The small screen industry is a tough world. For those who succeed, it can be very rewarding. Unfortunately, most do not. The road to TV stardom is a tough one. Most potential TV shows do not get studio approval to make a pilot. The shows that do get on the air must make sure they have good enough ratings and critical acclaim to stay on the air. Unfortunately, most new shows last one season or less. Like I said before, it's a brutal business. In this article, we'll look at ten shows that were cancelled too soon. Since the line-up for the fall was recently announced, we'll be emphasizing shows that were cancelled recently.
1. The Crazy Ones- This CBS comedy starring Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar was cancelled this month after just one season. The show had mixed reviews and decent ratings, but the cast was talented and it seemed as if the show was going somewhere. There is no word yet if another studio will pick it up, but it could happen.
2. Friends With Better Lives- Debuting at the end of March 2014, this show was cancelled after only six episodes. Originally seen as a potential replacement to the fan-favorite How I Met Your Mother, which ended the same day Friends With Better Lives first aired, the show received mixed ratings and wasn't a huge hit with fans. This is another show with a great cast, including Kevin Connolly and Brooklyn Decker. The show didn't look like it had long-term potential from the start, but at least two or three seasons would have been nice.
3. Blue Mountain State- The show about life at a college football powerhouse had three seasons from 2010-2011. Despite the limited run, the show developed a massive fan following. Rumors flew that there would be a fourth season, but it was announced in 2012 that the show would not have another season. A BMS movie was announced in April this year, but no word yet on when it will be released.
4. Trophy Wife- I'm sure most of you haven't heard of this show, but I can assure you, it was a good one. It's only season aired from 2013-2014 before ABC gave it the axe. Malin Ackerman starred as Kate Harrison, the third wife to a lawyer with three kids already. The show revolved around her transition from party girl to married woman, a story that could definitely have been squeezed a little more.
5. We Are Men- I personally guarantee that none of you watched more than two episodes of this show. Why? Because only two episodes aired, that's why. CBS pulled the plug on the show after low ratings and low reviews. Starring guys like Tony Shalhoub and Kal Penn, the show was envisioned as a possible heir to Two and a Half Men. Granted, the show wasn't too great, and the end was in sight almost immediately, but would two more episodes have been so bad?
6. Go On- Ever since Friends ended, Matthew Perry has had a little difficulty in the TV biz. There was Mr. Sunshine, which got cancelled after nine episodes, The End of Steve didn't even get a pilot, and then there was Go On. Perry played the role of Ryan King, a radio personality who just lost his wife. The show focuses on his healing process as well as his interactions with the members of his group therapy. After only one season, the show was axed. A group therapy show isn't going to get far, but it could at least go for two seasons.
7. Almost Human- This science-fiction show ran on Fox from November 2013 to March 2014. Not only did it have some critical acclaim, but the show generated a massive online fan following. It doesn't seem as if the work of the fans changed anything, but it was nice to see some support for the show. In the show, Karl Urban starred as a lone-wolf cop forced to pair with an android. From the very beginning, the future of the show was mapped out, and it would have been nice to see how it unfolded. There are rumors that another channel may pick up the show, but no official word.
8. Men at Work- This TBS comedy starring Danny Masterson got the axe this year after three seasons on the air. Masterson and the three other main cast members worked at a magazine. The show revolved around their work and personal lives. It's by no means an original recipe, but it worked out well. Throughout the three seasons, it continued to entertain and bring on new storylines. A fourth season was necessary just so everything could get tied up.
9. Awake- This NBC thriller was heralded with quite a bit of fanfare when it first aired. Jason Isaacs played a detective with LAPD who lives in two separate realities. The premise of the show is based on the two realities, and how they are connected yet different. The show did not have great ratings, but it had a lot of critical and popular acclaim. Fans created a "Save Awake" campaign, but it failed. The main reason this show deserved better: it's complex and convoluted plot. 13 episodes certainly did not do it justice.
10. Are You There, Chelsea?- Another NBC show that was cancelled in 2012, Are You There, Chelsea? was based on a book by Chelsea Handler 2008. The show wasn't incredibly popular, didn't receive great ratings, and wasn't loved by critics. So why did it deserve another season? Simple, the show had potential. With the right casting and storylines, it could have gone on to become a fan-favorite.
