the following is a cnn special report. >> we were on a break. >> there is no half hour comedy that's ever been more successful. >> how are you doing? >> there are 12-year-olds who are discovering this show? it's crazy. >> smelly cat, smelly cat. >> the hours and the intensity were so brutal. >> we are so over. >> fine by me. >> it's the 25th anniversary. now the truth can be told. friends was set in new york city but it was filmed in los angeles. that's why this is the first time in 25 years that the most

memorable piece of furniture from the show is actually in front of a fountain in central park. let's take a look back at the "friends" magic and what's next for this tv juggernaut that never really went away. this is "friends forever" 25 years of laughter. >> we're here in burbank, california. on the warner brothers lot. and since this studio was founded in 1923, tens of thousands of tv shows and films have been created here. so throughout this behind the s tour of the "friends" home. let's start at the beginning. the early titles of the show, what were you considering?

>> insomnia cafe. we were driving down the street and i saw this place and thought that was an amazing name and really interesting setting. why not go with that one? >> i don't think the network liked it. then we talked about "friends like us." "the six of us." "across the hall." >> i just want to be married again. >> we ended up simply with "friends." >> and i just want a million dollars. >> our partner kevin bright said if we get a good time slot you can call it kevorkian for all i care. you know. >> "mad about you" opened thursday night at 8:00. we put it right after "mad about you" not a bad lead-in, a young adult marriage. >> voila. >> and then the lead-out was "seinfeld." >> when i'm driving i let people in ahead of me all the time. i'm always waving everybody in.

go ahead. go ahead. go ahead. >> ooh. >> oh, no, no don't. stop cleansing my aura. >> pilots are difficult because your job is to give a lot of exposition and background. >> everybody, this is rachel. another lincoln high survivor. this is everybody. chandler, phoebe, joey. you remember my brother ross? >> sure. hi. >> and you're also doing kind of a sell job on an audience about why they're supposed to like these people and possibly tune in next week. >> you okay, sweetie? >> i just feel like someone reached down my throat, grabbed my small intestine, pulled it out of my mouth, and tied it around my neck. >> cookie? >> you come up with ideas, characters. you don't know what's going to hit. you just -- the dream was let's not get canceled after six episodes. that was our goal. >> you're the only person i know who lived here in the city who wasn't invited to the wedding.

>> i was kind of hoping that wouldn't be an issue. >> you know, what i remember is that when they tested it, it didn't do that well, which was very scary. >> what if i don't want to be a shoe? what if i want to be a purse, you know, or a hat? >> how did the network still have confidence in it after it tests poorly? >> they were smart. >> you don't feel like being alone tonight joey and chandler are coming over to help me put together my new furniture. >> yes. we are very excited about it. >> there was wonderful drama. >> i hope she'll be very happy. >> no you don't. >> the hell with her. she left me. >> as well as comedy. >> you never knew she was a lesbian? >> a connectiveness. >> we had this sense of, they really know what they're doing. >> there is nothing to tell. just some guy i work with. >> come on. you're going out with a guy. there's got to be something wrong with him. >> so, does he have a hump and a hair piece?

>> it was less conventional than what was on tv at that time except for "seinfeld" definitely. but nbc was a little uncomfortable. in the first episode monica sleeps with a guy on her first date. >> paul, this is -- everybody. everybody, this is paul. >> someone she is crazy about. he tells her a falsehood and it makes her fall for him. >> ever since she left me, i haven't been able to perform sexually. >> and nbc was very concerned. >> what the hell do you do on a real date? >> and they handed out a survey to the audience. it was so skewed. it was some version of, do you think monica is, a, a slut, b, a whore, c, easy, d, all of the above for sleeping with a guy on the first date. >> that is leading the witnesses. >> yes, yes it is. >> you had sex, didn't you?

>> they didn't care. nobody checked those boxes. everybody was like, we don't care. >> you mean, you know paul like i know paul? >> are you kidding? i take credit for paul. before me there was no snap in his turtle for two years. >> i hate to admit this but monica's story in the pilot was. so you went on a date with a guy that you really liked and he fed you a line, a b.s. line. >> mm-hmm. >> about how he was so heartbroken he hadn't been able to have sex for two years. >> that is correct. >> and you fell for it. >> i fell for it. hook, line, and sinker. >> of course it was a line. >> they were also nervous that there wasn't an older character. >> she got the furniture, the stereo, the good tv, what did you get? >> you guys. >> you got screwed. >> oh, my god. >> they were really afraid older people weren't going to watch

