Modern Manhattanities Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler and Ross are back in a beautiful new box set, featuring all 236 original NBC episodes completely remastered from 35mm negatives to a luminous high-definition widescreen image with 5.1 audio. A keepsake episode guide and over 4 hours of new bonus extras create more hilarious, heartwarming memories of your favorite Friends!
It's exciting to see Friends on Blu-ray, not only because it's a show that's getting the HD treatment, but for a few other reasons. This is a big show for Warner Bros, and I'm almost certain sales of this will be watched closely and used to determine what else is considered for a DVD-to-Blu-ray treatment. It's also a large set; 21 discs, over 230 episodes, and the show is debuting on Blu-ray as a complete series. Sure, some HBO shows, and Battlestar Galactica have released a complete series before all the seasons were out on Blu-ray, but this is bigger; it's Friends.
You can see a looooong list of all the episodes, and the times for them at the end of the review.
Video
Friends aired in Full Frame (1.33:1) on TV, but when Warner Bros decided to put it out on Blu-ray, they had a decision to make: Full Frame, or Widescreen? They went with Widescreen (1.78:1), opening up the sides of the picture (not cropping the top and bottom). While the "original-aspect-ratio purist" in me thinks Full Frame would have been good, the show also looks pretty great in Widescreen. Obviously all the action is going to be in the middle of the screen, but I can't recall seeing anything that looked bad either, so I think they made a good decision going with the Widescreen transfer. The picture looks a lot better than the DVDs ever did. There's some noticeable grain in the first seasons, but by season 3 it was reduced, and is quite minimal in the last few seasons. I'd give the first couple seasons a 7/10, the middle bunch an 8/10, and the final seasons 9/10.
Alright, let's deal with the "elephant in the room." You may have read, or heard that these episodes are cut. That's completely false. These are the original airings of the episodes (with a couple exceptions, which I'll get to later) that were seen on NBC. If you sat down to watch the show on "Must See TV" Thursdays, this is what you would have seen, except it's in HD (and widescreen). When Warner Bros released this on DVD, years ago, they added material - stuff that was deleted from the episodes for whatever reason. When you create a TV show you log everything - all the shots, the timecode, everything. It's well-documented, and finding the material you need again is a relatively easy task. Unfortunately that wasn't the case with the extended episodes; records weren't kept, timecode didn't exist. That makes the task of finding the material to recreate the extended episodes a daunting task; one that likely would have made Friends on Blu-ray financially unfeasible. I think a good comparison would be what CBS is going through with Star Trek: The Next Generation, except that they're recreating episodes in HD that can bring them other financial revenue streams, while Friends would have to recoup everything from this one set. I think the irony here is that if Warner Bros didn't go to the trouble to create the extended episodes for the DVDs, there wouldn't be any issue with this Blu-ray set. I've gone through the entire set and noted the times of every episode, which you can find at the end of this review (I think I need a new remote now).
There were 4 "Super-Sized" episodes in season 7, and while those longer episodes aren't here in HD, the entire episodes are available as SD bonus material. Those are the only episodes that differ from the "broadcast night" versions.
Audio
Unlike the video, there's no controversy surrounding the audio on the set. The English Dolby Digital 5.1 track sounds good; I don't think it's significantly different than the DVDs (except for the .1, and I didn't notice the sub getting much of a workout). There are also Spanish and French tracks, and subtitles in English, French and Spanish.
Below is a list of bonus material that's new to the Blu-rays. The discs also contain all the video pieces, and the commentary tracks, from the DVD releases.
Friends from the Start (27:50)
David Crane, Marta Kauffman, Kevin Bright and others talk about the genesis of the show. From the idea, to casting, to the look of the show, it's all covered here.
When Friends Become Family (29:20)
This featurette is a lot more than the title would imply. It covers relationships between the cast, and the characters, the effect the hair and clothes had on culture, and some of the favorite episodes. Some of the recurring characters appear in this, along with the producers.
The Legacy of Friends (10:46)
It may be over, but the show lives on. A look at the legacy of the show.
The Original Producer's Cut for "The One Where Rachel Tells Ross" (22:49)
A restored version of an episode which was changed due to the events of 9/11. This is Standard Definition, 1.33:1.
