Friends: The Complete Series Blu-ray

Friends: The Complete Series

 (TV) (1994-2004)

Friends: The Complete Series Blu-ray offers solid video and audio in this overall recommended Blu-ray release
Friends is an US sitcom about six friends struggling to survive on their own in Manhattan. In each episode, they find the companionship, comfort and support from each other to be the perfect solutions to the pressures of everyday life.

For more about Friends: The Complete Series and the Friends: The Complete Series Blu-ray release, see the Friends: The Complete Series Blu-ray Review

Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer
Directors: Gary Halvorson, Michael Lembeck, James Burrows, David Schwimmer, Robby Benson, Thomas Schlamme

» See full cast & crew

Friends: The Complete Series Blu-ray Review

A problematic AV presentation complicates Must See TV's transition to Must See BD...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown, November 14, 2012

Ten years, 236 episodes, 63 Primetime Emmy nods, a string of coveted comedy awards, a sizable cultural impact, ratings that actually increased over the show's ten-season run, a series finale that drew over fifty-million viewers, and an ever-rabid fanbase that continues to expand thanks to syndication and the next generation of home video releases. Friends didn't just leave a mark on television history, it left a crater. It isn't just a cult favorite either. It stands among a very select few as one of the most influential and beloved television comedies of all time. A true sitcom standard; no small feat considering its proud lineage and relatively recent tenure on the broadcast throne. It almost goes without saying then that the show's 21-disc Blu-ray debut would be burdened with enormous fan expectation.



Warner Bros. has seemingly tackled those expectations head on, remastering each episode by going back to the original 35mm film negatives. Unfortunately, the product of those efforts isn't the revelation most Friends fanatics have been hoping for. The resulting video presentation is very good but falls short of greatness, the series' audio is delivered via a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, and the set's special features amount to little more than ports of the long-outmoded DVD seasons. Even the 21st disc, which touts several new and exclusive special features, can be exhausted in two-and-a-half hours. Worse, perhaps, is the absence of the DVD edition's extended episodes; a sticking point that has already sent many a devotee into a tailspin. To them, any half-hearted explanation would merely be seen as an excuse, something Warner would have been wise to anticipate and address with a brief on-screen message at the open of each season (e.g. the short but succinct note from Universal that appears when you pop in any disc of Battlestar Galactica). Make no mistake, criticism is sure to abound.

The victim -- yes, more vocal detractors are at this moment deploying such hyperbolic language -- isn't the consumer or the fan. If anything, it's Friends. This is not the definitive box set many have been imagining since its announcement, nor is it everything it could be. There will be some who refuse to revisit the series on Blu-ray out of principle and others who will convince themselves that lossless audio would somehow make the show funnier than it already is. Still others will dismiss the broadcast versions of the episodes entirely, particularly if they're well acquainted with the extra jokes and gags from the DVD seasons' extended episodes. Broadcast or extended, though, Friends remains funny. Hilarious even, if you aren't harboring a late '90s grudge or any lingering animosity toward Matthew Perry. (An entire camp of TV junkies despise the show all because of poor Chandler. Baffling. He's my favorite Central Perker.) Some episodes are sharper than others, sure. The same could be said of some seasons. Even at its lowest points, though, Friends entertains.

And it wasn't just dumb luck, a coveted Thursday night time slot, or even the show's tireless audience. There's a more fundamental reason -- several really, but we'll go with just one -- that NBC's wildly successful sitcom-of-sitcoms survived and thrived for ten fruitful years; that it went on to generate tremendous DVD sales; that it will continue to live out a long and largely happy life on Blu-ray and beyond. And it isn't limited to the cast, the writers, the now-classic episodes or the conversational hilarity that ensued. Most everyone knows a Ross. A Rachel. A Ross who secretly loves a Rachel. A hyper-competitive but ever-reliable Monica. A dim-witted but lovable Joey. A quirky but compassionate Phoebe. A snarky but good-natured Chandler. Like other NBC sitcom greats -- Family Ties, Sanford and Son, Night Court, Cheers, The Cosby Show and Seinfeld, among others -- Friends assembled a lineup of six pop culture-weened modern American archetypes, forged inseparable bonds between them, and turned the whole gang loose on a quaintly romanticized Manhattan, where apartments were narrowly affordable and wonderfully spacious, jobs were easy to come by, crazy characters could pop up for a laugh then disappear for weeks on end, and disastrous relationships came to an end rather amicably.

