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    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'

        • 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

        • Post Type: List
    3. Things and Ideas: The Twilight Zone

      I began writing this a long time ago in the heat of the moment. I had just heard that there would be another unnecessary remake, this one of a much beloved series that helped to define who I am as a person. Irreplaceable. I heard it would be lead by someone I respected, but that did little to cool the fire at the time. Even now, fast approaching the premiere, I am not sure how to feel or what to think. I find it difficult to actively root against just about anything and I do hope that Jordan Peele and crew get to flex their creative muscles and continue to add to the beautiful world of clever, decisive social commentary in media, but I am apprehensive.
       
      We have better technology and more ways of measuring people’s wants and reactions, which has lead to amazing shows. The existing comparisons will exist no matter what, but I personally have the feeling of witnessing uncanny valley. Digitally rendered faces are flawless, without scars or asymmetry, but there is still something off. I still prefer my imperfect crew. Maybe people would have preferred new Cola if they weren’t already used to the flavor of Coke, but that doesn’t erase the existence or deep-seeded memories of enjoying one on a hot amalgamation of a childhood summer day. So while there will be a comparison, how could it compare? I feel like that is a fair mindset to go into this process with.
       
      Identity theft is not a joke, Jim.
       
      Remake Culture
      We’re at a point in time where having disgust towards remakes, reboots, and adaptations is getting its own remake, but it just doesn’t stop. Most of them are innocuous, either verging on annoying (News Flash: Charmed doesn’t need to tell me it’s feminist every five seconds. It never did, because it always was. The intelligence of the audience just used to be trusted to see that in the first incarnation.) or vaguely amusing (Pikachu is being voiced by… Deadpool?), and there are even a few that could be exciting- how great would it be if Ryan Gosling reprises one of his first guest star roles in the feature film version of Are You Afraid of the Dark? However, this third reincarnation of The Twilight Zone was really getting under my skin.
      Culture, Commentary, and the Human Condition
      For those of you who somehow are unaware, The Twilight Zone is a cultural landmark and to call it “influential” would be the understatement of the century in this dimension and the rest. It was an incredibly popular show that took risks and played with formats, each episode having its own meaning, yet fitting in to the overarching theme of the show. It was an expansive universe, sprawling between half-hour and hour long episodes, that extended into other mediums. I even found a few Twilight Zone books that I absolutely cherish. So much of modern entertainment has been influenced by it that naming just a few titles would be an injustice, as the range goes far beyond Sci Fi shows. Replaying episodes and creative ways of escaping censorship have origins with The Twilight Zone. Even mainstream comedies and dramas give their regards to the phenomenon, so why does anybody feel the need to dredge it through the mud in yet another completely unnecessary and, moreso, insulting remake?
       
      Given the general consensus of “meh” towards the second remake to give some extra push to the writers along with the renaissance of SciFi/Horror in recent years, I actually don’t doubt that this version won’t suck, to put it bluntly. I have faith in Jordan Peele and I was glad to hear that he is trying to find his own voice in the Narrator role. Get Out, despite having plot holes that you could sail a ship through, was a good, strong movie and Us is absolutely blowing up right now, which does make this the perfect time for this premiere, as I’m sure was preplanned. The choice of host was clever and suitable, as The Twilight Zone was smart, often tinged with humor, and hit upon both universal themes as well as modern issues. It looked to the past and to the future, being critical of the now and the always. We have been able to glimpse the ability to take on these views in Peele’s work. There is a decent chance some of his works were in some way inspired by The Twilight Zone and made his own, as is the best way to get into the psyche of Sci Fi/ Horror- building. Serling even had a humor to him, which doesn’t seem to be too well known, but it’s a necessary part of truly being able to flesh out the human experience.
       
      There is even a decent sized list of known actors playing parts in this anthological redeux, which is similar in many ways to the original, but I fear they are forgetting about how many of those actors did not become famous until after. I know, it’s hard looking back and trying to get into the actual mindset of how things were when the original was on air, but to miss that is to miss the point. The original guest stars really do read like a Who’s Who of ‘60s stars, though. Another key piece of the puzzle in the legacy of the original is the chances it took on then-unknowns, because that helped to pave its ability to last this long in some more minor ways.
       