The Original Script for "The One Where Rachel Tells Ross" (148 screens)
Want to read the original script? It's right here for you.
Music Video: The Rembrandts: I'll Be There For You (3:09)
The music video for the song "I'll Be There For You," featuring the cast of the show.
Short Feature: Friends Visit the Ellen DeGeneres Show (16:08)
Some of the cast members visit Ellen (at different times).
Short Feature: Friends on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno (22:01)
Leno visits Central Perk and chats with the men and women of Friends.
Gag Reel: The One with the Never-Before-Seen Gags (7:01)
Ohh... the potty mouths! This is a funny gag reel.
The Ones with More Friends: The Original Broadcast "Super-Sized" Episodes (1:50:35)
There were a few "super-sized" episodes that aired during the seventh season. While they couldn't make those episodes into HD versions for the Blu-ray release, they were able to include the SD versions on Disc 14.
The One Where Rosita Dies (27:57)
The One Where They All Turn Thirty (24:53)
The One With Joey's New Brain (28:27)
The One With the Truth About London (29:18)
Summary
I think Warner Bros has done a great job with this set. The transfer is great, there's some good bonus material, and the packaging is great. I really like the book that comes with the set. It lists all the episodes, and the discs they appear on, but it also has some neat photos of various things associated with the show. The discs are in a "book" style packaging, and while this could cause scratches with DVDs, I'm not worried because Blu-ray discs have a protective layer, as well as error correction. One thing to note with the book - the colors for the seasons in the book match the colors on the discs, but the disc menus will be a different color. I'm sure they intended everything to have the same colors as the DVD season sets, but somewhere along the line things got a bit messed up. At least the book and discs are the same, so it's not confusing going from one to the other.
Fans should look at this set as a great addition to their collection, as opposed to replacing what they already have. The episodes are the original network versions, not the extended DVD versions, but they're also widescreen, and in HD.
Here's the long list of episodes, and the times on the Blu-ray set:
Season 1
The Pilot (22:48)
The One With The Sonogram At The End (22:51)
The One With The Thumb (22:50)
The One With George Stephanopoulos (22:45)
The One With The East German Laundry Detergent (22:45)
The One With The Butt (20:47)
The One With The Blackout (22:34)
The One Where Nana Dies Twice (22:45)
The One Where Underdog Gets Away (22:45)
The One With The Monkey (22:46)
The One With Mrs. Bing (22:45)
The One With The Dozen Lasagnas (22:47)
The One With The Boobies (22:46)
The One With The Candy Hearts (22:46)
The One With The Stoned Guy (22:47)
The One With Two Parts, Part 1 (22:47)
The One With Two Parts, Part 2 (22:46)
The One With All The Poker (22:45)
The One Where The Monkey Gets Away (22:43)
The One With The Evil Orthodontist (22:43)
The One With The Fake Monica (22:44)
The One With The Ick Factor (22:42)
The One With The Birth (22:42)
The One Where Rachel Finds Out (22:44)
Season 2
The One With Ross's New Girlfriend (22:12)
The One With The Breast Milk (22:45)
The One Where Heckles Dies (22:49)
The One With Phoebe's Husband (22:48)
The One With Five Steaks And An Eggplant (22:48)
The One With The Baby On The Bus (22:49)
The One Where Ross Finds Out (22:59)
The One With The List (22:49)
The One With Phoebe's Dad (22:45)
The One With Russ (22:48)
The One With The Lesbian Wedding (22:48)
The One After The Super Bowl (1) (22:44)
The One After The Super Bowl (2) (22:31)
The One With The Prom Video (22:44)
The One Where Ross And Rachel...You Know (22:48)
