Some sitcoms seem to take on a legendary quality after they have been off the air for awhile. It strikes me that as great as Mary Tyler Moore and MASH were in their early few seasons they had more than their fair share of 'stinker' episodes in their last few seasons.
Friends on the other hand seems to suffer the opposite fate. It is shown so often, on so many channels, edited down episodes that most viewers have seen time and time again that I think may forget how brilliant the shows actually is.
Friends holds a special place in my tv viewing history. The show began when I was starting University and followed me through 5 years of school, moving out, coming out, an engagement and a called off wedding. Through the highs and lows, Thursday was a night for Friends.
I can't watch a Friends episode when it airs on tv any longer, for some reason they don't seem to play very well. But....the other night when flicking the channel I stopped on a scene with the chick and the duck. Rachel was having Joshua (heavy accentuating the u) over for a date. It was during the time Rachel and Monica were forced to move into Joey and Chandler's apartment after losing a bet (another great episode). During the dinner Joshua, played by Tate Donovan (an ex of Aniston's) was freaked out by the site of the chick and the duck coming out of one of the bedrooms.
I quickly turned off the episode but pulled out my DVD's to begin re watching some season 3 and 4 episodes. The chick and duck were introduced in season 3 and were seen off and on up until season 7. There credited as co-stars on most sites about the show. The birds were really scene stealers and although I am sure made filming a challenge, Friends often had story arcs involving animals including the cat Phoebe thought was her mother, the pug given to Phoebe by her real mother Teri Garr and of course Marcel, Ross' monkey. The key to using an animal successfully on a tv show is weaving into the storyline via relationship. With the chick and the duck, Joey loved them, Chandler took care of them, Phoebe tried to protect them and Monica and especially Rachel hated them. They also acted as make shift children for roommates Chandler and Joey and were often the catalyst for friction between them.
Not sure if any of you have a show that carried you through a critical point in your lives but Friends is one of 3 that I connect with important years. If you have never watched Friends, think your sick of Friends, think Friends was crap or have not watched Friends in awhile, I strongly recommend giving it another go and begin with 'The One with the Chick and the Duck' from season 3.