the show. >> all right, kids. i got to get to work. got to input those numbers. doesn't make much of a difference. >> so we tried actually. we did one script with a cop on the beat who comes in and chats with the friends. it was so horrible that we went, no. we threw it out. what we said to the network is, we will introduce parents for all these characters. >> you have a restaurant. >> no, mom, i don't have a restaurant. i work in a restaurant. >> well, they don't have to know that. >> when i read the first episode i thought, wow. this is good. and i loved my character. >> oh, we're having spaghetti. that's easy. >> because it was extremely funny but it had a lot of heart. those earrings look really lovely on you. >> thank you. they're yours. >> actually, they were nana's. >> my mother, ladies and gentlemen. >> why did you want to take a

risk with this show that wasn't yet established? >> the ensemble work, two different talents, was very good. i did have a good eye. so i said, yes. you just start with half a dozen european cities. throw in 30 euphemisms for male genitalia, and, bam. you have got yourself a book. >> when the show ultimately debuted, in september of 1994 -- >> you got a job? >> are you kidding? i'm trained for nothing! >> how was the structure of it different than that original pitch? >> well, the main difference was the decision to not have a main character. >> like that. with feelings. >> courtney cox, who also was the most notable name at the time, she had been in a hit movie that year, ace ventura pet detective. >> i swear if you do anything to embarrass me in front of camp -- >> like this? >> she was the most bankable name and nbc really wanted courtney cox to be front and center. >> anyway.

>> they all made a pact very soon to stay together, negotiate together, nominate themselves in the same categories so there wouldn't be this demarcation of who was the biggest star and who wasn't. >> that little naked guy would be me. >> oh, ho. look at the little thing. >> yes. ♪ >> the theme song which has become so iconic, how did that happen? >> the music was composed by my ex-husband. >> how did it come to pass you guys sang the theme song for "friends?" >> we got the offer on a wednesday. went over the arrangement on a thursday with the music director, cut the song on a saturday, and it aired the following thursday. ♪ i'll be there for you ♪ i'll be there for you >> this is the famous fountain that you see in the opening title sequence of

every "friends" episode. a few things you should know about this fountain. first, it's not in new york city. it's on the warner brothers lot in los angeles. second, they shot this at 4:00 in the morning. the actors were freezing cold. and wet. so how were those actors cast? and which ones almost didn't make the cut? ♪ i'll be there for you >> all that when we come back. fit me! foundation from maybelline new york

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okay. so i'm responsible. i'm organized. but, hey. i can be a kook. >> pretty good, you know? nice. we're having fun. >> when do we get to meet the guy? >> today is monday. never. >> come on. >> score! >> you suck. >> this story is that courtney cox was cast as the rachel character. >> we asked her to do the rachel character. she said no. she wanted to play monica. >> we're thinking you are more of a rachel because she is pretty and there is a warmth. she said, no, no. i totally see myself doing monica. we're like, all right. give it a shot. she did and we're like, yeah. she's monica. great. >> i just connected with her in a certain way and i was going to play very neurotic

and not as ethereal and quirky. >> oh, my gosh! >> look, look, look! my first paycheck! >> look at the window. there's my name. hi, me! >> latte? >> and an iced tea. getting pretty good. >> excellent. >> good for me. >> rachel is a really difficult part. because on the face of it, it could be really unlikable character. >> well, maybe that's my decision. well, maybe i don't need your money. wait. wait. i said maybe. >> she is selfish, spoiled, just walked out on a guy during her wedding. >> i was on another show at the time. >> jennifer aniston was in first position to another series

called "muddling through." if that show had succeeded, we had already shot like four or five episodes. we would have had to reshoot the first five episodes of "friends" with another actress. >> reporter: you going to eat this steak or argue with it? >> we are going forward and we'll do everything in our power to kill "muddling through." >> tell me something. how often do we have steak on the menu? >> hardly ever. >> that's right. so what you have there is a rare steak. >> we said, all right. danielle steele movies up against "muddling through" will take out the audience that would probably be watching that sitcom on a saturday night. and it worked. >> saturday night. the big night. date night. saturday night. date night! now you're choking. >> are you all right? >> okay.