So no, the new Complete Series box set isn't the definitive Friends compendium the more ravenous fans among you have been dreaming of since Blu-ray got off the ground. It isn't perfect, untoppable or inexhaustible either, and there's plenty of room for expansion and improvement. Be that as it may, it looks better than any series release thus far. It even sounds better, lossy be damned. Factor in its semi-generous bonus disc and cumbersome but classy packaging, and the 21-disc set pushes north of solid and comes to a rest just shy of enticing. Does that mean anyone should avoid it? Frankly, no. Tis the season to chuck frugal out the window, hunt for online deals, and buy your dearest friends -- the Rosses, the Rachels, the Monicas, the Joeys, the Phoebes and the Chandlers in your life -- a box set they might hesitate to buy for themselves. Or maybe you and your special someone are that Ross or Rachel. Buy in, set aside a few weeks to make your way through the series, and reconnect with some old sitcom friends.

A note from executive producers Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman and David Crane:

"When we pitched a series to NBC about six friends living in New York City we had minimal aspirations. Our previous show had been canceled after six episodes. Our dream was to stay on the air for seven. 236 episodes and ten years later, we still we're ready to see it end. Looking back, there are so many ways this show could have gone off the rails. If we hadn't cast these six perfect actors... If one of the other actors who in desperation we'd previously offered the roles to hadn't turned us down... If NBC hadn't given us that golden-ticket Thursday night time slot... If we'd yielded to their insistence that we add an older character to the ensemble... If we'd coerced our cast into doing a series of appalling Diet Coke commercials thus igniting a ferocious backlash against the show (oh wait, that happened...)

We survived our missteps, and luck was with us at every turn. Okay, not just luck. We had a genius room full of writers who were hilarious even at their most sleep-deprived, a remarkable crew, and a stellar lineup of directors beginning with the legendary-for-good-reason James Burrows. On a personal note, there are two people who we never have the opportunity to acknowledge enough. Michael Skloff, for his unforgettable theme song and the most indelible five hand claps in television history. And Jeffrey Klarik, whose brilliant and uncredited dialogue, jokes and story ideas can be found everywhere from the pilot to the series finale. Friends wouldn't be Friends without them.

More than anything, we were blessed with an audience of unparalleled fervor, following us down whatever road we took the show, willing to wait a decade for Ross and Rachel to finally get together for good. (Too late for "spoiler alert"?) And now, astonishingly, we find that there's a new audience for the show. Kids who weren't even born when we said our last goodbyes to Central Perk are actually discovering "Smelly Cat" and Janice's laugh for the first time. We're thrilled that there is this new, vivid Blu-ray version of the show for them to see. The chick and the duck have never looked so feathery. Enjoy!"

A season-by-season breakdown of all your favorite Friends episodes:

The Complete First Season: 24 episodes


• The Pilot


• The One with the Sonogram at the End


• The One with the Thumb


• The One with George Stephanopoulos


• The One with the East German Laundry Detergent


• The One with the Butt


• The One with the Blackout


• The One Where Nana Dies Twice


• The One Where Underdog Gets Away


• The One with the Monkey


• The One with Mrs. Bing


• The One with the Dozen Lasagnas


• The One with the Boobies


• The One with the Candy Hearts


• The One with the Stoned Guy


• The One with Two Parts, Part 1


• The One with Two Parts, Part 2


• The One with All the Poker


• The One Where the Monkey Gets Away


• The One with the Evil Orthodontist


• The One with Fake Monica


• The One with the Ick Factor


• The One with the Birth


• The One Where Rachel Finds Out

The Complete Second Season: 24 episodes


• The One with Ross' New Girlfriend


• The One with the Breast Milk


• The One Where Heckles Dies


• The One with Phoebe's Husband


• The One with Five Steaks and an Eggplant


• The One with the Baby on the Bus


• The One Where Ross Finds Out


• The One with the List


• The One with Phoebe's Dad


• The One with Russ


• The One with the Lesbian Wedding


• The One After the Superbowl, Part 1


• The One After the Superbowl, Part 2


• The One with the Prom Video


• The One Where Ross and Rachel... You Know


• The One Where Joey Moves Out


• The One Where Eddie Moves In


• The One Where Dr. Ramoray Dies


• The One Where Eddie Won't Go


• The One Where Old Yeller Dies


• The One with the Bullies


• The One with the Two Parties


• The One with the Chicken Pox


• The One with Barry and Mindy's Wedding

The Complete Third Season: 25 episodes


• The One with the Princess Leia Fantasy


• The One Where No One's Ready


• The One with the Jam


• The One with the Metaphorical Tunnel


• The One with Frank Jr.