Know any other shows that got cancelled too early? Comment and let me know.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
20 Great South Park Episodes Part 1
In my last article, I listed the ten best episodes of South Park ever made. While making the list, I felt bad for having to leave out some episodes that are truly great but not good enough to make the top ten. I considered making it a top 20 list, but felt that would ruin the point of the whole article. The goal was to name the ten best episodes, not identify all the good ones. That would take weeks. Instead, I decided to write another article about twenty great South Park episodes. They may not be the best, but they sure are good. In this article I'll write about ten and write about the next ten in my next article. Of course, there are SPOILERS, so be careful.
1. "Woodland Critter Christmas"- The last episode of Season 8, this is one of the best South Park episodes ever. Some people told me that I should have included this along with the Imaginationland series in my previous articles ("10 Best South Park Episodes Ever"), but I feel it's a good enough episode to stand alone. The 200 series got the tie-in to "Scott Tenorman Must Die" because it is too critical to the series's plot. Both "Woodland Critter Christmas" and the Imaginationland series can be seen as seperate entities because they do not need to be supported by the other. This episode just missed my top ten after losing out to the Coon series. This episode turns out to be nothing more than a story by Cartman, but the plot is too good to ignore.
2. "Good Times With Weapons"- From the last episode of Season 8 to the first, you can find this episode on some best episode lists, but it didn't make the cut here. The best parts of this episode are the fight sequences, which are shown in traditional anime style. Changing up the norm doesn't always work, but here it did. The ending sequence was also pretty great.
3. "Medicinal Fried Chicken"- In an poll on southparkstudios.com, fans voted this episode as the best of Season 14. The episode, which deals with the legalization of marijuana, focuses primarily on Randy Marsh and Cartman. It's usually a lot of fun to see Randy in a prominent role, he's an intelligent man but also dim-witted. Another thing that makes this episode stand out: a shockingly sobering moment towards the end of the episode.
4. "Super Fun Time"- The seventh episode of Season 12 is one of the most underrated in South Park history. There is no real underlying message, but it doesn't matter. Like in "The Death of Eric Cartman", the comedic duo of Cartman and Butters really shines. It also highlights the relationship between Stan and Wendy, which we don't get to see to often.
5. "Kenny Dies"- This is easily one of the most depressing episodes of South Park. The episode came about when Trey Parker and Matt Stone (the creators of the show) decided to kill off Kenny permanently and make Butters a main character. Without this episode, we would never have had the classic "Butters' Very Own Episode". Of course, Kenny was brought back, but at the time, this was supposed to be it for him. It resulted in a very somber episode that moved us all.
6. "Fun with Veal"- This is one of the Season 6 episodes in which Butters replaced Kenny as a main character (see previous entry). He provides some comic effect in this episode that Kenny could not have pulled off. Though all four main characters work as a team here (something that is surprisingly uncommon), Cartman steals the episode with his great negotiating skills. Cartman is typically a total jerk, so it was nice to see him work with the others. That's something that should happen more often.
7. "Lil' Crime Stoppers"- The fifth episode of Season 7, this episode is well-liked but generally underrated. The plot focuses on the four boys playing detective, and what happens when things get out of hand. The Park County Police Force show up in this episode, something that should happen more often. This episode highlights the fact that the four main characters are just kids, something we sometimes forget.
8. "Christian Rock Hard"- Three episodes after "Lil' Crime Stoppers" came "Christian Rock Hard", one of the best episodes of Season 7. In this episode, Cartman and Kyle have a bet to see who can make a platinum album first. Cartman forms a Christian rock band with Token and Butters while Kyle is distracted by the FBI. The satirical takes on downloading music illegally and the world of Christian music are pretty great.
9. "Pre-School"- This Season 8 episode shows what our favorite animated fourth graders were like when they were fourth-graders. In the episode, it is revealed that Stan, Cartman, Kyle, Kenny, and Butters were involved in an incident that took place five years ago. They let another kid take the fall, resulting in that kid going to Juvie. Now, that kid, Trent Boyett, has been released and he is looking for revenge.
10. "Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow"- A spoof on the movie The Day After Tomorrow, this episode aired in Season 8. It's a huge fan favorite and gave a great satirical take on the climate change debate. In the episode, Stan and Cartman destroy a beaver dam, leading to the flooding of a nearby city. While the whole city's response to the impending disaster of global warming, it is the reporting of the news channel that makes this episode so entertaining.