i don't sound like that. that is so not true. that is so not -- that is so not -- oh, shut up. >> matthew perry. yeah. you really wanted him. >> he was the first person we offered chandler to. he was doing another show called "l.a.x. 2194". >> sci-fi sitcom lax 2194. >> it's about baggage handlers in the year 2194. i sorted out aliens' luggage. >> that is not a winning title. >> no, it's not. but that was in first position. >> that happens when you find the talent that you think is perfect for a role and you'll take the chance the other show will fail and they'll become available. >> we were a little nervous but we saw a million people. even made an offer to someone else. >> who? >> no. >> the 25th anniversary. now the truth can be told. >> he is a lovely actor named

craig bierco and he didn't want to do an ensemble show. >> i'm going to go with not craig's best decision. >> today is the day carol and i first consummated our physical relationship. sex. >> surprise! >> i don't know. you don't want to mess with corn nuts. they're crazy. >> we had auditioned david schwimmer for a previous pilot. as we started writing the script we thought you know who would be great for ross? david schwimmer. he'd be great for this. >> i guess they remembered me. >> oh, dear. >> there was something about his expression and his delivery and this guy who was sort of a victim of the world that we just

loved. just loved it. >> oh, my butt cheek is waking up! oh! ♪ >> okay. thank you very much. >> hey, what's going on? >> surprise! >> oh, it's so great! >> lisa kudrow came into the audition and nailed it. she just nailed it. >> oh, my god. don't do that! >> what, what, what? >> that man across the street just kicked that pigeon. >> lisa had made appearances on "mad about you." >> my partner jeffrey cleric was working on "mad about you." >> one iced tea and one nice, cool, bowl of water. >> when we were writing this script, he said, oh, you have to -- phoebe is lisa kudrow. once you see her you're not going to see anyone else. >> i was told this is the one

you want to do. >> i couldn't do it. >> good for you, joey. >> when i'm with a woman, i need to know i'm going out with more people than she is. >> can you stop yelling? you're making me nervous. >> how you doing? >> i auditioned about, i guess, five or six times. >> matt lebanc was the greenest in terms of acting. so why did you risk hiring him? >> i have to admit, there was a little bit of nervousness about that. and the woman who is the head of casting at warner brothers at the time looked me in the eye and she said, he can do it. >> joey, stop hitting on her. it's her wedding day. >> what, like there's a rule or something? >> when we originally wrote the part of joey he was supposed to be more of this kind of like sexy actor, intense guy. and it wasn't funny. and then he came in and when

matt read it, suddenly it was really funny. >> oh, russ. you get me so hot. i want your lips on me now. >> huh? ♪ >> about 3,000 people per day, more than half a million per year, take the warner brothers studio tour. and when they do, they come to this iconic couch in central park. that's how big of a phenomenon "friends" still is. so what happens to the cast members when a show becomes that type of smash success? well, it turns out some dealt with their fame better than others. that part of the story when we come back. ♪ i'll be there for you (vo) the moth without hope, struggles in the spider's web. with every attempt to free itself,

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>> how good of friends are you? start with you, lisa. >> we are very good friends now. >> sometimes a show becomes a super -- that happened at the end of season one. >> do you guys watch the show together? >> we were better about that in the beginning. >> i was with them in chicago and it was a little bit like beatle mania. >> i want to know how your new found fame has changed your

personal life. >> not at all. [ laughter ] >> how did they respond to being on oprah? >> they were nervous. >> are you anything like the character you play? >> to a certain extent, yes. >> the friends were already getting big but oprah is oprah. >> what else did he say? i mean, does he want to go out with me? >> well, given that he is desperately in love with you he probably wouldn't mind getting a cup of coffee or something. >> we worked so hard. we did crazy hours. >> all of this time? >> and so i think we were living in a bubble. we weren't really that aware of what was happening to the show, to the cast, outside of our little bubble. and i remember after the first season ended my partner jeffrey and i were walking through the airport, finally getting a vacation, and we looked at the news stand. and there is -- they're on every cover. it was crazy. >> i remember getting in my car and driving away from warner

brothers one day and i just turned on the radio. ♪ there was the theme song. to me, that was, wow. this is big. this is huge. when we started the second season we were the number one show on television. >> ah! >> we had hit the home run. the grand slam home run. we were on everyone's lips. we were in their hearts. >> oh, my god, ross, no. hang up the phone. give me the phone, ross. give me the phone. give me the phone! >> is that when nbc started to try to capitalize on them and their success? >> there was this opportunity to do a diet coke commercial and for some reason we all said, yes. >> buy specially marked packages of diet coke. watch the diet coke commercial during "friends." >> there was this diet coke commercial that people did not seem to like. >> who's going to drifrmg the

diet coke? >> why was there a backlash to having a corporate sponsorship? >> the truth is you had warner brothers and you had nbc wanting to capitalize on this show. >> i feel violated. and not in a good way. >> for many years, we were the most watched television series in the history of television. >> is that what you want to hear? >> i didn't do it. >> it wasn't me. >> you know what would be nice in here? a couple candles. >> it seems like "friends" was everywhere. >> we were over saturated and we needed to get back to what we were best at which is telling little stories. >> we actually sat in the board room at nbc and said, maybe we need to pull back. and just let it breathe. i spent 20 years at nbc. i never had that discussion about a show ever.

