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A review by jmbibliolater
Generation Friends: An Inside Look at the Show That Defined a Television Era by Saul Austerlitz
4.0
Special thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton and Saul Austerlitz for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
If I had to title this book as an episode with Friends, I would name it - The One With All the Memories. As a HUGE fan of Friends - I own all ten season on DVD and have even pre-ordered some items from the Pottery Barn 25th anniversary collection but not that apothecary table - I found myself reminiscing about the show a lot. The memories brought a smile to my face and provided a few surprises as well.
Generation Friends take the time to not only captivate the essence of the show and review each season's biggest episodes including the ballad of Ross and Rachel, it also discusses what it was like to be behind the scenes from the writers to the producers to the design teams (both set and wardrobe) to the auditions to contract negotiations, etc. I never realized how many big name actors and actresses auditioned for a part. It is fun imagining how the dynamic and the show's success could have all been different with one simple change in cast.
My biggest love regarding Generation Friends and what Saul Austerlitz really seems to get is that Friends worked and still works because it is an escape from reality. To this day, I still watch the reruns on TBS. It is still my go to show. I know all the episodes and most the lines. Friends has the wonderful ability to bring a sense of nostalgia to its viewers. I watched it religiously with my friends in high school and then in college. Times were simpler and so was Friends. Saul Austerlitz captures the sentiment perfectly.
If I had to title this book as an episode with Friends, I would name it - The One With All the Memories. As a HUGE fan of Friends - I own all ten season on DVD and have even pre-ordered some items from the Pottery Barn 25th anniversary collection but not that apothecary table - I found myself reminiscing about the show a lot. The memories brought a smile to my face and provided a few surprises as well.
Generation Friends take the time to not only captivate the essence of the show and review each season's biggest episodes including the ballad of Ross and Rachel, it also discusses what it was like to be behind the scenes from the writers to the producers to the design teams (both set and wardrobe) to the auditions to contract negotiations, etc. I never realized how many big name actors and actresses auditioned for a part. It is fun imagining how the dynamic and the show's success could have all been different with one simple change in cast.
My biggest love regarding Generation Friends and what Saul Austerlitz really seems to get is that Friends worked and still works because it is an escape from reality. To this day, I still watch the reruns on TBS. It is still my go to show. I know all the episodes and most the lines. Friends has the wonderful ability to bring a sense of nostalgia to its viewers. I watched it religiously with my friends in high school and then in college. Times were simpler and so was Friends. Saul Austerlitz captures the sentiment perfectly.