As you can see, South Park has a plethora of good episodes. In a future article, I'll list even more great episodes.
1. "Woodland Critter Christmas"- The last episode of Season 8, this is one of the best South Park episodes ever. Some people told me that I should have included this along with the Imaginationland series in my previous articles ("10 Best South Park Episodes Ever"), but I feel it's a good enough episode to stand alone. The 200 series got the tie-in to "Scott Tenorman Must Die" because it is too critical to the series's plot. Both "Woodland Critter Christmas" and the Imaginationland series can be seen as seperate entities because they do not need to be supported by the other. This episode just missed my top ten after losing out to the Coon series. This episode turns out to be nothing more than a story by Cartman, but the plot is too good to ignore.
2. "Good Times With Weapons"- From the last episode of Season 8 to the first, you can find this episode on some best episode lists, but it didn't make the cut here. The best parts of this episode are the fight sequences, which are shown in traditional anime style. Changing up the norm doesn't always work, but here it did. The ending sequence was also pretty great.
3. "Medicinal Fried Chicken"- In an poll on southparkstudios.com, fans voted this episode as the best of Season 14. The episode, which deals with the legalization of marijuana, focuses primarily on Randy Marsh and Cartman. It's usually a lot of fun to see Randy in a prominent role, he's an intelligent man but also dim-witted. Another thing that makes this episode stand out: a shockingly sobering moment towards the end of the episode.
4. "Super Fun Time"- The seventh episode of Season 12 is one of the most underrated in South Park history. There is no real underlying message, but it doesn't matter. Like in "The Death of Eric Cartman", the comedic duo of Cartman and Butters really shines. It also highlights the relationship between Stan and Wendy, which we don't get to see to often.
5. "Kenny Dies"- This is easily one of the most depressing episodes of South Park. The episode came about when Trey Parker and Matt Stone (the creators of the show) decided to kill off Kenny permanently and make Butters a main character. Without this episode, we would never have had the classic "Butters' Very Own Episode". Of course, Kenny was brought back, but at the time, this was supposed to be it for him. It resulted in a very somber episode that moved us all.
6. "Fun with Veal"- This is one of the Season 6 episodes in which Butters replaced Kenny as a main character (see previous entry). He provides some comic effect in this episode that Kenny could not have pulled off. Though all four main characters work as a team here (something that is surprisingly uncommon), Cartman steals the episode with his great negotiating skills. Cartman is typically a total jerk, so it was nice to see him work with the others. That's something that should happen more often.
7. "Lil' Crime Stoppers"- The fifth episode of Season 7, this episode is well-liked but generally underrated. The plot focuses on the four boys playing detective, and what happens when things get out of hand. The Park County Police Force show up in this episode, something that should happen more often. This episode highlights the fact that the four main characters are just kids, something we sometimes forget.
8. "Christian Rock Hard"- Three episodes after "Lil' Crime Stoppers" came "Christian Rock Hard", one of the best episodes of Season 7. In this episode, Cartman and Kyle have a bet to see who can make a platinum album first. Cartman forms a Christian rock band with Token and Butters while Kyle is distracted by the FBI. The satirical takes on downloading music illegally and the world of Christian music are pretty great.
9. "Pre-School"- This Season 8 episode shows what our favorite animated fourth graders were like when they were fourth-graders. In the episode, it is revealed that Stan, Cartman, Kyle, Kenny, and Butters were involved in an incident that took place five years ago. They let another kid take the fall, resulting in that kid going to Juvie. Now, that kid, Trent Boyett, has been released and he is looking for revenge.
10. "Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow"- A spoof on the movie The Day After Tomorrow, this episode aired in Season 8. It's a huge fan favorite and gave a great satirical take on the climate change debate. In the episode, Stan and Cartman destroy a beaver dam, leading to the flooding of a nearby city. While the whole city's response to the impending disaster of global warming, it is the reporting of the news channel that makes this episode so entertaining.
As you can see, South Park has a plethora of good episodes. In a future article, I'll list even more great episodes.