it was new territory for us. >> do we dare? >> we dare. so "friends" was working in a big way. it was a hit. ♪ smelly cat what are they feeding you ♪ everybody! ♪ smelly cat smelly cat it's not your fault ♪ >> when there is success, contracts get torn up. the two breakout stars were david schwimmer and jennifer aniston. and so they ended up being approached by nbc to renew their contracts with the thought that they would be rewarded handsomely for becoming big stars. and traditionally in a negotiation once you get one then you get another and

everyone kind of is forced to fall in line. >> david schwimmer came to the conclusion that it was really going to be in everyone's interest to have a lock step negotiation where everyone received the same amount of money. his feeling was, we're all doing the same amount of work. why should we be paid differently for doing the same thing? >> listen, missy. if you want this cart you have to take me with it! >> i remember her being in a strategic session where john, who ran business affairs said, wow. bold move. the cast has united. we have to negotiate with them as one. from i think season two on they were equals. and in the history of television, probably the highest compensation any actors ever had. >> did they really develop a true friendship or what was it like? >> yeah. they were very close. you know, they all got sort of

shot through a cannon together. they took care of each other and supported each other. >> they loved each other and that came across. even when one of them would have a struggle, you could see the others stepping in to prop each other up. >> was there anyone for whom all of this, all the smash, all of the lime light, took a bigger toll on? >> i think that it's very publicly known that the show did take a toll on matthew perry. >> i was in denial about the serious nature of alcoholism and addiction. once i had a drink, i could not stop. i couldn't stop. >> okay. now, you stay out here and you think about what you did! >> that's a duck. >> that's a bad duck. >> i did show up to work in states of just insane hangover. in the history of television, producers have acted toward a

cast member who has an addiction problem usually by either letting them kill themselves or stepping up and realizing that this is a disease and this is not something that he is doing maliciously to hurt the show or irresponsibly as an actor. i feel very proud all of us stood up with matthew and held him up at times. i feel like we did the right thing in never letting him down. >> the building you see behind me is the iconic county general hospital and e.r. set in chicago. then you take just a few steps this way and here you find what "friends" used as central park in new york. this is where they filmed some of their funniest outdoor

scenes. >> i feel so free and so graceful. hey. watch out for the horse. >> the writers were always looking for ways to up the ante, to get better jokes, bigger laughs. it got tough. or as chandler might say, could they be any more stressed? when we return. fit me! foundation from maybelline new york fits skin tone and texture. blurs pores. stops shine. 97% of women found their fit. fit me! matte + poreless only from maybelline new york you have fast-acting power over pain,

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no sex. bad jobs. hit show. go figure. go figure. why do you think it's a hit? >> the writing. >> it begins with the writing, right? >> oh, yeah. >> shut up. the camera adds ten pounds. >> so how many cameras are actually on you? >> writing was the best i've ever worked on in a sitcom. >> first they go up one side. they move it over. then they go up the other side. they move it back. then they do the rear. >> what? >> ross, will you tell them? isn't that how a tailor measures pants? >> yes, yes it is. in prison! >> we loved what was coming out of their type writers.

and what was going on to the stage. and we felt the chemistry of that cast. >> joey? >> thank you. >> monica. ? i'm your best friend. >> sweetie. don't worry. you'll get picked. chandler. >> i don't think anybody realizes how hard this show is to write. there's always six characters and then a lot of them dovetail into each other. that's pretty extraordinary writing. >> was there a different structure of "friends" than other sitcoms? >> i guess the tradition in sitcoms had been that there was always an "a" and a "b" story and the "b" story was kind of a frivolous story. but we had six cast members. we had an "a," a "b," and a "c" story every episode. it was all about can we make the joke right? can this be funnier? >> these are incredibly funny people all gathered in a room together. all doing their utmost to kind

