An excellent behind the scenes story about the sitcom Friends! I could watch this show on repeat daily, and this book has given me even more information about episodes that I did not know. I look forward to rewatching the series with my new knowledge!

Very interesting title. Loved that the author doesn't focus only on "Friends," but also talks about other sitcoms on the time. Very enjoyable read with lots of fun details!

I received a free ebook from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. I am and was a big Friends fan. I have seen each episode so many times. I was excited to read this book.

It's a good book for Friend's fans. It talks about the show and the episodes of Friends. The book, also, talks about some of the problems with the show. At the time, I thought it was a revolutionary show. It probably was.

The book is fairly easy to read. The chapters aren't too long. The chapters talk about various episodes of the book. The book, also, talks about other sitcoms of that time.

The book doesn't give a lot of information about the show that I didn't know. It's nice to read about the book in context. It's the first book I have read on the series.

It's a good book for fans of Friends to read. I am thankful for the author for the opportunity to read this book.

As a huge FRIENDS fan who grew up with the show, watching it during its first airing on television, I had to request this book. And it didn't disappoint! It goes through all ten seasons of the show, even as, in parallel, it sets and builds the scene of the US sitcom industry (with some reference to the British industry, when talking about the show being aired there) throughout that decade. There was a good balance of industry tidbits to delight my nerdy heart and a critical reflection on and analysis of this iconic show (I appreciated how honest it was about elements that were problematic then and remain so today -- while also highlighting all the ways in which it was progressive and visionary). A very enjoyable book that situates and examines FRIENDS in the context of what is known as the Golden Age of the Sitcom.

This was a very educational read about the golden age of sitcoms (especially friends). And as a friends fan I absolutely loved the way the chapters were titled.

A big thank you to the publisher, Pen & Sword | White Owl, for granting my wish to read Friends and the Golden Age of the Sitcom by Joanna Hagan. This book was a nostalgic journey for me, as Friends has always been, and continues to be, my ultimate comfort show. I often rewatch the series, and diving into the behind-the-scenes details made the experience even more enjoyable.

The book offers a deep dive into the making of Friends while also exploring other iconic NBC shows from the same era, such as Will & Grace and Frasier, which are also personal favourites of mine. It was fascinating to learn how Friends consistently topped NBC’s ratings season after season and how many of the creative decisions made were groundbreaking for television at the time.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the wealth of information provided, the only aspect lacking was the inclusion of photographs. While there are several in the book, I would have loved to see more behind-the-scenes images that could further enhance the reader’s connection to the show and its production. Adding more visual elements from the set, cast, or even script readings would have added an extra layer of depth to the storytelling.

Since reading this book, I’ve been inspired to revisit many of the shows mentioned, and it’s been a fantastic trip down memory lane. Despite my desire for more photographs, Friends and the Golden Age of the Sitcom is a must-read for fans of the show and anyone who loves the golden era of ’90s sitcoms.

Thank you again to the publisher for granting me this reading wish. It was a wonderful and insightful experience!

Literally anything about friends is a win for me.

If you’re a friends bossed fan like me, this is well worth the read.

Il be there for you !

In a Nutshell: A seasonal analysis of FRIENDS, and the other sitcoms and shows before and during the “golden age”. The focus is not just on sitcoms, the feedback is not just positive, and the approach is more like a hindsight-analysis with 2024-glasses on. I'm a FRIENDS superfan, so some (actually, most!) of this review comes from biased eyes. Take it with a pinch of salt!

As a FRIENDS fanatic, I have watched the show umpteen times, I can still watch any episode any day in any random order without any confusion, and I can even quote lines from multiple episodes. So when I saw this title listed on NetGalley, my reaction obviously was, “Could I BE more excited?” The execution of the book, however, has left me with mixed feelings.

FRIENDS is not the only hit sitcom of its time, but it's probably the only one that still has a loyal fanbase not just from its original viewership but also among the younger generation, thanks to OTT channels. Because of the latter factor, it has also been subject to intense modern scrutiny, and isn’t always able to match current inclusivity standards. The book covers all this and more.

