chuckle vision
Some on-screen moments are written straight into comedy history, but what was it like to be in the room where the magic was made? From the creator of Friends to a star of Schitt’s Creek, 10 insiders tell all
compiled by: meena alexander
friends:
Marta Kauffman is co-creator and executive producer of the record-breaking show that changed the way we look at sofas forever
“When it was revealed that Monica was in bed with Chandler at the end of season four, the London live audience went wild. People jumped to their feet and screamed and clapped and it went on and on, I’ve never seen a reaction like that in all my years doing television. Their response changed the course of the series – we always intended for Monica and Chandler to become awkward with each other after their one-nighter at Ross’ wedding, but that audience taught us that we had to do something more than just a fling for these two. It was the moment that meant the most to me because the viewers were so influential in what happened next. But of course, we have to talk about ‘pivot’. I remember one thing about that scene: laughing. Laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe. We all were. Cast, crew, writers, producers, audience – everyone except the poor director. That episode was his first time directing and he was at a loss as how to herd us in. The shoot had to stop for a while so we could settle down. It took close to 45 minutes before we could get back to work. I’m constantly amazed at the longevity of . For whatever reason, people relate to these characters and this show, and by some miracle it has withstood the test of almost three decades.’ legacy is that a whole slew of people learned to speak English from watching it. For 10 years, I got to work with people who made me laugh every day. What’s not to love?”
