All Time Favorite Sit-Com: Friends

There's just something about it. The show itself is far from reinventive. It's basically a mix of Cheers, Mary Tyler Moore and any "The Gang" type movie. But it was the remarkable cast that changed the way television looked at ensemble comedy.

Jennifer Anniston, Courtney Cox, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow not only had unbelievable group chemistry but no two of them were better together than any other two. (Although I prefer Joey and Chandler team up episodes.) Not to mention each one was told over and over again that they were the break out star and should take that. But the big 6 stuck together. They negotiated together, and ended up being the highest paid cast in TV history. And it was always about all six of them, never did the show become "The Rachel Show" (as it easily could have, because no matter what anyone says, Jen was the breakout star)

But that's not the only reason I love Friends. Friends represents a moment to me. It was the first "grown up" show I really followed. It was the first time I started describing people as a "character from show." Like, "I'm a Rachel, and my friend Helen is sooo the Phoebe of our group!" (To take a totally arbitrary example that has no relevance to my real life whatsoever!) And oh yeah, that show is really really funny. Like hilariously funny. Watch the early episodes again some time. Brilliant.

And it made me start hanging out in coffee places, which sort of defined my life in high school. Just saying.

Hangin' Out

We all have some variation of them, that place where we hang out with our friends, the place where we don't necessarily need to order, because they just know...they're hang outs! And everyone on TV has one! Or most people do, so here are my top 10 TV hang outs (I was bored today.)

1. Cheers, Cheers: Of course it's number one, where everybody knows your name. Cheers is the epitome of the fictional hang out. It has a colorful crowd, a great backstory (an alcoholic owner) and of course, Norm and Cliff. Bonus Points: Not just a part of the show but the entire basis of the show. Add in an amusing staff, and you've got a great place to hang out.

2. Central Perk, Friends: As someone who spent a lot of time in coffee places, this is the dream one. The closest I have is the place up the street from my apartment. But there's no Gunther there, just that guy who makes my grilled cheeses with swiss even though its not on the menu. Bonus Points: A lead started their life over there and another often performs. And let's face it, that orange couch looks damn comfy.

3. Monk's Coffee Shop, Seinfeld: The coffee shop is a fairly wonderful phenomenon. It seems to have a standard diner menu, and yet Jerry and the gang rarely orders anything but soup or salad. Have you ever had diner soup? It's usually pretty gross. But Elaine's big salad is so funny, it makes it rank. Bonus Points: Unfortunately none, there's just nothing all that special about Monk's, at least not bonus points worthy.

4. Arnold's Drive In, Happy Days: Arnold's gets credit just for its multiple owners and phases. There's season one, where it's like an actual drive in, like without a real inside, then it becomes more of a diner in the next few seasons, owned by Arnold, played by Mr. Myagi. Then it's owned by Al, but still called Arnold's, then The Fonz buys a part of it. It's nice to own the building where your office is. Bonus Points: Burned down and then was rebuilt. As a callback to some of my friends, I continue to love Chachi, despite the carelessness that caused the destruction. Joanie finally agreed to go on a date with him! You'd forget to turn of the grill too!

5. The Peach Pit and The Peach Pit After Dark, Beverly Hills, 90210 and 90210: Nat's Peach Pit and David and Steve's adjacent night club (which passed hands to Valerie, to Noah, to Dylan, to, well it's still there, but I'm not sure who owns it, Nat maybe?) combine the greatness of your classic high school diner with the happiness of a mid nineties rave. The Pit was initially a plot convience, after all, The Walshes are middle class don't-ya-know, and Brandon needed gas money. So all his friends started hanging out there. The end. Bonus Points: Their menu center piece is called a Mega-Burger and Dixon now works there because Nat "hired a kid from West Beverly once. He was a good kid. You remind me of him." Aww, see, I'm not the only one who is reminded of Brandon when I see Dixon!

6. The Dot, Degrassi: The Next Generation: The Dot was the place of so much Degrassi greatness. Like Spinner's job. That time Paige tried to be a waitress. That birthday party Ellie threw for Craig when Ashley dumped him and she was into him and Jimmy was into her (Poor Jimmy, those girls just can't resist the Craig!) Bonus Points: Spinner is now the manager, and dolls out wisdom like, well, Nat at the Peach Pit.

