ANALYTICAL | THE ENDLESS WORLD OF TV SERIES
“Yet, kids’ channels still have
problems with content selection:
choice between native and external
content may be not so easy”.
THE ENDLESS WORLD OF TV SERIES | ANALYTICAL
something endless and intricate.
Furthermore, don’t forget: Santa Barbara launched the careers of
numerous present Hollywood stars, like Leo di Caprio, Tim Robbins,
Tea Leoni, and others!
Incredible as it may seem, but in spite of Santa Barbara’s worldwide
popularity, it never achieved the same heights in the USA. During its first
season (1984–1985), it ranked only 11thamong daytime soap operas. The
next year it rose to the 10th place. By 1987, however, it started to generate
respectable ratings: it was still the 10th, but managed to achieve the highest
rating in the history of the show.
Well, anyway, soap operas are only part of the story. Let’s have a look at
the best of the best among quality drama series!
TOPs
It is absolutely in human nature to try to find out who is the best of the
best. For this reason we’re always trying to make top-lists, calculate ratings,
or hold an opinion poll. Well, The Hollywood Reporter has already done
it. They asked about 2,800 people, and not just 2,800 strangers. The list
of participants included: 268 distinguished film directors, 365 producers,
779 actors and other experts from the cinema industry. Of course, one can
find Simpsons, Lost, The Sopranos, Twin Peaks, House of Cards, etc. at
the top of the list. But whatare the top three? If you still don’t know, let
us announce the winners: 3rd place – X-Files, 2nd place – Breaking Bad, and
the 1stplace – Friends!
“Native content, because of its
natural comprehensibility for
children, can be the best solution
for local channels – no translation
or adaptation required”.
FRIENDS
This popular American series was created by David Craneand Marta
Kauffmanin association with Warner Bros. Television. It has 10 seasons
and aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004. Starring
Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew
Perry, and David Schwimmer, the show revolves around six friends living
in Manhattan.
Remarkably, Crane and Kauffman
began creating Friends under the title
Insomnia Cafe between November
and December 1993. They presented
the idea to their friend and production
partner Kevin Bright, and together
they pitched a seven-page treatment
of the show to NBC. After several
script rewrites and changes, including a
second title change to Friends Like Us,
the series was finally named Friends.
Filming took place at Warner Bros.
Studios in Burbank, California. All ten
seasons of Friends ranked within the top ten of the final television season
ratings; ultimately reaching the No.1 place with itseighth season. The series
finale on May 6, 2004, was watched by around 52.5 million American
10 | SEASON SCREEN TV REVIEW | ISSUE 5 FEBRUARY 2016
“Native content, because of its
natural comprehensibility for
children, can be the best solution
for local channels – no translation
or adaptation required”.
“NBC, in its turn, informs that
possible Friends reunion in 2016
could be a part of a special event to
pay tribute to the legendary comedy
director James Burrows”.
viewers, making it the fifth most watched series finale in the television
history, and the most watched television episode of the 2000s decade.
Funny, but this series, in terms of ranks and awards, looks like good
old wine: its value grows with time. Let’s trace all the way: sitcom was
nominated for 62 Primetime Emmy Awards, also winning the Outstanding
Comedy Series award in 2002 for its eighth season. The show ranked
No.21 in TV Guide’s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time and No.7 in
Empire magazine’s The 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. In 1997, the
episode The One with the Prom Video was ranked No.100 in TV Guide’s
100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time. In 2013, Friends ranked No.24 in the
Writers Guild of America’s 101 Best Written TV Series of All Time and
No.28 in TV Guide’s 60 Best TV Series of All Time. In 2014, the Mundo
Estranho magazine named Friends the Best TV Series of All Time! The
Hollywood Reporter’s poll, as you can see, showed the same result.
Of course, now, when the rumors about Friends possible return are
widespread, most of the fans are really happy and waiting for this comeback. But Friends co-author Marta Kauffman made it clear that she does
not want “to go back to that territory again.” Perhaps, it is because she has
much to do with her Netflix series Grace & Frankie.
NBC, in its turn,
informs that possible
Friends
reunion
in 2016 could be
a part of a special
event to pay tribute
to the legendary
comedy
director
James Burrows, who
has been working in
television since the
1970s and directed
many series. Burrows also shot some episodes of Friends, so in order to
pay tribute to the popular director all main actors are going to reunite.
Unfortunately, it is already not a secret that Matthew Perry probably won’t
be able to join the team, thus making the possible reunion not so perfect,
but anyway…
It’s clear that Friends is still really popular among its fans, and that a
reunion might one day happen with the cast members, even if it doesn’t
come in the form of a reboot. In terms of revisiting Friends, however, it’s
very clear that Marta Kauffman is out.
EXPERTS & INTERVIEWS
Now let us switch from legendary series to modern ones. Due to
increasing series production all over the world, it is really difficult to cover
everything, but viewers’ request for quality dramas is still high everywhere.
Netflix surveys showed that about 60% of viewers stick with one show
at a time and manage to finish a season approximately in two weeks, and
then start again with a new series. Another 25% of respondents watch up
ISSUE 5 FEBRUARY 2016 | SEASON SCREEN TV REVIEW | 11