The One Where Joey Moves Out (22:37)
The One Where Eddie Moves In (22:43)
The One Where Dr. Ramoray Dies (22:42)
The One Where Eddie Won't Go (22:46)
The One Where Old Yeller Dies (22:33)
The One With The Bullies (22:57)
The One With The Two Parties (22:46)
The One With The Chicken Pox (22:43)
The One With Barry And Mindy's Wedding (22:43)
Season 3
The One With The Princess Leia Fantasy (22:42)
The One Where No One's Ready (22:47)
The One With The Jam (22:47)
The One With The Metaphorical Tunnel (22:49)
The One With Frank Jr. (22:47)
The One With The Flashback (22:47)
The One With The Race Car Bed (1) (22:47)
The One With The Giant Poking Device (2) (22:48)
The One With The Football (22:47)
The One Where Rachel Quits (22:48)
The One Where Chandler Can't Remember Which Sister (22:47)
The One With All The Jealousy (22:48)
The One Where Monica And Richard Are Just Friends (22:48)
The One With Phoebe's Ex-Partner (22:47)
The One Where Ross And Rachel Take A Break (1) (22:42)
The One The Morning After (2) (23:05)
The One Without The Ski Trip (22:47)
The One With The Hypnosis Tape (22:47)
The One With The Tiny T-Shirt (22:44)
The One With The Dollhouse (22:48)
The One With A Chick And A Duck (22:47)
The One With The Screamer (22:44)
The One With Ross's Thing (22:47)
The One With The Ultimate Fighting Champion (22:44)
The One At The Beach (22:43)
Season 4
The One With The Jellyfish (22:45)
The One With The Cat (22:19)
The One With The 'Cuffs (22:13)
The One With The Ballroom Dancing (22:15)
The One With Joey's New Girlfriend (22:13)
The One With The Dirty Girl (22:28)
The One Where Chandler Crosses The Line (22:13)
The One With Chandler In A Box (22:43)
The One Where They're Going To Party! (22:14)
The One With The Girl From Poughkeepsie (22:16)
The One With Phoebe's Uterus (22:14)
The One With The Embryos (22:14)
The One With Rachel's Crush (22:13)
The One With Joey's Dirty Day (22:12)
The One With All The Rugby (22:14)
The One With The Fake Party (22:13)
The One With The Free Porn (22:11)
The One With Rachel's New Dress (22:15)
The One With All The Haste (22:14)
The One With The Wedding Dresses (22:17)
The One With The Invitations (22:15)
The One With The Worst Best Man Ever (22:19)
The One With Ross's Wedding, Part 1 (22:19)
The One With Ross's Wedding, Part 2 (22:14)
Season 5
The One After Ross Says Rachel (22:12)
The One With All The Kissing (22:13)
The One Hundredth (22:12)
The One Where Phoebe Hates PBS (22:11)
The One With The Kips (22:12)
The One With The Yeti (22:12)
The One Where Ross Moves In (22:11)
The One With The Thanksgiving Flashbacks (22:12)
The One With Ross's Sandwich (22:13)
The One With The Inappropriate Sister (22:12)
The One With All The Resolutions (22:13)
The One With Chandler's Work Laugh (22:13)
The One With Joey's Bag (22:12)
The One Where Everybody Finds Out (22:13)
The One With The Girl Who Hits Joey (22:11)
The One With The Cop (22:07)
The One With Rachel's Inadvertent Kiss (22:13)
The One Where Rachel Smokes (22:13)
The One Where Ross Can't Flirt (22:13)
The One With The Ride Along (22:13)
The One With The Ball (22:11)
The One With Joey's Big Break (22:08)
The One In Vegas, Part 1 (22:11)
The One In Vegas, Part 2 (22:11)
Season 6
The One After Vegas (22:10)
The One Where Ross Hugs Rachel (21:57)
The One With Ross's Denial (21:57)
The One Where Joey Loses His Insurance (21:56)
The One With Joey's Porsche (21:56)
The One On The Last Night (21:56)
The One Where Phoebe Runs (21:56)
The One With Ross's Teeth (21:47)
The One Where Ross Got High (22:37)
The One With The Routine (21:57)
The One With The Apothecary Table (21:57)
The One With The Joke (21:57)
The One With Rachel's Sister (21:58)
The One Where Chandler Can't Cry (22:02)
The One That Could Have Been, Part 1 (21:58)
The One That Could Have Been, Part 2 (21:57)
