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10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About The Sitcom Friends

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By 397268

I'm sure by now you must have seen the sitcom, unless you've been hiding under a rock for the past 15 years. (Yes Friends began 15 years ago in 1994) 

If you're a fan you'll have followed the lives of the six friends over the entire 10 seasons of the sitcom.  If you're like me, you'll also have watched the countless daily repeats.  So you should know all there is to know, right? But what about some of the more obscure facts.

I've chosen 10 of the most interesting little facts about the show which most viewers won't have known about.  


1. A few months before the first episode aired, the pilot was shown to a test audience, who were less than impressed, scoring it a mere 41 out of 100 and classifying it was "week".

2. Lisa Kudrow played Ursula in the 11th episode of the sitcom "Mad About You" way back in 1992. That was a whole two years before the first episode of Friends.

3. In early episodes of the sitcom, Joey and Chandler lived in apartment 4, while Monica and Rachel lived in apartment 5. This was later seen as a problem since 4 and 5 would typically be ground floor apartments and it was known they lived several stories up. In later episodes their apartment numbers were changed to 19 and 20 respectfully.

4. Before airing, the sitcom went through several title changes before settling on the simple "Friends". Possible titles included Friends Like These, Six of One, Across the Hall, Friends Like Us, and Insomnia Cafe.

5. The very first episode was originally titled just "The Pilot", but because every other episode began with the words "The One..." it was later renamed to "The one where it all began". There was however, one exception to the naming convention, and that was the final episode which was aptly named "The Last One".

6. Gunther actor James Michael Tyler was a mere extra in the first season. He earned his re-occurring role, because he was the only one who could work the cappuccino machine. He wasn't even given a name until season two.

7. The full names of the characters are...

  • Ross Eustace Geller
  • Chandler Muriel Bing
  • Joseph Francis Tribbiani Jr
  • Rachel Karen Green
  • Monica E. Geller (we never learn what the E stands for)
  • Phoebe Buffay (She never knew her middle name)

8. For a joke, in the opening episode of season 6, "The One After Vegas", all the opening credits had the names changed to include Arquette at the end. This was because after finishing season 5, Courteney Cox married David Arquette and became Courteney Cox Arquette.

9. In an act of life mirroring fiction, the coffee house "Central Perk" became a reality in 2006 when Mojtaba Asadian, a businessman from Iran registered the name to use on a new franchise of coffee shops. The first of which was officially opened by James Michael Tyler (Gunther) in Dubai.

10. Over 51 million people watched the first airing of the final episode in the US. That made it the 4th most watched series finale, behind three other sitcoms MASH, Cheers and Seinfeld.

Ready to test your knowledge? Then play our Friends Trivia quizzes now at AbsurdTrivia.com

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Veronica profile image

Veronica  says:
10 months ago

Seriously? Gunther opened a Central Perk in Dubai??

Very interesting trivia! Great HUB. I hope you'll write more.

397268 profile image

397268  says:
10 months ago

Thanks Veronica. Yeah, Gunther opened the first in the chain of coffee houses. That is to say he was paid to attend the grand opening and probably cut a ribbon or something. He doesn't own the coffee house.

Jessica Richmond profile image

Jessica Richmond  says:
10 months ago

Wow, very interesting! I knew a lot but I didn't know #1, 7 or 10. In what episode do we find out that Ross's middle name is Eustace? I don't recall that at all! Also do you know the first episode Gunther's creepy obsession is revealed?

397268 profile image

397268  says:
10 months ago

The name "Eustace" was written in a script for the show, but the line was cut, so it never actually aired.

As for Gunther, I don't think he done anything creepy. He just had an unrequited obsession with Rachel.

mulberry1 profile image

mulberry1  says:
10 months ago

I watched occasionally; I only knew one of your facts: that Lisa Kudrow had played Ursula on Mad About You. Guess I failed. Nice hub!

Lgali profile image

Lgali  says:
10 months ago

nice info

pain  says:
9 months ago

Phoebe Buffet (She never knew her middle name) <-- it's Buffay

397268 profile image

397268  says:
9 months ago

Thanks for the correction Pain

JazzDemon  says:
6 months ago

Monica E. Geller (we never learn what the E stands for)

umm... Eustace, maybe? XD

friendsfan  says:
4 months ago

Monica E. Geller (we never learn what the E stands for)

E. means Elizabeth...I know that from one of the series where Monica buy stock....She bought only MEG stock because that is her initials : Monica Elizabeth Geller ! :) But Phoebe tought that her middle name is Felula (TOW race car bed) .... :D

397268 profile image

397268  says:
4 months ago

I just checked a transcript of that episode online, and although it confirms her initials MEG, it never says the E stands for Elizabeth.

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