I’ll Be There For You
by Kelsey Miller
📖 | Genre: Non-Fiction
⭐️| Rating: 4.25/5
📚| Review: Could this book BE any more fun? I really enjoyed this non-fiction read about the show, Friends. From the creation of the TV series all the way until the finale, Kelsey Miller brings to life the behind-the-scenes of Central Perk and Monica & Rachel’s apartment. As a fairly casual Friends fan, I didn’t know too much about the show other than what I saw on screen. I began watching the show years later when reruns came on TBS, not when it was airing live on Thursday nights on NBC. Because of my delayed exposure to the comedy, I relished in the details Miller researched about the nitty gritty. She reveals what the actors’ salaries were, how the characters were developed as the show continued, and the inside jokes to those infamous episodes.
What I appreciated most was the insight into how Friends shaped so much of the pop-culture during its time. Everything from clothes to hair styles was influenced in some way by the hit sitcom. As someone who grew up in the 90s but wasn’t old enough to remember watching the show live, I really enjoyed learning about the way this show was received by audiences at the time.
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Miller also explores the early ways this show broke television barriers with representation and contrasts it with how the same material is harmful or does not hold up decades later. I thought it was interesting to view early 2000s television through the 2021 lens. Miller acknowledges the strides the entertainment industry has made since then when it comes to LGBTQ characters and also the lengths it still needs to go.
Reasoning the rating
I really liked this non-fiction read. It was light, easy to pick up and breeze through the chapters, and it was fun to read alongside re-watching some of the episodes. If you’re a big fan or someone who’s just seen a few seasons or two, I think it’s a book you’ll enjoy, especially as Friends is back in the limelight following the HBO Reunion show.
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