Monday, May 12, 2014
10 Best South Park Episodes Ever
Depending on who you ask, South Park is either an annoying show with high-pitched voices or a highly entertaining show. No matter what their answer, it's hard to deny that South Park is truly a brilliant show. In its 17 seasons so far, the show has tackled issues such as the Lance Armstrong doping scandal, the Trayvon Martin case, illegal immigration, global warming, and animal rights. Though they haven't always hit the mark, sometimes they hit the bullseye, then split that arrow right down the middle. In this article, we look at the ten best South Park episodes ever made. Note: I'll be treating a series of episodes as one episode (example: "Pandemic" and "Pandemic 2: The Startling" becomes the Pandemic series). This is because it's hard to treat each episode in a series as an individual, as it's supported by the other episode/s in its series. Another note: there are some SPOILERS, so be careful if you haven't watched all the episodes.
10. Coon Series- This series comprises of four episodes: Season 13's "The Coon" as well as "Coon 2: Hindsight", "Mysterion Rises", and "Coon vs. Coon & Friends" from Season 14. Individually, these episodes are good, but together they are fantastic. The whole story develops incredibly well and is incredibly entertaining. But the main reason the series is on this list: Mysterion. This masked superhero is Kenny's alter ego, and is one of the best characters in the show's history. We've never really got a chance to see Kenny being characterized outside of this series, which is a disappointment.
9. "The Last of the Meheecans"- One of the most underrated episodes in South Park history. This was the 9th episode of Season 15, and was the first episode after the two You're Old episodes. Those were a bit depressing and unsettling, "The Last of the Meheecans" went in a totally different direction. The writers ignored what happened in the previous two episodes, and it worked out very well. It's not as if this episode was really funny or anything, it just proved to be quite good. The main reason it makes this list is because it changed the direction the show seemed to be heading.
8. "Butters' Very Own Episode"- This was the finale of Season 6. In the previous episode, Kenny died, and this was seen as a permanent thing. The writers wanted to focus on secondary characters, such as Butters. The whole purpose of this episode was to set up Butters becoming a main character. In the end, Butters did not become a main character, but the episode was still excellent. The writers previously did a whole episode on a secondary character. That was "Pip", which turned out to be kind of a dud. This episode on the other hand, was great.
7. "Casa Bonita"- The eleventh episode of Season 7, this is an episode commonly seen on South Park's best episode lists. Why? It's a highly entertaining episode that features a great plot. In the episode, Kyle decides to have his birthday party at Casa Bonita, a place Cartman loves. Unfortunately for Cartman, Kyle invites Butters over him. Desperate to go to Casa Bonita, Cartman cooks up an elaborate scheme to make sure Butters will be unable to go. When it's all said and done, the storyline of this episode is excellent.
6. "The Death of Eric Cartman"- Some may consider it to be a bit of a stretch to call this episode one of the best ever, but it certainly deserves strong consideration. In this episode, the boys decide to ignore Cartman. Cartman however, believes instead that he has died, and is now wandering the Earth as a ghost. There was no real underlying message here, but it didn't need one. The plot more than made up for it. Also, the team of Cartman and Butters is truly comedic.
5. "Butters' Bottom Bitch"- Another episode that stars young Butters Stotch, and another fan favorite. In this episode, we see Butters come of age after he receives his first kiss. It's fun to see Butters transform, yet have him keep his innocent, child-like side. The ninth episode of Season 13, this episode highlighted just how different Butter is from all the other kids in South Park.
4. "The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers"- The thirteenth episode of Season 6, this episode has one of the best plots of any South Park episode. Cartman, Kyle, and Stan are asked by Stan's parents to go deliver a movie to Butters's house. This spirals into an out-of-control adventure that involves horny sixth graders, kids playing Harry Potter, and a hardcore adult film. Elegant, yet still a little simple.
3. "Make Love Not Warcraft"- The eight episode of Season 10, this is easily one of the best episodes in South Park history. One thing that sets it apart is it most of the real action takes place in the World of Warcraft, rather than the town of South Park. The plot is also pretty interesting. The four boys play World of Warcraft for days on end in order to level up and defeat a very experienced player. In the end however, it is Randy Marsh who saves the day.
2. Imagionationland Series- The series combination really comes into play here. The three episodes in this series are "Imaginationland", "Imaginationland, Episode II", and "Imaginationland, Episode III" from Episode 11. These are all great episodes, especially the last one, but together they are unbelievable. This is South Park at its finest. A completely original idea, great storylines, and laugh-out-loud hilarious.