• The One with the Flashback


• The One with the Race Car Bed


• The One with the Giant Poking Device


• The One with the Football


• The One Where Rachel Quits


• The One Where Chandler Can't Remember Which Sister


• The One with All the Jealousy


• The One Where Monica and Richard are Just Friends


• The One with Phoebe's Ex-Partner


• The One Where Ross and Rachel Take a Break


• The One with the Morning After


• The One without the Ski Trip


• The One with the Hypnosis Tape


• The One with the Tiny T-Shirt


• The One with the Dollhouse


• The One with a Chick and a Duck


• The One with the Screamer


• The One with Ross' Thing


• The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion


• The One at the Beach

The Complete Fourth Season: 24 episodes


• The One with the Jellyfish


• The One with the Cat


• The One with the Cuffs


• The One with the Ballroom Dancing


• The One with Joey's New Girlfriend


• The One with the Dirty Girl


• The One Where Chandler Crosses the Line


• The One with Chandler in a Box


• The One Where They're Going to Party!


• The One with the Girl from Poughkeepsie


• The One with Phoebe's Uterus


• The One with the Embryos


• The One with Rachel's Crush


• The One with Joey's Dirty Day


• The One with All the Rugby


• The One with the Fake Party


• The One with the Free Porn


• The One with Rachel's New Dress


• The One with All the Haste


• The One with All the Wedding Dresses


• The One with the Invitation


• The One with the Worst Best Man Ever


• The One with Ross' Wedding, Part 1


• The One with Ross' Wedding, Part 2

The Complete Fifth Season: 24 episodes


• The One After Ross Says Rachel


• The One with All the Kissing


• The One with the Triplets (The One Hundredth)


• The One Where Phoebe Hates PBS


• The One with the Kips


• The One with the Yeti


• The One Where Ross Moves In


• The One with All the Thanksgivings


• The One with Ross' Sandwich


• The One with the Inappropriate Sister


• The One with All the Resolutions


• The One with Chandler's Work Laugh


• The One with Joey's Bag


• The One Where Everybody Finds Out


• The One with the Girl Who Hits Joey


• The One with the Cop


• The One with Rachel's Inadvertent Kiss


• The One Where Rachel Smokes


• The One Where Ross Can't Flirt


• The One with the Ride-Along


• The One with the Ball


• The One with Joey's Big Break


• The One in Vegas, Part 1


• The One in Vegas, Part 2

The Complete Sixth Season: 25 episodes


• The One After Vegas


• The One Where Ross Hugs Rachel


• The One with Ross' Denial


• The One Where Joey Loses His Insurance


• The One with Joey's Porsche


• The One on the Last Night


• The One Where Phoebe Runs


• The One with Ross' Teeth


• The One Where Ross Got High


• The One with the Routine


• The One with the Apothecary Table


• The One with the Joke


• The One with Rachel's Sister


• The One Where Chandler Can't Cry


• The One that Could Have Been, Part 1


• The One that Could Have Been, Part 2


• The One with Unagi


• The One Where Ross Dates a Student


• The One with Joey's Fridge


• The One with Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E.


• The One Where Ross Meets Elizabeth's Dad


• The One Where Paul's the Man


• The One with the Ring


• The One with the Proposal, Part 1


• The One with the Proposal, Part 2

The Complete Seventh Season: 24 episodes


• The One with Monica's Thunder


• The One with Rachel's Book


• The One with Phoebe's Cookies


• The One with Rachel's Assistant


• The One with the Engagement Picture


• The One with the Nap Partners


• The One with Ross' Liberty Book


• The One Where Chandler Doesn't Like Dogs


• The One with All the Candy


• The One with the Holiday Armadillo


• The One with All the Cheesecakes


• The One Where They're Up All Night


• The One Where Rosita Dies


• The One Where They All Turn Thirty


• The One with Joey's New Brain


• The One with the Truth About London


• The One with the Cheap Wedding Dress


• The One with Joey's Award


• The One with Ross and Monica's Cousin


• The One with Rachel's Big Kiss


• The One with the Vows


• The One with Chandler's Dad


• The One with Monica and Chandler's Wedding, Part 1


• The One with Monica and Chandler's Wedding, Part 2

The Complete Eighth Season: 24 episodes


• The One After I Do


• The One with the Red Sweater


• The One Where Rachel Tells...


