2 articles in this category

1. 21 behind the scenes facts about 'Friends'

   Friends enjoyed one of the greatest television runs of all time after it premiered in 1994. Even though it ended over 10 years ago, to this day, its influence on pop culture can still be felt all over the world.
   For the legion of fans who still can't get enough, here are 21 Friends facts from behind the scenes.
   Before deciding upon the final title "Friends" - other options such as "Friends Like Us", "Six of One", "Insomnia Cafe" and "Across the Hall" were considered. Throughout Season 6, Lisa Kudrow wore a wig for most of the episodes after she had her hair cut short for another role. James Michael Tyler (who played Gunther) was likely cast in part because he actually worked as a Barista at the time. Initially, he was not scripted to have any lines and he even kept his coffee job for the first few years. It was not until Season 2, that his character was given a name. Viewers can play an interactive version of the game Bamboozled in the DVD Special of Season 8. Christina Applegate won an Emmy for her portrayal as Amy Green on the show. Originally, the writers planned for Reese Witherspoon to return instead as Rachel's other sister (Jill) but she was unable to meet the scheduling. At first, the role for Chandler was offered to Jon Favreau who ultimately decided to turn it down. He later guest starred in a couple of episodes as the character Pete Becker. Unlike other shows at the time, the show runners insisted upon all of their main characters receiving an equal amount of screen time and storylines. Hank Azaria would later feature in the show as Phoebe's boyfriend David. He previously auditioned for the role of Joey. The iconic orange couch in Central Perk was unearthed somewhere in one of Warner Bros. basement. The studio's first choice for the role of Rachel was Téa Leoni but she declined the role. Courteney Cox also auditioned but ultimately felt that playing Monica would be a more natural fit for her. The bottleneck episode "The One Where No One Is Ready" was filmed entirely in one location as the writers needed to preserve their budget. The White Dog Statue that Joey bought for his apartment actually belonged to Jennifer Anniston. Along with The Rembrandts, the theme song "I'll Be There For You" was also co-written by Producers David Crane and Marta Kauffman. Before The Rembrandts hit song was chosen, R.E.M.'s "Shiny Happy People" was the first choice for the opening theme song. Phoebe and Chandler were originally intended to be supporting roles. Matthew Perry's dad (John Bennett Perry) made an appearance in S4, Ep 18 - "The One With Rachel's New Dress" playing Joshua's father. The role of Ross was written with David Schwimmer in mind and he didn't have to audition for the role. Each episode took roughly 5 hours to film with a live studio audience. For the finales of each season, the studio audience was omitted. The main cast decided to negotiate their contracts together ensuring equal pay. The iconic frame around the peephole in Monica's apartment at one point had a glass frame before getting smashed. The producers decided to keep it on set anyway. David Schwimmer racked up an impressive 10 directing credits on the show. Best Quotes from 'Friends'
   

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   • • Post Type: List
2. 21 behind the scenes facts about 'How I Met Your Mother'

   CBS' big hit, How I Met Your Mother, premiered in 2005 and enjoyed a successful run with 9 seasons through to 2014. At the height of its success, it garnered multiple accolades and a legion of adoring fans.
   Sanctioned straight from the front office of the Slap Bet Commissioner - Here are 21 interesting trivia facts about the show:
   If CBS canceled the show early, creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas planned for Victoria to be the eponymous "Mother". Before Jim Parsons went on to star in "The Big Bang Theory", he unsuccessfully auditioned for the part of Barney. Alyson Hannigan (Lily) particularly disliked Jason Segel's (Marshall) smoking habit so much that very few kissing scenes were scripted for the on-screen couple. Quite unusually, the significant others of Alyson Hannigan, Cobie Smulders, and Neil Patrick Harris all appeared multiple times throughout the show. Alexis Denisof played Sandy Rivers, Taran Killam (Gary Blauman), and David Burtka (Scooter) respectively. Alicia Silverstone was originally cast as Stella. She later withdrew from the role after learning that Britney Spears was set to play her character's assistant, Abby. The actors who played Ted's children Luke (David Henrie) and Penny (Lyndsy Fonseca) shot all of their scenes during the first season. They had to sign confidentiality agreements after finding out the show's ending during that time. Keepsakes. The cast and crew all took home various props and souvenirs from the show with Josh Radnor getting the Blue French Horn, Neil Patrick Harris receiving the Playbook, and Cobie Smulders keeping Robin Sparkle's blue denim jacket. Conan O'Brien's brief cameo came as a result of his winning a charity auction in support of the Ojai Playwrights Conference. The creators revealed that he intentionally chose to limit the length of his appearance. Unlike most traditional sitcoms, How I Met Your Mother filmed the entire episode first and then showed it to the studio audience after the fact, adding their reactions over the audio in the editing room. Very few references can be found before How I Met Your Mother for the term "Bro Code". Many attribute Barney Stinson as being directly responsible for coining it. Josh Radnor's allergic reaction to dogs is likely the reason that Robyn's dogs were written out the show. The "Mother's" name was first revealed in the episode "Belly Full of Turkey" (Season 1, Episode 9). The main roles of Ted and Robin were initially offered to Scott Foley and Jennifer Love Hewit who both declined the parts. The length of Season 3 was heavily impacted by the ongoing writers' strike at the time. Season 1, Episode 10 - "The Pineapple Incident" was the most watched episode. During Season 4, Smulder and Hannigan were both pregnant at the time of filming. The intro song for the show "Hey Beautiful" was written and performed by the band "The Solids". Creators Bays and Thomas are both in the band. The voiceover for the majority of the show (bar the last two episodes) was narrated by Bob Saget. (Un)Lucky Loser. Victoria was chosen by fans online as Ted's favorite paramour. The various online gambits created by Barney or other websites mentioned in the show such as https://tedmosbyisajerk.com all had real, functional web pages. 196 of 208 episodes were directed by Pamela Fryman. Quotes from How I Met Your Mother
   

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   • • Post Type: List