The content provides not just a generic analysis of FRIENDS but also a season-by-season assessment. It even has an in-depth evaluation of the changing dynamics of shows over the last three decades on television, and the impact of the entry of OTT channels and the modified viewership habits on TV shows.

You don’t require a comprehensive knowledge of American sitcoms to grasp the analytics provided. My knowhow is limited to iconic sitcoms from the “golden era” such as Seinfeld, Frasier, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Everyday Loves Raymond, Dharma and Greg, and That 70s Show. While the book covers many more shows (sitcoms and more), I didn’t find myself struggling to comprehend the information.

Each chapter is cleverly titled in the FRIENDS episode title format: “The One Where/With...”. There is also some smart chapter numbering, with chapters one to ten corresponding to seasons one to ten, even though there are fourteen chapters in all.

The book starts off quite well. The initial two chapters (which highlight the then status quo of TV viewership and the early sitcoms that paved the way towards FRIENDS) set the right foundation for the book. Even the first chapter, that highlighted Season One and how the cast and the rest of the team came together, is superb. FRIENDS fans might already know many of the details, but this book provides them in a structured way.

Things start going downhill from the second chapter onwards, when the focus shifts more towards a clinical approach, with loads of data about other shows, TV ratings, network positions, and so on. This becomes too tedious after a point. The FRIENDS-related information is intriguing, what with a proper exploration of each season’s focal point, the dynamics of the six friends, and the season finale. However, the rest of the data dulls the impact of the FRIENDS content. As a FRIENDS fan, I was interested in knowing more about the show and its competition, but not in such a dry manner.

What bugged me the most during the season-focussed chapters was the constant criticism about how FRIENDS hasn’t aged well. Yes, we fans know that it doesn’t completely pass muster in today’s world. But if a programme has to be analysed, it has to be seen not from NetFlix-generation opinions but from the original 90s viewpoint. When FRIENDS was produced, its creators wouldn’t have thought, “Hmmm, let’s ensure that we can satisfy the viewers watching our show thirty years hence.” The show was made for the people of the 1990s by people of the 1990s, and was partly based on the (white) creators’ post-college experiences. As David Schwimmer said in a 2020 interview to ‘The Guardian’, “A lot of the problem today in so many areas is that so little is taken in context. You have to look at it from the point of view of what the show was trying to do at the time.”

That said, FRIENDS still broke the mould by showing a lesbian relationship & wedding (Carol & Susan), having a Black actor (Aisha Tyler as Charlie) and a POC actor (Lauren Tom as Julie) in a key role – nine and seven episodes respectively – AND having a transgender character (Chandler’s Dad Helena Handbasket, though the casting of Kathleen Turner in this role is somewhat questionable). The other shows of the era didn't do any of this, with the only prominent exception being Will & Grace and its two homosexual main characters, though one of them – Sean Hayes’ character Jack McFarland – was an extremely camp portrayal of a gay man. Why call it the golden age of the sitcom era and then go to bash the show for things the entire television business was guilty of?

I disagree with the author that calling something "of the era" is a lazy way of justifying it. No, calling something “of the era” is a way of acknowledging that we know there were mistakes made in the past, that the work doesn’t hold to modern standards, and that we shouldn’t repeat those errors in future. It indicates that this knowledge has come to us in hindsight, and hence we need to learn from those mistakes, not castigate those who were reflecting prevalent social trends and the systemic racism without even realising it. (Aren’t shows guilty of the same even today, though awareness is so much greater? You think the storyline of Raj Koothrappali of The Big Bang Theory is a genuine Indian representation? Think again! I’d rather not have our representation on shows than to have such stereotypes perpetuated.)