of win the game. right? to tell the funniest joke, to come up with the funniest line. to win over their fellow writers. i think the challenging part is that the hours and the intensity were so brutal. >> very often we would stay all night trying to get it right because our feeling was, you know what? this is going to shoot at the end of the week so we better get it right now. >> is it still funny if it's not? >> they would be there after midnight and 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. sometimes that's when the kind of best punch lines would emerge. >> so what was it like in the writers' room? what were those hours like? >> those were some rough hours. i mean, i had nights where i'd be driving home, the sun would be coming up. i'd get my kids ready for school and i'd have to go back to work. >> i would say for three years i didn't sit down to one meal with my children. >> take me through the week, david. >> we would have a table read with the whole writing staff, the heads of production, the

executive producers. >> if it gets a laugh, then it's worth keeping. >> you know what? if we were in prison you guys would be like my -- >> it was absolutely insane mar david were never satisfied. >> on tuesdays we would go to the first rehearsal. and then we would have to go back and rewrite. >> so after matthew says -- >> they were a little nervous about certain things, nervous about some of the sexual stuff. >> it was a huge battle of broadcast standards. >> so we're suddenly told you can't use the word nipple and you have to figure out a way to get the same idea across. we came up with nippular. >> you wait. this is ridiculous. >> can i just say one thing? >> what? what? >> that is a relative open weave and i can still see your -- nippular area.

>> oh! >> sorry. sorry. >> we pushed the boundaries. marta and david fought for everything that they did. and we stayed relevant. and we made some progress. >> we said your parents flipped a coin, decided to raise her as a girl, but you still had a hint of a peen is. >> there was a point where you could say peen is and then you couldn't. for like two years you could and then you couldn't say it and then you could say penis again. >> okay. we're all people. >> you would have these debates where they're like, all right. you can say penis once and you've got it three times. we're like all right. i'll give you two penises if we can say this somewhere else in the script. >> nora? charles. >> and you had really fun lines, right? >> oh, yeah. >> you got to say penis. >> i could not believe they left that in. >> aren't you a little old to be wearing a dress like that?

>> don't you have a little too much penis to be wearing a dress like that? >> oh, my god. >> 2001, to have a transgender character was pretty groundbreaking, i think. >> i know. i know. i thought they were being very brave. and then of course when i turned out to be married to morgan fairchild, who was -- i really had to get my head around that one. >> you look beautiful, mom. ahem. >> you look beautiful, too, dad. >> what was the writing process like? did they keep updating the script? >> you know, kind of like any of the sitcoms. you come and do a read through and you see what works. then sometimes they would come up with other things in the middle of it and add something. >> don't take this personally. okay? it's just that i just can't have sex with a sick person. >> you know, if a line isn't working, and it's driving me crazy that i, you know, i can't

make this work, we'll, you know, all work together and try to figure out some other line or the best way to do it. >> matthew perry, he brings his own spin to everything. >> when we write a line we hear it in our heads a certain way. he will deliberately pick another word in that sentence to emphasize. >> have you seen joey? >> what's the matter? >> oh, just this. >> a joke doesn't get a big laugh with the actual studio audience, we would sort of huddle and all the writers would put our heads together and try to come up with a better joke. it was worth it because that's what's going on television. >> joey, i'm a little shy. >> that's okay, ross. you can ask me. what? >> let's talk about one of the episodes. the one with all the poker. what was it about that particular episode? >> the people who make "friends"

realized they needed to figure out a way to conjoin the comedy and the emotion. the way this episode manages to be both really funny and leave us with a lump in our throats ends up being the formula that "friend" manages to utilize really well working forward. >> that is a tough hand to beat. >> i thought we had that. >> when you don't have the cards you don't have the cards. you know? but look how happy she is. >> here it is. stage 24. where most of the "friend" episodes were filmed. warner brothers even put up a special plaque commemorating it. so when we come back, we'll show you who's filming in there now. here's a hint. it's another wildly popular show that reunited after 20 years. will "friends" do the same? that when we return. ♪ i'll be here for you let's be honest,

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even higher after 9/11? >> yeah, it did. >> you know, i think there was so much awful stuff on the news, in the world, and i think it's a show that it was like having your friends over and it had love. you know? it had hope. >> are you really going to do this? >> yeah. i'm going to have a baby. i'm going to have a baby. i'm going to have a baby. >> how hard was it to wrap up all the story lines for the season finale? >> that was really hard. it was really hard because, i mean, some things were somewhat predictable so we had to do them in ways that were unpredictable. >> let her off the plane! >> i am afraid you are going to have to take a seat. >> oh, please, miss. you don't understand. >> tray to understand! >> oh, come on. miss, isn't there any way you could just let me off the --? >> no, no!