• The One with the Videotape


• The One with Rachel's Date


• The One with the Halloween Party


• The One with the Stain


• The One with the Stripper


• The One with the Rumor


• The One with Monica's Boots


• The One with the Creepy Holiday Card


• The One Where Joey Dates Rachel


• The One Where Chandler Takes a Bath


• The One with the Secret Closet


• The One with the Birthing Video


• The One Where Joey Tells Rachel


• The One with the Tea Leaves


• The One in Massapequa


• The One with Joey's Interview


• The One with the Baby Shower


• The One with the Cooking Class


• The One Where Rachel is Late


• The One Where Rachel Has a Baby, Part 1


• The One Where Rachel Has a Baby, Part 2

The Complete Ninth Season: 24 episodes


• The One Where No One Proposes


• The One Where Emma Cries


• The One with the Pediatrician


• The One with the Sharks


• The One with Phoebe's Birthday Dinner


• The One with the Male Nanny


• The One with Ross' Inappropriate Song


• The One with Rachel's Older Sister


• The One with Rachel's Phone Number


• The One with Christmas in Tulsa


• The One Where Rachel Goes Back to Work


• The One with Phoebe's Rats


• The One Where Monica Sings


• The One with the Blind Dates


• The One with the Mugging


• The One with the Boob Job


• The One with the Memorial Service


• The One with the Lottery


• The One with Rachel's Dream


• The One with the Soap Opera Party


• The One with the Fertility Test


• The One with the Donor


• The One in Barbados, Part 1


• The One in Barbados, Part 2

The Complete Tenth Season: 18 episodes


• The One After Joey and Rachel Kiss


• The One Where Ross is Fine


• The One with Ross' Tan


• The One with the Cake


• The One Where Rachel's Sister Babysits


• The One with Ross' Grant


• The One with the Home Study


• The One with the Late Thanksgiving


• The One with the Birth Mother


• The One Where Chandler Gets Caught


• The One Where the Stripper Cries


• The One with Phoebe's Wedding


• The One Where Joey Speaks French


• The One with Princess Consuela


• The One Where Estelle Dies


• The One with Rachel's Going Away Party


• The Last One, Part 1


• The Last One, Part 2

Friends: The Complete Series Blu-ray, Video Quality

 

Friends: The Complete Series is presented via a 1.78:1 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer; one created by going back to the original 35mm film elements and remastering each season from the ground up. The results, though, vary rather dramatically and give way to a host of minor but, when heaped one atop another, compounding issues. First, let's deal with the original 35mm negatives and the series' original photography. Softness abounds, grain can be unwieldy, and detail is only as revealing as the episodes allow. Friends is classic catalog television, pure and simple. Even in the mid-to-late '90s, the thought of high definition TVs, much less one in every family room, was something of a pipe dream; certainly nothing executive producers felt the need to account for when it came to squeezing the most out of their budgets. Like most shows, it was shot for 1.33:1 standard definition mass consumption and DVD-level scrutiny, nothing more. ("The Pilot" is an even bigger mess. Don't panic.) Remaster or no, Warner Bros. can't turn water into wine, and I have no intention of docking the presentation for its inherited shortcomings.

Other more disconcerting problems arise as the series progresses, the worst of which plague the third, fourth and fifth seasons. The majority of these problems could have been addressed with some tweaking, especially since, as it stands, "tweaking" is exactly what caused them to manifest in the first place. Over the course of the show's ten seasons, color and contrast run the gamut (from pleasant and natural to dull and yellowed, to bright and vivid, to overbearing, then steadily back to natural), fleshtones are sometimes muddy or over-saturated, primaries are problematic early on and too vibrant on occasion as the series nears its end, crush hinders shadow detail as black levels bottom out, and intermittent compression artifacts, faint and fleeting as they are, pop up every now and again. Obvious noise reduction is also in play. There are scenes and entire episodes where it's applied with such an uncharacteristically heavy hand that it wreaks havoc on midrange shots and numerous closeups. Other digital techniques have been used to normalize and stabilize aspects of the series' 236-episode photography too; just none that lead to nearly as many mishaps.