1. "Scott Tenorman Must Die" and 200 Series- Make no mistake about it: "Scott Tenorman Must Die" is the greatest South Park episode ever, it's not even close. But of course, you can't think of this episode without thinking of the infamous 200 series (made up of "200" and "201"). These episodes are very controversial, and as a result, hard to find. They're not great episodes, but their link with 'Scott Tenorman Must Die" propels them to the top of this list. If you haven't watched these episodes yet, it is strongly, strongly recommended.
Think I forgot an episode or ranked one too high? Comment and let me know.
10. Coon Series- This series comprises of four episodes: Season 13's "The Coon" as well as "Coon 2: Hindsight", "Mysterion Rises", and "Coon vs. Coon & Friends" from Season 14. Individually, these episodes are good, but together they are fantastic. The whole story develops incredibly well and is incredibly entertaining. But the main reason the series is on this list: Mysterion. This masked superhero is Kenny's alter ego, and is one of the best characters in the show's history. We've never really got a chance to see Kenny being characterized outside of this series, which is a disappointment.
9. "The Last of the Meheecans"- One of the most underrated episodes in South Park history. This was the 9th episode of Season 15, and was the first episode after the two You're Old episodes. Those were a bit depressing and unsettling, "The Last of the Meheecans" went in a totally different direction. The writers ignored what happened in the previous two episodes, and it worked out very well. It's not as if this episode was really funny or anything, it just proved to be quite good. The main reason it makes this list is because it changed the direction the show seemed to be heading.
8. "Butters' Very Own Episode"- This was the finale of Season 6. In the previous episode, Kenny died, and this was seen as a permanent thing. The writers wanted to focus on secondary characters, such as Butters. The whole purpose of this episode was to set up Butters becoming a main character. In the end, Butters did not become a main character, but the episode was still excellent. The writers previously did a whole episode on a secondary character. That was "Pip", which turned out to be kind of a dud. This episode on the other hand, was great.
7. "Casa Bonita"- The eleventh episode of Season 7, this is an episode commonly seen on South Park's best episode lists. Why? It's a highly entertaining episode that features a great plot. In the episode, Kyle decides to have his birthday party at Casa Bonita, a place Cartman loves. Unfortunately for Cartman, Kyle invites Butters over him. Desperate to go to Casa Bonita, Cartman cooks up an elaborate scheme to make sure Butters will be unable to go. When it's all said and done, the storyline of this episode is excellent.
6. "The Death of Eric Cartman"- Some may consider it to be a bit of a stretch to call this episode one of the best ever, but it certainly deserves strong consideration. In this episode, the boys decide to ignore Cartman. Cartman however, believes instead that he has died, and is now wandering the Earth as a ghost. There was no real underlying message here, but it didn't need one. The plot more than made up for it. Also, the team of Cartman and Butters is truly comedic.
5. "Butters' Bottom Bitch"- Another episode that stars young Butters Stotch, and another fan favorite. In this episode, we see Butters come of age after he receives his first kiss. It's fun to see Butters transform, yet have him keep his innocent, child-like side. The ninth episode of Season 13, this episode highlighted just how different Butter is from all the other kids in South Park.
4. "The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers"- The thirteenth episode of Season 6, this episode has one of the best plots of any South Park episode. Cartman, Kyle, and Stan are asked by Stan's parents to go deliver a movie to Butters's house. This spirals into an out-of-control adventure that involves horny sixth graders, kids playing Harry Potter, and a hardcore adult film. Elegant, yet still a little simple.
3. "Make Love Not Warcraft"- The eight episode of Season 10, this is easily one of the best episodes in South Park history. One thing that sets it apart is it most of the real action takes place in the World of Warcraft, rather than the town of South Park. The plot is also pretty interesting. The four boys play World of Warcraft for days on end in order to level up and defeat a very experienced player. In the end however, it is Randy Marsh who saves the day.
2. Imagionationland Series- The series combination really comes into play here. The three episodes in this series are "Imaginationland", "Imaginationland, Episode II", and "Imaginationland, Episode III" from Episode 11. These are all great episodes, especially the last one, but together they are unbelievable. This is South Park at its finest. A completely original idea, great storylines, and laugh-out-loud hilarious.