>> like everybody basically knew ross and rachel were going to have to end up together. we just had to figure out how that was surprising. >> oh, my god. did she get off the plane? did she get off the plane? >> i got off the >> she got off the plane. >> it was one thing that finally appeared in the last episode. it was the reveal of how they got the apartment. there was always a lot of talk about, oh, that's too good an apartment, how did they afford it? it's television, leave me alone. we thought sooner or later we might have to get to that. >> look around, you guys. this was your first home.

and it was a happy place. filled with love and laughter. but more important, because of rent control, it was a frigging steal. >> i think margot and david, from the very first time they pitched the show, they had a sense of where they were going. >> this is harder than i thought it would be. >> oh, it's going to be okay. >> they knew what the audience wanted. and they delivered in a wonderfully satisfying way. >> okay, should we get some coffee? >> oh my god, ten seasons? our goal was not to get canceled. >> what was the key to having a smash hit for ten years? >> it starts with the cast and with the wrag. >> hey, hey! >> hey. >> the food smells great. >> we told universal stories that everybody could relate to. >> happy thanksgiving, everybody!

>> well this has been great, see ya. >> the show itself was about a time in your life -- >> i'm going to be an uncle! >> where you leave home for the first time, your friend becomes your family. so it's a time in everybody's life that we share in common. >> over 75 million americans, which was one-third of the country, would so "friends" was a monster hit in ways that it's hard to imagine today. there's no half-hour comedy that's ever been more successful throughout the world for 25 years. >> we were on a break! >> oh my god. >> and what about the impact it's had on television? ♪ smelly cat smelly cat. >> a phenomenon like "friends" can't be replicated in the sense that everyone is watching this

particular thing all at the same time. >> please join me in raising a glass. >> it doesn't really exist anymore. in that sense i really see "friends" as being the last of its kind. netflix was willing to pay either $80 million or $100 million, depending on who you ask, to keep it in streaming for one year. >> okay, okay, okay, you win! >> the run on netflix, are you surprised by that? >> shocked. shocked and so grateful. it's given the show such a resurgence. not only here but around the world. >> check this out, huh? oh, yeah. that's the stuff. >> i always thought that my only legacy would be my children. and there is something so humbling, and yet thrilling, about knowing that this has lived on. >> how is you drinking helping the kids? >> because the more i drink, the less there is for the kids to

drink. >> there are 12-year-olds who are discovering this show and treating it like it's theirs. and bingeing all 230-whatever episodes. >> that's insane. it's a show that started 25 years ago. >> cut, cut, cut, cut! >> and yet there is a sort of passion for it that still exists. it's crazy. >> welcome to the real world! it sucks, you're going to love it. >> our world today is the most connected world that we've ever been in. and yet i think for all that connectivity, we don't have it. we have information. but people aren't connecting. and i think part of its enduring appeal is that it's not about a cell phone, it's about another human being. >> can we come in? >> and the show's constantly reaffirming how real

connectivity happens. what real relationships are like. >> she's amazing. ♪ whatever happened to >> here's the answer to what show is filming here now. it's "fuller house" which is the sequel to the wildly popular sitcom "full house" that aired from 1987 to 1995. sure the set looks different than it did on "friends" but the yearning to revisit the old characters is the same. "full house" reunited. should the cast of "friends"? >> do a "friends" reunion, okay? the girls would do it, the boys would do it. >> everyone who's feeling nostalgic wants a reunion. part of the problem is because the show at its core was about that time in your life where your friends are your family, once you start having family of your own, that changes. >> the other one will be along in a minute. >> i'm sorry, who should be

along in a what, now? >> the next baby should be along in a minute. >> uh -- we only ordered one. >> there's something pathetic about 50-year-olds hanging out in a coffee shop. we finished it right, we put a bow on it, it's done. ♪ i'll be there for you (vo) the flock blindly falls into formation.

flying south for the winter. they never stray from their predetermined path. but this season, a more thrilling journey is calling. defy the laws of human nature. at the season of audi sales event.

it's a time of enormous turmoil. >> shut up in here! >> the '60s are over, dad. >> here's michael at the foul line. a shot -- good! >> we intend to cover all the news all the time. we won't be signing off until the world ends. >> isn't that special. >> any tool for human expression will bring out both the best and worst in us. and television has been that. >> they don't pay me enough to deal with animals like this. >> people are no longer embarrassed to admit they watch television. >> we have seen the news, and it is us. ♪ ♪