7. The Pie Shop, Ed: OK, so maybe I just put this one on the list because The Pie Shop is actually Beantown, the corner coffee shop in my hometown. But in reality, I loved Ed, it was a brilliant show that died far too soon. Not to mention Actiondale (our ironic nickname for our little town) came alive the two days a week they shot on Allendale Ave. They still have the "Who Wants some pie?" sign up in the window. Bonus Points: They make an excellent frozen hot chocolate (I haven't been there since 8th Grade, what do you want from me?)

8. Chubby's, Boy Meets World: Chubby's, like oh so many of these places was a burger joint. It was here that Cory and Topanga broke up, and made up so many times, that Shawn went on that date with that bitchy girl who wanted to break him and Corey up. And remember the time that Shawn dressed up as a girl to write a story for the school paper and Corey dresed up as a waitress because he felt left out? Also at Chubby's. Bonus Points: When they changed hang outs to the coffee place on campus, Chubby's became a pirate themed restuarant. PIRATES!

9. Crowley's Bar, My Boys: All hale the dive bar! Crowley's is clearly the hang out of the Chicago sports writing elite. OK, maybe not, but PJ and Bobby both cover the Cubs for major papers, so it's up there. Yes, PJ and the guys sometimes go other places (remember when they went to that club with Trouty? Or PJ's apartment? Sometimes Stephanie makes PJ go someplace nice.) but they always end up back at Crowley's usually playing board games. Which leads to...Bonus Points: Crowley's has a board games collection. Including Mouse Trap! Mouse Trap + Beer = Place I want to be!

10. The Hub, That 70s Show: There were two hang outs in Point Place, The Hub and Eric's basement. I went with the hub. Mostly because it is here that my favorite scene in the entire show takes place. When Jackie has the dream sequence that she's slutty Sandy in Grease and Hyde is Danny and they do the "You're The One That I Want" dance. Bonus Points: There are no waiters, you have to go up to the window and get your food yourself.

So that's my top ten, did I miss any? (I know I did, but any that you guys particularly want to add.)

Bling Bling Bling

So I've been watching my Office DVDs while I've been studying for my finals, and I don't know why but I was thinking about something my mom and I discussed a while ago, and that's how NBC successful shows have a certain something to them.

NBC's biggest successes come in a certain package, ensemble casts of mostly unknowns with a few familiar faces.

St. Elsewhere's made most of its cast stars, sure people knew William Daniels (But that was about it.)

Cosby, they knew Cosby. But Lisa Bonet, Phylcia Ryshaad, Malcom Jamall Warner, all unknowns, made into stars.

Cheers. All unknowns. Entirely.

Seinfeld. No one knew those guys, Jerry Seinfeld was a mildly successful comedian, Jason Alexander was a failing character actor. Now look at them.

Friends. Courtney Cox was in a Bruce Springsteen video and David Schwimmer had done some theater. I mean just look at that cast now, especially Jennifer Aniston who's biggest credit was Leprechaun.

The West Wing. Martin Sheen was a big movie star, and John Spencer was somewhat known. But the entire staff was really only known for playing small roles in movies.

Scrubs. Um, wait isn't that the black kid from Clueless? Granted NBC then destroyed the show by moving it to a different time slot every year, but still.

The Office. The Office is like the best show on television right now (Besides GG) and it was all these people you'd never heard of, unless you watched The Daily Show, then you knew Steve Carrell. Now they're all doing things, they're recognizable

Heroes. The Heroes cast were all "Oh That Guy!" type actors. Except Milo...*sigh*...OK, I'm back, but think about it. Ali Larter, "Isn't that the girl who wore the whipped cream bikini in Varsity Blues?" Or "Hey, that's the little girl from Remember The Titans?" or "Wasn't he in Top Gun?" Now, they're, well, not so much famous, as "Oh that's Matt Parkman!"

So there you have it. That's why shows like, mm, My Own Worst Enemy don't work for them...you watch NBC to see the future, not to be sad because all Christian Slater can get work doing is some pathetic Fight Club rip off show.

And of course there are exceptions...like 30 Rock. Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski and Alec Baldwin are hardly unknowns. They're actually pretty famous and have been for a while. There are always exceptions.