Review of Friends: Series 1 Boxset

Introduction

When Matthew Perry approached Warner Bros. with an idea for a sitcom about friends sitting in a coffee house all day sharing stories and jokes, they didn`t want it. So, when Friends was originally aired, it`s funny how it was just like Perry`s idea, and it even starred him...

This originally aired back in 1994, and soon became a massive hit. This series, containing the first 24 episodes, is where it all begins. The Pilot episode begins with a bemused Rachel Green (played by Jennifer Aniston) arriving at Central Perk (read Perk, not Park) in her wedding dress after running out on her husband-to-be at the altar. She soon sees Monica Gellar (Courteney Cox Arquette - although she was just the first 2 when this was filmed), whom she went to high school with, and Monica lets her stay at her flat. Monica has a brother, Ross (played by David Schwimmer), who used to harbour a crush on Rachel and still does. Then, we have Chandler Bing (played by Matthew Perry), Ross` roomate from college. Chandler lives across the hall from Monica with Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc), a guy whose desperate to be an actor and break into Hollywood.

The idea for Friends is a good one, six friends living life in New York, sharing events and, since this is a comedy, jokes.

Throughout the debut 24 episodes, the scene is being constantly set: who likes who, whose wife is now a lesbian and so on!

There are 3 discs in the set, and each one is a flipper. Both sides have 4 episodes on them, meaning you have 8 per disc.

Video

It is presented in 4:3 Fullscreen, which is normal for a TV-DVD transfer, but that doesn`t mean it`s necessarily good. The palette is OK, and there is the odd compression sign, but on the whole it is a fairly good print slightly sullied by the odd flaw.

Friends doesn`t revolve so much on visual comedy as say, a spoof, but there is plenty for your eyes to lap up. The situations the characters get them into is humourous, even in the first series, so no disappointment there.

Audio

A DD 2.0 track is on offer, which is sufficient for this, being a dialogue-driven feature. The main audio stream is crisp and clear, and the ambience level is just right, but the audio has been marked down for the abscence of a DD 5.1 track.

The scripts are all sharp, and as mentioned above, put the characters into some great comedic situations (such as Chandler getting stuck in an ATM with a really hot model). The characters are all fleshed out (although Joey, due to him not going to school or college with the rest of them, isn`t as developed as the others) so this is not just a skin-deep sitcom.

Features

The main extra is a music video of "I`ll Be There For You" by The Rembrandts, which is an extended version than that of the opening credits. The six stars participate (visually not singing) in the video, which adds some authenticity to it. Apart from this incredibly thin extra, there is episode (not scene) selection, and static menus. Disappointing.

Conclusion

A good way to start the sitcom, and the DVD is good to boot. Although the visuals, audio and extras can all be improved, this is a TV production, and therefore most people will be buying this on content alone.

So, sit down and enjoy the gang`s first outings, and remember - things get better from here on up.