Some of the points of criticism were just silly. Like saying that the use of pagers and answering machines places FRIENDS firmly in that era. Of course, it does! You think modern audiences don't realise that it's a thirty-year-old show? There has been so much technology that has come and even gone in the interim, so tech shouldn't be used to judge the timelessness of any show! Almost every show is OF ITS ERA, and this cannot be used as a shortcoming.

The proceedings improve to a great extent from Chapter Ten (focussed on Season Ten) onwards. The tone in these final three chapters is more enthusiastic and nostalgic, and reminded me of why I had opted for the book in the first place. If only that same impartial and wistful approach had been retained throughout the book, this would have been an easy winner.

There are some photos at the end of the book, but all of them are stock pictures that are easily available on the internet. I found nothing striking, innovative, or memorable in the chosen photos.

All in all, the nerd in me did like the analysis of the TV trends and the final two chapters were exactly what I wanted, but the FRIENDS fan in me was mostly disappointed with the remaining writing choices. With such a title, I would have appreciated seeing a bit more warmth and enthusiasm and a little less data and unwarranted criticism throughout. FRIENDS is celebrating the 30th anniversary this year, marking three decades since the pilot episode aired on September 22, 1994. In such a momentous month, I’d rather have read something that celebrated its longevity than reproved it for not doing better.

I am not sure whom to recommend this book to, as non-FRIENDS-fans won’t be interested in this kind of topic, and FRIENDS fans won’t be that happy with it. I guess it might work for those who are interested in studying TV trends as the insights on this specific topic are engaging enough.

2.5 stars, rounding up for FRIENDS.

My thanks to Pen & Sword for providing the DRC of “Friends and the Golden Age of the Sitcom” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

NetGalley gave me the chance to read and review this book. I enjoyed the overall content but I feel like the chapters could have been more split up as the title of the chapter would start off correct but veer off into a totally different topic. For a small book this took me a long time to read but as a Friends fan and a fan of early 2000s sitcoms, it was worth a read.

I adored Friends, and love the resurgence of the sitcom with the younger generation thanks to Netflix and re-runs. (My friends daughter is 12 and wasn't even alive when it was first airing, she loves it!!)

I would call myself a huge fan! Not to blow my own trumpet, but i'm a real Friends-geek! So when I come across a book with facts that I genuinely don't know it's great! I want to know everything!! (And like to brag about my sometimes useless friends knowledge!!)

This book is a bit dense at times, especially at the beginning - but it is still a must read for a friends fan! Who knows, you may even learn something new!

Friends is my all-time favorite show, so I was excited to read this book. While it covered a lot more than just Friends (it looked at the history of many other 1990s/early 2000s shows — think Seinfeld, West Wing, Cheers, Will and Grace, etc. — and behind the scenes at the major TV networks), I still found it interesting and enjoyed reading it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Amongst the numerous sitcoms that were created at the time of Friends, the latter is one of the only that is still popular today. Why has Friends became so popular along the years to become a classic? Because let's be honest, the competition was tough at the time. That's what Joanna Hagan is going to decrypt.

This book was a really interesting retrospective of the golden age of sitcoms, as it didn't only focus on Friends. This author compares all types of sitcoms, from the most popular to the ones who failed from their pilots; the war between the channels to be at the top. She also answers the most important question: why has Friends remained so popular until today.

I loved the show friends and was absolutely heart broken that Mathew perry past away. So I had to jump and get this book. It was a fast read about the FRIENDS show.

What a trip down memory lane! Joanna Hagan travels through each season of Friends, putting them in the context of the period and main events, as well as the sitcoms coming and going through its run…. Many of which the reader will probably have forgotten about as the success of Friends could not be replicated and many shows didn’t make it through a full season. A must read for Friends fans.

Thank you Pen & Sword and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you for this ARC! I loved Friends and this was a fun trip down memory lane. I didn't learn many new facts about my favorite TV show, but it was interesting to compare Friends to all the other comedies on at the time. If you like reading about TV, this is a great book!

I was so excited to read this book as I love sitcoms, especially Friends.