1. "Scott Tenorman Must Die" and 200 Series- Make no mistake about it: "Scott Tenorman Must Die" is the greatest South Park episode ever, it's not even close. But of course, you can't think of this episode without thinking of the infamous 200 series (made up of "200" and "201"). These episodes are very controversial, and as a result, hard to find. They're not great episodes, but their link with 'Scott Tenorman Must Die" propels them to the top of this list. If you haven't watched these episodes yet, it is strongly, strongly recommended.
Think I forgot an episode or ranked one too high? Comment and let me know.
Sunday, May 11, 2014
10 Reasons Friends is One of the Greatest Shows Ever
Five days and ten years ago, on May 6th, 2004, more than 50 million people tuned in to watch the finale of one of the most iconic shows ever made: Friends. The beloved show ended after a run of ten years, and the six main cast members (Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, Courtney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, and Lisa Kudrow) have all enjoyed success afterwards. For example, LeBlanc was nominated for an Emmy last year, Cox currently stars on Cougar Town, and Schwimmer is the voice of Melman the giraffe in the Madagascar series. But even to this day, they are known for their roles in Friends. Why? Because even to this day, Friends is considered one of the best shows ever made, and in this article, we'll list ten reasons why.
1. The Cast- As I mentioned before, the main cast will always be remembered first and foremost for Friends. They fit their characters perfectly and acted extremely well. In fact, they garnered up a total of 16 Primetime Emmy nominations throughout the ten seasons, as well as five Golden Globe nominations. Interesting fact: Cox was the only main cast member who never received a Golden Globe or Emmy nomination and Aniston is the only one who won a Golden Globe.
2. The Guest Stars- Throughout the show, there were many supporting characters that contributed to the overall quality of the shows. Some of the more notable ones are Richard, Jill, Amy, Paul, and Will. Fortunately, their contributions did not go overlooked. In total, they have 11 Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor/Actress. Some of these actors: Brad Pitt, Christina Applegate, Bruce Willis, and Hank Azaria.
3. It's Legitimately Funny- A sitcom has to be funny, period. There's just no way around it. So when a sitcom isn't funny, it presents quite a bit of a problem. Luckily for Friends, this wasn't a problem. This was a genuinely funny show, mainly thanks to Chandler Bing's wise-cracks. But it just wasn't Chandler, the other characters did a great job being funny.
4. The Theme Song- Be honest: if you're not a Friends fan, you've probably never heard of The Rembrandts. If you are a fan, then the only song you know by them is probably "I'll be There for You", the iconic theme song for Friends. This song has truly stood the test of time, making it one of the most popular theme songs in history.
5. Central Perk- Central Perk was the coffee shop where the group hung out a lot. In fact, almost all of the opening scenes took place there. Many great shows have memorable settings: HIMYM had MacLaren's, That '70s Show had Forman's basement, and Community had their own study room. Central Perk was that for Friends. Whenever the cast was at Central Perk it gave a show a bit of a cozy feeling.
6. It's So Iconic- Make no mistake about it, Friends is one of the most iconic shows ever. This was especially true during its original run on the air. Every girl had to have her hair cut like Jennifer Aniston, Joey Tribbiani's line "How you doing" became common", and each actor was seen as a huge star. Very few shows can claim that each of their main cast members are seen in that light. Remember, at one point, each one of the cast members was making $1 million per episode. Only three actors (Charlie Sheen, Ray Romano, and Tim Allen) have made more.
7. Very Rewatchable- There's a reason that Friends is still on the air. No matter how many times you've seen an episode, you can watch it many times again. Not only that, but you can watch some scenes over and over again. Personally: I've seen at least twenty Chandler's best moment videos. Those never get old.
8. Great Storylines- If a show doesn't have good storylines, it's doomed to fail. That's a given. Some shows will run out of ideas and go stale after about five or six seasons; Friends had no problem with that, even through ten seasons. Each and every episode, they managed to give all of the main characters some sort of story. All of the main characters were seen as equal, and this helped back that claim up.
9. Critical Success- Fans may love a show, but for it to be seen as successful, it has to bring in the hardware. Friends definitely did that. In its ten years on the air, the show received 63 Emmy nominations (including six for Outstanding Comedy Series) and 10 Golden Globe Nominations (including five for Best Comedy or Musical). It's also received nominations for Kids' Choice Awards, People's Choice Awards, Satellite Awards, Logie Awards, PGA Awards, TV Guide Awards, TV Land Awards, TV Quick Awards, Teen Choice Awards, GLAAD Media Awards, American Comedy Awards, etc. If that doesn't convince you Friends is a good show, what will?
