Good-Bye “Friends”

“Friends,” an American sitcom on NBC, came to a splendid end on May 6.

Fifty million viewers were in front of their TVs last night for the finale of "Friends". The price of a thirty-second commercial was up to $2 million, reflecting the show’s popularity. It was almost the price of Super Bowl advertising, which is $2.3 million per 30 seconds. In total, the revenue from advertising was around $100 million, including $40 million for commercials and another $60 million from advertising at talk shows and special programs.

The six main characters of the sitcom, which made large profits for NBC, also earned a lot of money. In the last (10th) season, each character got one million dollars (about 100 million won) per episode. Warner Brothers, a production company, got $10 million as a licensing fee for each episode, except production expense.

“Friends” covered anecdotes among six single friends, consisting of three guys and three girls, in a two-room apartment in Manhattan, New York. With “simply funny” stories about friends, it has continued for 10 years since 1994.

The secret of its popularity was the dependable friends. In the age of a nuclear family, it is the main reason why the show appealed to viewers in America.

It is in dramatic contrast with “reality shows,” which shows people trying to remove competitors with abusive words and facial expressions. Fans of “Friends” are agonizing over the loss, as if they lost their real friends. After several attempts, NBC gave up launching a follow-up of it, for the moment.

“M•A•S•H,” which came to an end in 1983, won popularity with humor in the emergency room. At that time, the reality was fragile due to the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal.

One of secrets of “Friends” is that it used a fresh view of New York from the end of the 1980s to the beginning of 1990s, according to the New York Times. “It reminded us that New York is still safe, terrific and romantic to live in,” said the Times.

Jennifer Aniston, who starred as Rachel, the main actress of “Friends,” lost 13kg for the role. Thanks to the effort, she became an idol of the young. Hollywood stars, such as Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis, and Tom Selleck, have appeared as guest stars. And Brad Pitt, Aniston’s husband, and David Arquette, Courteney Cox’s husband, have also appeared as guest stars to double the pleasure of their fans.

Kwon-Heui Hong konihong@donga.com