All that being said, I'll be the first to admit -- and celebrate -- the fact that Friends has never looked better than it does here. Colors may be uneven when accelerating from season to season, but they're also lovely and satisfying overall, particularly in later seasons as the series barrels into the 21st century. Contrast becomes more consistent too, as does delineation and detail. In early seasons, when edge definition and fine textures deliver, it's in spite of everything that's working against them. Later, edges and fine textures deliver in conjunction with the rest of the image, as clarity becomes more generous and impresses accordingly. The series' grain, meanwhile, ranges from mild to heavy, with stops at muddled and soupy in between, but never becomes a sizable distraction. Removing it completely would have been detrimental, so kudos to Warner for sticking with their commitment to the 35mm remaster. (Now if only the noise reduction applied to the image wasn't so unforgiving.) The technical encode is also proficient (barring the aforementioned artifacting, which is thankfully in very short supply). All 200+ episodes are given ample room to breathe and I have yet to notice much, if anything, in the way of substantial banding, aliasing, shimmering, flickering, ringing or film-element damage.

Perfect? No. Terrific? Still cold. Great? Getting a wee bit warmer. Good? Worth the cost of admission? There you go. Friends wasn't primed to produce a knockout Blu-ray, and yet its video presentation is arguably the highlight of the set. How's that for a conundrum? In the end, reasonable fans will be pleased, videophiles will grumble, some will think I'm being far too kind, and still others will think it all looks better than reviewers are giving it credit for.

Friends: The Complete Series Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 

The Complete Series doesn't include any lossless audio option, putting all of its faith in a solid but by no means ideal 640kbps Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track. Just don't rush to jump to any conclusion. It isn't the track's lossy nature that spoils things. I'll even go so far to say a lossless mix wouldn't have improved the discernible quality of the ensuing sonics all that much. (Key word: discernible.) No, the real problem here is that the show's unexpectedly full and energetic sound design could have used further remastering and adjustment, as several lingering issues bring it down half a notch. While matters indeed improve over the course of Friends' ten seasons, everything from air hiss to distortion, errant noise and other flare-ups interfere with dialogue, effects and live studio audience outbursts; things that could have been eliminated or at least minimized had the audio been given more attention.

That doesn't mean the Dolby Digital track is a misfire or a loss. Far from it. Distractions creep in, sure, but the finer qualities of the mix shouldn't be so readily dismissed. Voices are largely bright, clear and intelligible, prioritization is savvy, LFE output is decidedly decent (albeit rarely pushed to any extreme), the rear speakers are quite active, and dynamics get the job done. Music and ambience are better than average too, pans and directionality were more satisfying than I anticipated, and I was continually surprised by the relative immersiveness of the otherwise stock sitcom soundfield. There's still a general thinness inherent to most episodes, the studio audience laughter often sounds canned, and further remastering work could have possibly brought earlier seasons more in line with later seasons. But as catalog television goes, it could have been a lot worse.

Friends: The Complete Series Blu-ray, Special Features and Extras

 

Friends: The Complete Series comes packaged in a well-crafted black box (11½ x 8 x 2) with a lenticular cover and hidden magnetic clasp. Inside is a 34-page booklet with a season by season breakdown of the episodes available (for quick reference when trying to find your favorite Friends outing). Beneath that is a sturdy 21-disc rectangular book-style case (11 x 6¾ x 1¼) with yet another concealed magnetic clasp, six heavy cardboard pages with two disc sleeves on each side of each page, and 21 Blu-ray discs (two for each season and one bonus disc). Removing the discs can be a bit tricky -- you have to slightly press against the back of a page to slide a disc out -- and caution and care are required to prevent damaging the pages. The discs seem safe enough (the sleeves are glossy, the pages are glossy, and the chances of scratching anything are slim to none), but even small finger indentations would have made removing discs that much easier. Either way, high marks on the packaging.

