely popular shows) went out on top. Yes, those shows may have run longer than 4 seasons, but arguably the quality of those shows allowed for that. Friends, in my eyes, lacked that quality. I appreciate the fact that you guys feel so strongly, I just don't feel the same way.

& I hope I'm not offending you in any way. I'll admit I think Steph wasn't the brightest bulb in her responses, but you seem like you've got some well thought out reasons for thinking what you think & I can definately appreciate the point of view

Hmm..I think you misunderstood me "HeeHee" I said if you lived in the states you would know the impact of sitcoms..I've stated this as a justification on why people loved this show despite it's ups & downs -- I didn't accuse your "patriotism" to the states at all.

Of course all of these comments are mere opinions nothing more (pretty much the gist of this web-site), however, I still don't understand how the recycled scripts of friends brought reality into life? Maybe they enticed producers to make alot of reality shows but I don't see how the popularity of reality tv was influenced by friends at all..care to explain?

@Carl

First, I grew up in the states & am a female. Oh & I loved Lucy too. Thinking the show Friends went on waaaaay to long doesn't make me an unamerican male.

Everything you typed is your opinion, just as everything I typed is my opinion. I'm not quoting anyone else when I say the show was a suckfest pretty much from season 3 on. I've listed out various reasons as to why I feel this way just as you and Steph have listed various reasons as to why you feel this is an overgeneralization. We all agree the show was funny at one time or another, so there's our common ground.
Where I was taking issue was Steph's view that people who didn't love friends in a friend's induced worshop coma were the ones that brought reality televsion to it's apex.

My arguement was that show's like friends & their overpriced actors/recycled scripts contributed to reality televsion more than anything else in this world.

How i may contact admin this site? I have a question.
iijiivei

After reading this long....long arguement between you, I feel obligated to address the following points:

1-Friends sucked big time in season 7 & 9, saying that it never sucked is an understatement and saying that it sucked for the last 4 seasons is a huge overstatement

2-True--the quality of the show was never the same in the last two years. to quote BBC: "Few ensemble sitcoms commanded such love and devotion from fans..." and I for one (being one of the biggest fans of this show) would never have let it die no matter how bad it became, I know it's silly but my loyalty to the show wouldn't let me and if "heehee" lives in the states he will know how sitcoms represent a big part of pop cultures since the 50's.

3-"FRIENDS must have done something right to remain on-the-air for 10 whole seasons "

of course it did, like what the previous commenterr has already pointed out: it had huge impact, it was massively popular and critics hailed it as a "classic", all of this doesn't come out of nothing..believe me you have NO idea how hard it is to make a TV show that successful..or maybe you do.

P.S: sorry for typos and *sicky* grammar, was typing insanely fast

I wish to put an end to this argument. I will say this. FRIENDS must have done something right to remain on-the-air for 10 whole seasons (following not just money). I am thinking that the characters themselves can be seen as icons which is a huge step for a sitcom.

Reality TV came about because of redundant and money, yes but it was not due to creative shows like FRIENDS. I think you must think a show is always going to stay the same as it develops. When writing a storyline if everything stays at the same level there is no progression and the storyline will die.

Reality TV was something that started in the 90s and because writers were coming up with few ideas for new shows (non-reality). They decided to throw the reality bait out there later on and see if they could get the success that was received from Real World. Funny, you call that crap, funny? I guess my intellect is a little above the reality scene, considering a lot of reality TV is scripted and not scripted well. At least I can stand to watch re0runs of FRIENDS and some other sitcoms. I could not stand to watch reruns of reality TV that would just be a torture that I would not like to endure.

Good argument from the sense of your theory on how reality TV started. I mean it is very believable but I don't really think Friends, considering it aired back in 94 was responsible for the reality blow-out. I think there were other factors that caused that which had nothing to do with Friends.

C'mon, really? I'm not questioning that show touched people, obviously, by your staunch defense of the show it touched YOU quite deeply. I just don't feel the same way. I'm not saying that Friends sucked the entire time it was on, in fact, it was quite funny initally, I'm saying that towards the middle/end it became a suckfest. The entire cast was getting paid a bunch of money to show up even though they'd checked out a few seasons earlier & the scripts became recycled garbage.

And as far as reality televsion goes, the Real World began in what, 1990? 92? Why do you think it took a decade & 1/2 for the onslaught of reality shows? I, personally, think it has to do with fanboys/girls that won't admit a show is dead causing the production companies to go into overdrive to churn out more repetative nonsense no matter what the dollar price. Then they make up the money they've spent to extend the crapfest by cutting costs & forcing reality shows on the public. Because they're cheaper. And most are infinately more funny than the final 4 seasons of friends.

Okay, so I need to step away? I think you have really taken what I said as more of a "lets revive FRIENDS". I never once said lets bring it back. I think the 10 seasons were probably the end for the 6 characters and their storylines.

The reality TV bull came about because of MTVs popular Real World, which I must admit I was a fan of, until recently. If you are going to say FRIENDS is responsible for the reality conception I could blame plenty of other series for that.

Friends had its ups/downs but it never SUCKED! I mean it is quite challenging to take a show from day one and make it grow and not hit some minor bumps in the road. I mean honestly not every episode of CHEERS or Seinfeld was that great. Like I said I am a writer and I appreciate and respect the process that goes into writing and conceptualizng stories. I think the writers did I find job of creating not only characters but icons. Somethign reality TV will never do. I mean how many more Paris Hiltons do we need in this world? I don't think FRIENDS can ever be called uncreative and I would love to hear an argument justifying otherwise.

Reality Televsion is not creative and people become famous for no talent whatsoever. Friends was a one of a kind and there will never be another show that will hit audiences as it did. I think there could be arguments on both sides but ulitmately the creativety, setting and demographic of the characters is something to be reckoned with.

No need to bring it back, the 10 seasons did justice for the show and it needed to end but that doesn't mean it SUCKED at any point. The storyleine was growing to a close and It ended the way it should have.

I will love FRIENDS forever bedcause it redefined sitcoms to me. I know others may disagree but I bet everyone has a showthat has done that for them.