The One With Unagi (21:57)
The One Where Ross Dates A Student (21:57)
The One With Joey's Fridge (21:43)
The One With Mac And C.H.E.E.S.E. (21:57)
The One Where Ross Meets Elizabeth's Dad (22:11)
The One Where Paul's The Man (22:05)
The One With The Ring (22:09)
The One With The Proposal, Part 1 (21:56)
The One With The Proposal, Part 2 (21:56)
Season 7
The One With Monica's Thunder (21:57)
The One With Rachel's Book (21:56)
The One With Phoebe's Cookies (21:18)
The One With Rachel's Assistant (21:54)
The One With The Engagement Picture (21:57)
The One With The Nap Partners (21:56)
The One With Ross's Library Book (21:58)
The One Where Chandler Doesn't Like Dogs (21:56)
The One With All The Candy (21:57)
The One With The Holiday Armadillo (21:57)
The One With All The Cheesecakes (21:57)
The One Where They're Up All Night (21:57)
The One Where Rosita Dies (21:58)
The One Where They All Turn Thirty (21:56)
The One With Joey's New Brain (22:27)
The One With The Truth About London (21:55)
The One With The Cheap Wedding Dress (21:57)
The One With Joey's Award (21:57)
The One With Ross And Monica's Cousin (21:58)
The One With Rachel's Big Kiss (21:57)
The One With The Vows (21:57)
The One With Chandler's Dad (21:57)
The One With Chandler And Monica's Wedding, Part 1 (21:57)
The One With Chandler And Monica's Wedding, Part 2 (21:57)
Season 8
The One After "I Do" (22:28)
The One With The Red Sweater (21:57)
The One Where Rachel Tells... (22:00)
The One With The Videotape (22:26)
The One With Rachel's Date (21:58)
The One With The Halloween Party (21:57)
The One With The Stain (21:59)
The One With The Stripper (21:47)
The One With The Rumor (21:56)
The One With Monica's Boots (21:57)
The One With The Creepy Holiday Card (21:57)
The One Where Joey Dates Rachel (21:58)
The One Where Chandler Takes A Bath (21:37)
The One With The Secret Closet (21:57)
The One With The Birthing Video (21:58)
The One Where Joey Tells Rachel (21:08)
The One With The Tea Leaves (21:57)
The One In Massapequa (21:56)
The One With Joey's Interview (21:59)
The One With The Baby Shower (21:57)
The One With The Cooking Class (21:57)
The One Where Rachel Is Late (21:57)
The One Where Rachel Has A Baby, Part 1 (21:57)
The One Where Rachel Has A Baby, Part 2 (21:57)
Season 9
The One Where No One Proposes (23:15)
The One Where Emma Cries (23:15)
The One With The Pediatrician (23:14)
The One With The Sharks (23:14)
The One With Phoebe's Birthday Dinner (23:13)
The One With The Male Nanny (31:59)
The One With Ross's Inappropriate Song (23:16)
The One With Rachel's Other Sister (25:16)
The One With Rachel's Phone Number (23:13)
The One With Christmas In Tulsa (23:12)
The One Where Rachel Goes Back To Work (23:13)
The One With Phoebe's Rats (23:15)
The One Where Monica Sings (30:50)
The One With The Blind Dates (23:13)
The One With The Mugging (22:44)
The One With The Boob Job (23:13)
The One With The Memorial Service (23:53)
The One With The Lottery (22:43)
The One With Rachel's Dream (24:13)
The One With The Soap Opera Party (23:58)
The One With The Fertility Test (27:04)
The One With The Donor (24:37)
The One In Barbados, Parts 1 & 2 (50:04)
Season 10
The One After Joey And Rachel Kiss (29:18)
The One Where Ross Is Fine (23:58)
The One With Ross's Tan (24:12)
The One With The Cake (22:56)
The One Where Rachel's Sister Babysits (28:16)
The One With Ross's Grant (24:27)
The One With The Home Study (23:12)
The One With The Late Thanksgiving (23:06)
The One With The Birth Mother (24:52)
The One Where Chandler Gets Caught (22:56)
The One Where The Stripper Cries (27:31)
The One With Phoebe's Wedding (29:33)
The One Where Joey Speaks French (23:37)
The One With Princess Consuela (23:10)
The One Where Estelle Dies (23:12)
The One With Rachel's Going Away Party (22:42)
The Last One, Parts 1 & 2 (47:34)
