TY - BOOK ID - 48262062 TI - Friends : a reading of the sitcom AU - Knox, Simone AU - Schwind, Kai Hanno PY - 2019 SN - 3030254291 3030254283 9783030254292 9783030254285 PB - Cham : Springer International Publishing : Imprint: Palgrave Macmillan, DB - UniCat KW - Culture—Study and teaching. KW - Motion pictures and television. KW - Popular Culture. KW - United States—Study and teaching. KW - Popular Science in Cultural and Media Studies. KW - Screen Studies. KW - Popular Culture . KW - American Culture. KW - Culture, Popular KW - Mass culture KW - Pop culture KW - Popular arts KW - Communication KW - Intellectual life KW - Mass society KW - Recreation KW - Culture KW - Moving-pictures and television KW - Television and motion pictures KW - Television KW - Friends (Television program) KW - Popular culture. KW - Cultural studies KW - Study and teaching. KW - Popular works KW - Motion pictures and television KW - Popular culture UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:48262062 AB - This book offers a long overdue, extensive study of one of the most beloved television shows: Friends. Why has this sitcom become the seminal success that it is? And how does it continue to engage viewers around the world a quarter century after its first broadcast? Featuring original interviews with key creative personnel (including co-creator Marta Kauffman and executive producer Kevin S. Bright), the book provides answers by identifying a strategy of intimacy that informs Friends’ use of humour, performance, style and set design. The authors provide fascinating analyses of some of the most well-remembered scenes—the one where Ross can’t get his leather pants back on, and Ross and Rachel’s break-up, to name just a couple—and reflect on how and why A-list guest performances often fell short of the standards set by the ensemble cast. Also considered are the iconic look of Monica’s apartment as well as the programme’s much discussed politics of representation and the critical backlash it has received in recent years. An exploration of Joey, the infamous spin-off, and several attempts to adapt Friends’ successful formula across the globe, round out the discussion, with insights into mistranslated jokes and much more. For students, scholars, creative industry practitioners and fans alike, this is a compelling read that lets us glimpse behind the scenes of what has become a cultural phenomenon and semi-permanent fixture in many of our homes. ER -