You can almost hear the tagline now: “They’ll be there for you … forever!” Or so the story goes, now that Warner Bros. has begun rolling out the wildly popular “Friends” television series season-by-season on DVD.
And what better time than now? Nearing the end of its eighth season – with a ninth on the way – “Friends” continues to dominate the Nielsen ratings and carry Thursday night programming for NBC. This four-disc DVD set just reminds us why we tuned in the first time, and stuck around for years.So, what ground is covered in Season One? We meet Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), the bride who left her husband at the altar and fled to high school friend Monica’s (Courtney Cox) N.Y. apartment. We meet Phoebe and learn her break-up rituals, Joey and his ever-shaky acting career, Ross and his monkey (Marceau) and Chandler and his shower invasions – leading to a hilarious round of “Can you top this?” The first season also relied on guest stints from several stars of the NBC galaxy, including Helen Hunt, George Clooney and Noah Wyle. As the show grew into its own strengths, stunt casting became unnecessary.At this point, most of these episodes make the rounds now that “Friends” lives on in daily syndication. But with this DVD set, you’re the master of your own domain (oh wait, that’s “Seinfeld”), and you don’t have to rely on Fox TV to program “The One With The Boobies.” That kind of freedom rarely comes around, so seize it while you can.Grade: A-THE EXTRASFor starters, each episode is presented uncut, meaning there’s extra never-before-seen footage often left on the cutting room floor for commercial TV purposes. The season’s pilot, aptly titled “The Pilot,” also comes with an extremely informative screen-specific audio commentary track by producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman and David Crane. The rest of the disc’s trivia can be found in an entertaining and easily maneuverable “Peek at Central Perk” featurette. As you move around the infamous coffee house, the DVD offers nuggets of info, usually with a clip from the show to back it up. A lot of fun.Grade: B+OVERALL EXPERIENCE: B+“Friends” has become a pop culture phenomenon, a show that will be discussed professionally and around our water coolers for years to come. If you’re eager to brush up on your series knowledge, this new set (and pending sets) from Warner Bros. can’t be beat.By Sean O’ConnellMay 7, 2002