I can't say the same for the special features themselves. The vast majority of the supplements on tap have been ported over from the series' DVD releases and generally amount to three or four audio commentaries per season (29 in total) and a small selection of throwaway extras presented in standard definition. (Three DVD documentaries steal the supplemental show.) The box set also touts more than four hours of new extras, but that's where things go from underwhelming to strange. Unless I'm missing something, there are just under two-and-a-half hours of new and/or exclusive special features -- not four -- and none of the main cast members show up in any of the set's new high definition retrospective documentaries. Worse perhaps is the fact that there are several notable absences, chief among them Season Two's commentary tracks and, more notably, the bulk of the series' extended episodes. Even if it was impossible or cost prohibitive to remaster and/or reassemble the extended episodes, it would have been nice to have them as standard definition extras (a la Season Seven's four super-sized episodes) or, at the very least, to have all the additional bits and pieces rounded up and delivered as deleted scenes.

In the end, the 21-disc box set's supplemental package may boast twenty hours of extras, but for a 236-episode complete collection of a classic television series, that's not a whole lot.


The Complete First Season: Discs 1-2

• Audio Commentary: While most of the seasons have three or more commentaries, the first season only offers one: "Pilot" with executive producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman and David Crane. The showrunners' comments have been recorded separately, which is a disappointment, but they manage to cover a fair amount of information about the development, casting and production of the series' opening 24-episode volley.
• Friends of Friends (SD, 9 minutes): A quick-reference cameo/guest star guide.
• Season Two Trailer (SD, 1 minute): Or rather "The One with the Trailer of Season 2."

The Complete Second Season: Discs 3-4

• Audio Commentaries... Or Not: The DVD release of Season Two included commentary tracks for "The One with the List" and "The One with the Prom Video." The Blu-ray version does not.
• Friends of Friends (SD, 11 minutes): A quick-reference cameo/guest star guide.
• What's Up with Your Friends? (SD, 8 minutes): Brief montages highlighting the friends and other characters.
• Smelly Cat Video (SD, 2 minutes): Phoebe brings color to the bleak world of Smelly Cat.

The Complete Third Season: Discs 5-6

• Audio Commentaries: Back on track. Season Three includes three commentaries: "The One Where No One¡¯s Ready" with executive producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, "The One with the Football" with Bright, Kauffman, Crane and art director John Shaffner, and "The One the Morning After" with Bright, Kauffman and Crane. Again, though, the participants have been recorded separately, which rob the commentaries of spontaneity and humor but ensure production details remain front and center at all times. In other words, dry but informative.
• Friends of Friends (SD, 11 minutes): A quick-reference cameo/guest star guide.
• What's Up with Your Friends? (SD, 8 minutes): Brief montages highlighting the friends and other characters.

The Complete Fourth Season: Discs 7-8

• Audio Commentaries: Four commentaries are available: "The One with Chandler in a Box" with executive producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, "The One with the Embryos" with Bright, Kauffman and Crane, and "The One with Ross¡¯s Wedding, Part 1" and "Part 2" with, you guessed it, Bright, Kauffman and Crane. Recorded separately, the showrunners touch on more than the episodes at hand, discussing the full run of the season while incorporating episode-specific notes to effectively dissect both simultaneously. On the one hand it keeps the producers focused and on task. On the other hand it makes each commentary a somewhat detached affair that struck me as a bit too serious for each track's own good.
• Friends Around the World (SD, 8 minutes): The world loves Friends apparently. See international audiences react, go inside foreign studios to see episodes dubbed in different languages, and learn about challenges associated with episode translations.
• Friends of Friends (SD, 8 minutes): A quick-reference cameo/guest star guide.
• What's Up with Your Friends? (SD, 9 minutes): Brief montages highlighting the friends and other characters.

The Complete Fifth Season: Discs 9-10

• Audio Commentaries: Season Five features three commentary tracks: "The One Hundredth" with executive producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, "The One with All the Thanksgivings" with Bright, Kauffman and Crane, and "The One Where Everybody Finds Out" with... Bright, Kauffman and Crane. (The more I type it, the more "Bright, Kauffman and Crane" sounds like a law firm.) Thankfully, the showrunners step into the future and sit down together in the same room and have a conversation with each other. There's still quite a bit of editing involved, drawing upon separate and/or different recordings, but I'll take what I can get.
• The One that Goes Behind the Scenes (SD, 42 minutes): The first real must-see special feature, this lengthy Discovery Channel documentary is easily the best extra available on the first ten discs and, after so many shallow clip montages, a genuine relief from the monotony. Candid and extensive, a variety of interviews with the cast and crew are intercut with fly-on-the-wall prep and production footage. But it's when the cameras go inside the writer's room, into the cast rehearsals and onto the stage in front of a live studio audience that the documentary really takes off. It's all a bit dated, I'll admit, and it focuses on Season Six episodes rather than much from Season Five. That doesn't mean it isn't enjoyable, though. Don't skip past this one assuming it's as trite as some of the supplemental drivel from the first four seasons.
• Friends on Location in London (SD, 2 minutes): A much too short look at the show's hop across the pond.
• Gunther Spills the Beans (SD, 2 minutes): Central Perk's Gunther looks forward to Season Six.