10. Withstood the Test of Time- Friends first aired in 1994, almost 20 years ago. Nonetheless, we're still talking about it now. That's truly incredible. Very few shows can claim that. Even with successful shows now, we have no way of knowing twenty years from now how popular they will be. But with Friends, we know that there will always be a devoted fan following.
Agree or disagree with anything in this article? Comment and let me know.
1. The Cast- As I mentioned before, the main cast will always be remembered first and foremost for Friends. They fit their characters perfectly and acted extremely well. In fact, they garnered up a total of 16 Primetime Emmy nominations throughout the ten seasons, as well as five Golden Globe nominations. Interesting fact: Cox was the only main cast member who never received a Golden Globe or Emmy nomination and Aniston is the only one who won a Golden Globe.
2. The Guest Stars- Throughout the show, there were many supporting characters that contributed to the overall quality of the shows. Some of the more notable ones are Richard, Jill, Amy, Paul, and Will. Fortunately, their contributions did not go overlooked. In total, they have 11 Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor/Actress. Some of these actors: Brad Pitt, Christina Applegate, Bruce Willis, and Hank Azaria.
3. It's Legitimately Funny- A sitcom has to be funny, period. There's just no way around it. So when a sitcom isn't funny, it presents quite a bit of a problem. Luckily for Friends, this wasn't a problem. This was a genuinely funny show, mainly thanks to Chandler Bing's wise-cracks. But it just wasn't Chandler, the other characters did a great job being funny.
4. The Theme Song- Be honest: if you're not a Friends fan, you've probably never heard of The Rembrandts. If you are a fan, then the only song you know by them is probably "I'll be There for You", the iconic theme song for Friends. This song has truly stood the test of time, making it one of the most popular theme songs in history.
5. Central Perk- Central Perk was the coffee shop where the group hung out a lot. In fact, almost all of the opening scenes took place there. Many great shows have memorable settings: HIMYM had MacLaren's, That '70s Show had Forman's basement, and Community had their own study room. Central Perk was that for Friends. Whenever the cast was at Central Perk it gave a show a bit of a cozy feeling.
6. It's So Iconic- Make no mistake about it, Friends is one of the most iconic shows ever. This was especially true during its original run on the air. Every girl had to have her hair cut like Jennifer Aniston, Joey Tribbiani's line "How you doing" became common", and each actor was seen as a huge star. Very few shows can claim that each of their main cast members are seen in that light. Remember, at one point, each one of the cast members was making $1 million per episode. Only three actors (Charlie Sheen, Ray Romano, and Tim Allen) have made more.
7. Very Rewatchable- There's a reason that Friends is still on the air. No matter how many times you've seen an episode, you can watch it many times again. Not only that, but you can watch some scenes over and over again. Personally: I've seen at least twenty Chandler's best moment videos. Those never get old.
8. Great Storylines- If a show doesn't have good storylines, it's doomed to fail. That's a given. Some shows will run out of ideas and go stale after about five or six seasons; Friends had no problem with that, even through ten seasons. Each and every episode, they managed to give all of the main characters some sort of story. All of the main characters were seen as equal, and this helped back that claim up.
9. Critical Success- Fans may love a show, but for it to be seen as successful, it has to bring in the hardware. Friends definitely did that. In its ten years on the air, the show received 63 Emmy nominations (including six for Outstanding Comedy Series) and 10 Golden Globe Nominations (including five for Best Comedy or Musical). It's also received nominations for Kids' Choice Awards, People's Choice Awards, Satellite Awards, Logie Awards, PGA Awards, TV Guide Awards, TV Land Awards, TV Quick Awards, Teen Choice Awards, GLAAD Media Awards, American Comedy Awards, etc. If that doesn't convince you Friends is a good show, what will?
10. Withstood the Test of Time- Friends first aired in 1994, almost 20 years ago. Nonetheless, we're still talking about it now. That's truly incredible. Very few shows can claim that. Even with successful shows now, we have no way of knowing twenty years from now how popular they will be. But with Friends, we know that there will always be a devoted fan following.
Agree or disagree with anything in this article? Comment and let me know.
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