I had expectations which led to disappointment. I was hoping to learn new information about sitcoms I love but that didn’t happen apart from how the different sitcoms dealt with 9/11.

So when it came to Friends the author did give plenty of information but being a huge Friends fan I already knew most of it and anything new wasn’t pretty minor. The author would describe episodes and since I know them all so well they would play in my head as I read. That was the most enjoyable part of the book.

As for the other sitcoms it was all about when they aired, what network they were on, which time slots and up against which other shows, as well as ratings etc but nothing about the cast and crew, behind the scenes, interesting facts etc. This for me was really boring.

I also found it disappointing that a book about sitcoms which are produced to make their audience laugh would be written in such a serious way. I was expecting at least a few laughs but unfortunately I didn’t laugh once.

Overall there were some interesting parts but the book just wasn’t what I expected and hoped for.


Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

2.5 rounded up to 3 stars for GoodReads.

This is a fangirl's love of Friends in the form of a thesis. The author clearly struggles with her love of this 30 year old television show that does not present or represent the way a 2024 show might. She often dismisses plot lines and writing as "lazy" or laments choices that could have been made for a "modern" time. She claims love triangles were "a tired idea in the mid-nineties" but it really is more she didn't like the episode with Jean-Claude Van Damme because Friends was full of triangles and quadrangles!

She mentions how technology and guest stars date a show but it is impossible to future proof any television show. Fashion, furniture, haircuts, pop culture references change constantly. She never even mentions the cultural phenomenon that was "The Rachel" haircut. Reruns and syndication provide nostalgia to the generation who watched a show live and while introducing that era to the future generations discovering it for the first time.

Perhaps a subtitle of the "Golden Age of Must See TV" would be more appropriate? This book focuses mostly on NBC's ratings dominance in the years 1994-2004. The author relies heavily on magazine articles, DVD commentary, and Matthew Perry's memoir along with heaps of ratings data. There were no interviews conducted by the author with cast, creators, or even tv critics or sociologist to provide insight or information relevant to the era. She could have at least contacted the photographer of 1995 The Rolling Stone cover to understand why the cast was "inexplicably dressed in vintage fifties-style gear." Since that information is not found with a quick google search, she remains perplexed whenever this photo is mentioned. (hint: I think it is homage to I Love Lucy)

I wanted more elaboration on the "golden age of the sitcom" overall and less ratings data. The author only looks at this sliver of television history and seems to not know what other networks were doing then or in the past. For example she makes a statement about the lack of confident fat women on screen without acknowledging that actresses like Roseanne and Kirstie Alley starred in sitcoms during this time period.

I found there were quite a few factual errors throughout the book, most jarring the misspelling of Courteney Cox's first name throughout the entire book. She also erroneously credits NBC with airing Laverne and Shirley (ABC) and The Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS) which would not be part of a clip show during NBC's 75th anniversary.

Thank you to Pen & Sword | White Owl and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. I am required by law to disclose this.

A comprehensive overview of all ten seasons, but very data heavy. The series does not measure up to the author's measuring stick. Found myself skimming quite a bit. Rounding up from 2.5.

Thank you to White Owl for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this non-fiction all about Friends and a brief history of sitcoms.

I'm a big Friends fan – and, yes, I can admit it has plenty of pitfalls and shortcomings – so this made for a light, easy and fascinating end-of-summer read. In it, Hagan expertly delves into the success of Friends and how it came to be, but also what it became. The author shares behind-the-scenes snippets that add weight to her opinions, and it felt like a well-researched book. What's more, it's interwoven with the fabric of sitcom life in the US and UK. I appreciated the backdrop of other sitcoms that were popular at the time – especially understanding some of the cameos in the show! I liked that Hagan criticised the diversity and inclusivity of the show, the awful sexism and fatphobia, and picked up on other issues too. An insightful and compelling read.

I love Friends and I have seen every episode so I was looking forward to learning more about / behind the scenes of the show and this book was full of fantastic information and quotes.