The Complete Sixth Season: Discs 11-12

• Audio Commentaries: The sixth season offers four audio commentaries, the bulk of which are more hit-or-miss than the tracks featured on previous seasons. Included is "The One Where Ross Got High" with executive producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, both "The One that Could Have Been, Part 1" and "Part 2" with Bright, Kauffman and Crane, and "The One with the Proposal" with Bright, Kauffman and Crane. The showrunners tend to get a bit more distracted by the performances and drift off on more tangents than they have before, but they still cover plenty of key Season Six topics and touch on everything fans could want to know... at least about the four episodes they discuss.
• Friends of Friends (SD, 13 minutes): A quick-reference cameo/guest star guide.
• Gag Reel (SD, 10 minutes): Fun but fairly inconsequential.
• Gunther Spills the Beans (SD, 2 minutes): Gunther dishes dirt on Season Seven.

The Complete Seventh Season: Discs 13-14

• Audio Commentaries: Four more commentaries pop up for Season Seven: "The One with the Holiday Armadillo" with executive producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman and David Crane and costume designer Debra McGuire, "The One with Joey's New Brain" with Bright, Kauffman and Crane, and both "The One with Monica and Chandler's Wedding, Part 1" and "Part 2" with Bright, Kauffman and Crane. The inclusion of anyone other than the showrunners -- pleasant and forthcoming as they are -- is appreciated, but only draws attention to what could have been. Imagine actor commentaries, writers' chats and other combinations. While Bright, Kauffman and Crane are as jovial and informative as ever, it would be nice to hear from a cross section of the entire cast and crew.
• The Ones with More Friends (SD, 111 minutes): Four original broadcast super-sized episodes are included as bonus features, albeit in standard definition with Dolby Digital 2.0 audio: "The One Where Rosita Dies," "The One Where They All Turn Thirty," "The One with Joey's New Brain" and "The One with the Truth About London."
• Friends of Friends (SD, 20 minutes): A quick-reference cameo/guest star guide.
• Gag Reel (SD, 9 minutes): Outtakes galore, some genuinely funny.
• Gunther Spills the Beans (SD, 2 minutes): Gunther looks ahead to Season Eight.

The Complete Eighth Season: Discs 15-16

• Audio Commentaries: Season Eight trots out four additional commentaries: "The One Where Rachel Tells Ross" with executive producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, "The One with the Videotape" with Bright, Kauffman and Crane, and both "The One Where Rachel has a Baby, Part 1" and "Part 2" with Bright, Kauffman and Crane. At this point digging through a season's tracks is almost like coming home, meaning the showrunners' overviews of essential episodes are a tad predictable but chock full of info. Fans who aren't on a commentary bender will be more than pleased with everything Bright, Kauffman and Crane have to offer. If you're on your umpteenth track, though, prepare for the malaise that sets in.
• Friends of Friends (SD, 20 minutes): A quick-reference cameo/guest star guide.
• Gag Reel (SD, 9 minutes): More laughs, more flubs, more live studio audience applause.
• Gunther Spills the Beans (SD, 2 minutes): A peek at Season Nine with Gunther.

The Complete Ninth Season: Discs 17-18

• Audio Commentaries: Three more showrunner commentaries for your listening pleasure: "The One with the Male Nanny" with executive producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, "The One with Rachel's Other Sister" with Bright, Kauffman and Crane, and "The One in Barbados" with Bright, Kauffman and Crane. It's more of the same, granted, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. The biggest downside is the same as before: a full season deserves more than a handful of commentaries.
• Behind the Style: The Look of Friends (SD, 20 minutes): Substantial documentaries are few and far between, but "Behind the Style" is a refreshingly substantiative trip behind the scenes with costume designer Debra McGuire, hair stylist Jonathan Hanousek and makeup artist Robin Siegel.
• Music Video (SD, 2 minutes): The Flaming Lips' "Phoebe Battles the Pink Robots," a ballad version of "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" from the band's album of the same name.
• Gag Reel (SD, 7 minutes): As if you didn't already love the cast enough...
• Gunther Spills the Beans (SD, 3 minutes): Gunther counts down to the tenth and final season.

