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Friends: The Complete Series
(1994-2004)
Warner Home Video
Blu-ray Disc Released: 11/13/2012
All Ratings out of
Show:
Video:
Audio:
1/2
Extras:
Review by Mike Long, Posted on 11/15/2012
I've been accused of rambling in my reviews (most recently by my daughter), but I like to write in-depth reviews in order to make them engaging and entertaining. But, that will not be the case today. If you came here to read about Friends: The Complete Series, then you have no interest in bells and/or whistles (which is good, as I have neither). No, you want facts and answers concerning this huge release and you want to know if it's worth getting. I'll dispense with the usual whimsical opening and jump right into things.
Friends: The Complete Series contains every episode of the show, which ran from 1994-2004. The 236 episodes are housed on 20 Blu-ray Discs, with bonus features residing on a 21st Disc. The set arrives in very large box which offers a lenticular cover. Inside, you will find a paperback book which contains an episode guide and little else. Underneath this is a hardback book, which holds the Blu-ray Disc themselves, which each season taking up two Blu-ray Discs. (Note that the color of the Discs corresponds to the color of the box from the previously released DVD sets for each season.) There are no other goodies included, which is a disappointment, but it is a handsome box.
Friends was broadcast in the pre-HD era, so the episodes were presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio. When the show began running in syndication, technicians at Warner went back to the original 35mm film and created 16 x 9 HD versions of the show. I would have to assume that these same versions or similar ones were used for this Blu-ray Disc release. So, what we have here are not simply zoomed in or "blown up" images, but a restored widescreen image. The shows are letterboxed at 1.78:1 and the Disc contains an AVC 1080p HD transfer which runs at an average of 15 Mbps, and that bitrate is consistent across all ten seasons. However, the image does vary somewhat as the seasons progress. The first season shows some mild grain and the image is somewhat dark. In short, it's not as crisp. As the seasons progress, that grain dissipates and the image becomes brighter and sharper. The colors look very good, as the show was always a mix of dark and bright. This should not imply that any of the episodes truly look bad -- they don't. All of the episodes presented here rival HD broadcast quality, and they do look better than the DVD releases. The Disc carries a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track which runs at 48 kHz and a constant 640 kbps. The track provides clear dialogue and sound effects. Finding a simply Dolby Digital 5.1 track on the Blu-ray Discs was certainly a disappointment. However, this track is different from the one found on the DVDs, which was a 5.0 track. Does that .1 make a difference? Not really, as there isn't much subwoofer action on Friends, save for musical cues. However, this track is crisper and shows better detail of the various stereo and surround effects. We get some nice stereo effects when sounds come from off-screen and the live audience is maintained in the rear speakers.
As one would hope, the 21-Disc Friends: The Complete Series set offers a variety of extras. OK, let's start with the new extras, all of which are found on Disc 21. "True Friends" is a newly created documentary which has been split into three parts. "Friends from the Start" (28 minutes), "When Friends Become Family" (29 minutes), and "The Legacy of Friends" (11 minutes). This contains extensive interviews with Executive Producers David Crane, Marta Kaufmann, and Kevin Bright, as well as the executives at NBC and Warner who helped get the show on the air. The piece explores the inception of the show, the writing, the casting, the show's success, and it's impact on popular culture. Series regulars like Elliot Gould, James Michael Tyler, and Maggie Wheeler (along with some more obscure guest stars) show up to add some comments. However, the six main actors are conspicuously absent from this. I think that most fans want to hear what they have to say about the show, and if they aren't going to do it here, then where are they? "The Original Producer's Cut for 'The One Where Rachel Tells Ross'" (23 minutes) includes an intro by Kevin Bright, and some never-before-seen footage which was cut due to September, 11 2001. We also get the "Original Script" for this episode. We get the MUSIC VIDEO for "I'll Be There For You" by The Rembrandts. "Friends Visit The Ellen Degeneres Show" (16 minutes) contains four segments where David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and Jennifer Aniston visit Ellen. With the last three she plays a game called "What's My Next Line?", in which the actors must try to remember the show. With Schwimmer there's a great segment in which Ellen edits herself into the finale. "Friends on 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'" (22 minutes) comes from June 2, 2004, where Leno interviews the entire cast and the finale is discussed. "The One with the Never-Before-Seen Gags" (7 minutes) is a blooper reel of moments which weren't on the previous sets.
The other Discs have ported over the original extras from the DVD sets. These include AUDIO COMMENTARIES on select episodes from Crane, Kaufmann, and Bright. We also get features every season which examine the various guest stars from that season. In addition, there are other specials, such as a featurette which examines the show's time in London. The trivia quizzes found on the DVDs have not been brought over for this set. However, the biggest omission are the AUDIO COMMENTARIES for Season 2 which had chats for the episodes "The One with the List" and "The One with the Prom Video". Ever curious, I asked my contact about this and learned that Warner was unable to find those audio masters.
As for the show itself, again, if you're reading this, then you probably already know what you think of Friends. I came to the show somewhat late, as I was still going through my rebellious phase where I rejected anything which could be construed as mainstream. But, my then girlfriend, now wife, got me into the show and I couldn't help but find it funny and charming. And the show still holds up today. Some of the clothes and haircuts may be tied to a certain time and there are some pop culture references, but the show typically focuses on the characters and their relationships, thus giving it a timeless quality. Looking back, it is somewhat surprising how risque the show can be at times. Still, the show also offers a great deal of clever humor. It's never what I would call cerebral, but it's often quick and it's never scared to have one joke follow another. Having said that, the show offers some good physical humor and for my money, there's nothing funnier than Courteney Cox dancing in the fat suit. The show also offers a nice balance of drama, thanks to the fact that the characters are so well-written.
Just for the record:
Favorite Episode: "The One with the Embryos"
Favorite Character: Chandler
Least Favorite Character: Phoebe
Worst Story Arc: Rachel and Joey as a couple
Is the Friends: The Complete Series set worth getting? For a true fan, it is a must have given how good the show looks and sounds, and the unique nature of the box. Yes, some of the original extras are missing, but it's the show that matters and it's nice to have them all in one place like this.
Review by Mike Long. Copyright 2012.