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The Situation Comedy (sitcom) “Friends” is an American television series which first aired in 1994 and ran for 10 seasons ending in 2004. It is one of the most popular TV shows of all time and won many awards. The finale aired on May 6th 2004 and is still rated as the fifth most watched television show in history seen by nearly 52.5 million American viewers. Friends has always been a much-loved show around the world but it is not without criticism. I will be discussing the issues such as race about this iconic television series in relation to The Circuit of Culture.
In regards to Regulation, broadcast television in the US is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
The United States has a solely commercial or decentralized television system i.e. there is no government run or controlled national network or television broadcaster which, apart from the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), that is largely funded from donations, is entirely funded by advertising and sponsorship.
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There are five major U.S. broadcast television networks including the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) which aired all 10 seasons of Friends. Friends was aired in the highly prized prime-time slot of 8.30pm Thursdays. The show was first aired before parental content guidelines were introduced by the FCC in 1997 although the episodes aired after 1997 were given a PG13+ rating which was applied to reruns of pre-1997 episodes aired after 1997. The FCC does not allow the broadcasting of indecent material between 6am and 10pm although the Commission does give network broadcasters some leeway to air programs containing potentially indecent material within its designated watershed period, broadcasters are hesitant to do this, concerned that airing such material would alienate advertisers and encourage the federal government to strengthen regulation of television content..
Although Friends received praise for its lack of violent content the most negative criticism came from The Parents Television Council, a US-based censorship advocacy group, who said that Friends was a racy sitcom and all six of the characters were portrayed sexually from certain scenes to vulgar comments made throughout the show. This criticism did not seem to impact the show’s success nor did it alter the view of the FCC regarding the rating it had given the show. The content guidelines the FCC issues do not extend to cable and television subscription services. Had Friends been produced and aired by a cable television provider such as HBO perhaps the content and story line would have been more extreme and controversial instead the writers and producers of Friends had to work within the strict boundaries set by the FCC and the conservative network broadcaster NBC leading to a homegenized end product despite the success the series enjoyed.
In terms of Production, although the way Friends was staged and filmed was quite conventional for sitcoms at the time however the concept of six 20-something year-olds grouped together like an unconventional family was a unique idea. The majority of sitcoms in the 1990’s were usually based around traditional multi-generational family units such as Full House, Family Matters and Home Improvement or work place situations with characters of different ages such as Wings, Frasier and Spin City. The sitcom was produced by Bright, Kauffman and Crane Productions in conjunction with Warner Bros. Television. Although Friends was set in Manhattan, New York, it was never actually filmed there instead being shot at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. Interestingly, as the show became so popular in the UK, the final episode of the 4th season was filmed in a studio in London, England, this was the only instance in the 10 years the series ran for that filming took place outside the US. Filming always took place in front of a live audience which was very traditional for sitcoms. The two main settings for most scenes were in Monica’s apartment and the Coffee Shop which was called Central Perk, although scenes did also take place in various locations such as Joey’s apartment, the corridor outside Monica’s apartment and the street outside of Central Perk. The coffee shop was such a major part of the series that many similar but real businesses have sprung up in many countries around the world imitating Central Perk, including furniture, artwork and props. Friends was aired in countries throughout the world as diverse as the Philippines, Greece and India. “It has been suggested that Friends marked a change in America” where perhaps traditional family units was no longer a necessity for a normal life but all you need is a group of friends instead. It is truly unique that a television programme could be considered to have had an influence on society and the realness of the situations that these friends are put through which many people can relate to from their dating lives to the struggles of finding or keeping jobs steady.
In terms of Identity with regards to the Circuit of Culture, much has been said of how Friends is a ‘white-wash’ i.e. the main cast are not only all white but also educated and middle class. The creators of friends had a history of producing shows dominated by white casts such as Dream On and Veronica’s Closet so Friends was very much in keeping with the identity its producers had created for the work they wrote. In terms of the general Identity of Friends in relation to the Circuit of Culture, I feel that the cast just happen to be white, educated, middle class young adults and the concept could have worked with a mixed race cast or even all black or Asian actors. To the producers, writers and cast and indeed the broadcaster, race was never an issue, it was only after Friends became successful that the media made race an issue in the show.
The TV show is based on close friendships, humour and a bit of drama, this kind of television catches the eye of many people and the comedy displayed in Friends was proven to be universally popular. Friends seems to have capitalised on a trend that started in the late 80's that saw changes in society regarding the typical family unit such as people leaving family homes at a younger age, and quite often cohabitating, and getting married later in life if at all. Ella Taylor argues that while in the 1950’s television shows were mostly centred around work or family, in the 1970’s shows were about “work families” and in the 90’s there became a new genre of sitcom to do with “alternative families” and Friends was an early example of this. The main theme of the show is the relationships between the cast members who are not only “best friends” but also act like “family”, this theme fits well within the representation section of the Circuit of the Culture. Nowhere is this more strongly represented than in the theme song for the show “I’ll be there for you” which was a hit song for The Rembrandts.
With an average rating of 23 million viewers per episode in the US and around 5 million in the UK there is no doubt that Friends is one of the most successful sitcom series of all time. The success of Friends fits neatly into the consumption section of the Circuit of Culture. The target demographic for Friends was “Young Influentials” which are described as under 35, average income, no kids, rent, graduates and have leisure time. The show also had a cultural impact, from Joey’s famous line, “how ya doin?” which was used as a pick-up line and “The Rachel” which was a hairstyle worn by the character Rachel that became a popular look for women during the 90’s. It is considered a timeless show that still to this day has created an impact in society with reruns of the show enjoying popularity with millennials. Perhaps the success was due to the fact that there was no central character when historically sitcoms contained one or two lead characters and the characters developed and grew as people throughout the series making people emotionally attached to them.
The Circuit of Culture helps us consider different aspects of media forms, everything from advertising campaigns and magazine articles to television sitcoms, it provides a basis for understanding how and why they impact us. The TV series Friends has become a cultural global icon that has extended its life beyond the decade it so perfectly encapsulated. Using Friends as an example, I wanted to show how The Circuit of Culture can be used to analyse this specific programme and to give it context to be able to better comprehend it and perhaps explain why it was and remains so successful.
A Look At The “Friends” Situation Comedy in Relation to The Circuit Of Culture. (2024, Feb 22). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/a-look-at-the-friends-situation-comedy-in-relation-to-the-circuit-of-culture-essay
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