The Complete Tenth Season: Discs 19-20

• Audio Commentaries: The long-running series' tenth and final season walks away with three farewell commentaries: "The One With the Late Thanksgiving" with executive producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, "The One Where the Stripper Cries" with Bright, Kauffman and Crane, and "The Last One" with Bright, Kauffman and Crane.
• Friends Final Thoughts (SD, 26 minutes): The showrunners, cast and crew look back on the show's wild ten-season ride, sharing favorite moments, fond memories and other reflections on everything from the series' casting to the rise of its stars to the plot lines, recurring characters, and monumental events that made Friends an undisputed hit.
• Friends of Friends (SD, 17 minutes): A quick-reference cameo/guest star guide.
• Gag Reels (SD, 42 minutes): A Season Ten outtake montage and four flashback gag reels.
• Music Video (SD, 3 minutes): "Joey Joey" with Matt LeBlanc.

Additional Bonus Features: Disc 21

• Friends from the Start (HD, 28 minutes): The first of three high definition documentaries, "Friends from the Start" finds crucial members of the crew and a handful of supporting actors -- executive producers Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, director James Burrows, network executive Warren Littlefield, former president of Warner Bros. Television Leslie Moonves, producer Todd Stevens, art director John Shaffner, costume designer Debra McGuire, and actors Elliott Gould, Christina Pickles, Melora Hardin and James Michael Tyler -- coming together eight years after the end of the series to discuss the genesis of the show, its development, sets, storylines, characters and more. It's a great retrospective, but the main cast is sadly MIA. No Aniston, Perry, Cox, Kudrow, LeBlanc or Schwimmer, except in the endless clips that litter the proceedings.
• When Friends Become Family (HD, 29 minutes): Bright, Kauffman, Crane, Burrows, Littlefield, Stevens, Shaffner, McGuire, Gould, Pickles, Hardin and Tyler return -- along with writer Greg Malins, audience warm-up artist Jim Bentley and actors Maggie Wheeler, Bonnie Somerville and Alexandra Holden -- to cover the show's runaway success, its ongoing evolution, and the secret behind its endurance and influence. Still no sign of the main cast, though, which would have rocketed the 21st disc's documentaries to heights unknown.
• The Legacy of Friends (HD, 11 minutes): "If you know it's the end, you're writing toward a finish line." This tenth and final season retrospective brings satisfying closure to the documentaries, although without any fresh faces. Even so, it's a nice, heartfelt trip back through time.
• Friends on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (SD, 22 minutes): Jay sits down with Schwimmer, LeBlanc and Matthew Perry (in Central Perk no less) moments after the actors watched the final episode for the first time. A few minutes later, he invites Aniston, Kudrow and Courtney Cox into the spotlight. Finally, with six minutes to spare, the entire cast shares the stage.
• Friends Visits The Ellen DeGeneres Show (SD, 16 minutes): Daytime talk show host Ellen DeGeneres welcomes Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer (separately but in good spirits).
• The One Where Rachel Tells Ross (SD, 23 minutes): Shortly after 9/11, a pre-recorded scene with a bomb joke left the producers with little choice but to alter the episode in which it appeared. For the first time, see the original producer's version of "The One Where Rachel Tells Ross" and read the original script.
• Gag Reel (SD, 7 minutes): "The One with Never-Before-Seen Gags."
• Music Video (SD, 3 minutes): "I'll Be There for You," courtesy of The Rembrandts.

Friends: The Complete Series Blu-ray, Overall Score and Recommendation

 

Friends: The Complete Series has been a long time coming. Fans have been chomping at the bit for its release, Warner Bros. saw fit to go back to the original 35mm negatives to give the show a proper high definition debut, and several hours of new features await those who've been with the series since the beginning. And the resulting 21-disc box set delivers... and falls short. Its remastered 1.78:1 video presentation, imperfect as it may be, gives each season a fitting upgrade, its Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track is solid but less than remarkable, and its supplemental package underwhelms despite boasting some twenty hours of special features including three new HD retrospective documentaries. Still, The Complete Series box set will make for a great holiday gift for any friend who can't get enough Friends.

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