      I understand that studios compete and known names are bankable, as they come with built in fan bases. The Twilight Zone is definitely very well known. I’m sure I’m missing some, but there are many other SciFi/Horror shows that either recently came out or are in production right now, so I get why everyone is trying to one up each other with new releases. For a small sampling, mostly of reboots and adaptations, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is getting a movie directed by the Guillermo del Toro, a The Lost Boys television series, a Buffy remake that by the grace of TV God has Joss Whedon on board, to join the recent hits such as The Quiet Place and it’s own sensory-deprived fraternal twin The Bird Box (hear no evil, see no evil, am I right?), The New Adventures of Old Sabrina, which was paced in a way that never would have lasted on a week-to-week basis, the latest Halloween, the slew of Neil Gaimen’s fantastical works that have finally made it onto the screen to varying degrees of success, and the blend of stereotypical feel and original content that formed Stranger Things and Black Mirror.
       
      Speaking of which, I’m not even too concerned about quality. Black Mirror is a cultural hit all on it’s own. It has been called a Twilight Zone rip-off enough times, but managed to maintain its own identity and fan-base. We are experiencing a great time for originality in this field and I AM IN LOVE WITH IT. I love it. I really, really love it and I’m so excited, so I’m insulted by the laziness that others are getting away with.
       
      I’m mostly afraid that this new version will make The Twilight Zone a rip-off of itself.
       
      There is no other Rod Serling.
      He was not perfect, but he didn’t need to be to be an effective and wonderful Host. Many of my idols are from that era and, as a result, have factors that are questionable to modern palates. I have relatively little problem separating the genius from the man when discussing the legacy of art, because it transcends individuals. Rod Serling was a very smart, creative individual, with a unique background, but you can find nuances from many other sources throughout the series. It’s beautiful, really. That is not something you recreate by trying to recreate it. That is something you are inspired by and move on to make something of your own; that’s how it was created itself! The Twilight Zone is a moment in time, a reflection. It manages to be so firmly stood in its era while free to roam around time and space. Leave it be. It doesn’t need anyone’s help to make itself continuously relevant.
       
      The Serling estate has not had control of The Twilight Zone since long before Rod’s death, but Carol Serling will be involved in this remake. This is honestly a relief to an extent, because she should have the best intent for the legacies at heart. I hope there will be more press statements and interviews involving her.
       
      Rod eventually invested himself in another anthological series, this one more macabre, The Night Gallery. It didn’t gain the traction that The Twilight Zone did, rearing in the birth of popular television and stunning audiences in black-and-white scenery that begat shades of grey, but it was considered a natural continuation. The ruddy bastardization that is the “Syfy” moniker is using the reboot artists behind Teen Wolf to capitalize upon that, as well. Teen Wolf had approximately nothing to do with the original movie and was a teen drom-com. Add this information to the few titles that came out that are being repurposed from the original and there are no clear inferences to be gained from this.
       
      On a Positive Note, Finally...
      It is rare to find a time so naturally inclined towards the use of the term “Twilight Zone” in real life as this moment in time. This feels true regardless of race, sex, age, political alignment, or morals. This realization is what I finally found comfort in regarding this reboot. We are looking at the world through collectively confused eyes and to have a global awareness that this is both weird and a shared experience can be kind of amazing.
       
      Furthermore, it excites me that there is still interest, though sometimes you have to feel protective about what you love. There is no way to untangle TTZ from my being; it has been a part of me since I was born, but I get it. We don’t need it right now, but it makes sense. I just hope that it’s more than a hoggy money grab (CBS All Access, really?) and I have found faith in the little and unimportant notion that is is more.
       
      The Value
      The Twilight Zone didn’t survive because it was The Twilight Zone. It survived due to its pervasiveness, it’s singular understanding of the human psyche, it’s vulnerable moments, it’s humorous moments, and it’s grasp of how the current relates to the total. The Twilight Zone makes you think about life and your place in it. It helps you to see possibilities, both good and bad. It expands the mind and person. It’s hopeful and teaches lessons, so many lessons. It was fearless. You don’t need to steal a name or format to do any of those things. A Twilight Zone by any other name could cut so deep, but maybe it’s okay to stop pretending that we are starting a conversation in favor of being aware and involved in the ones that are going on, the ones that have been happening way before “woke” needed a cute, monosyllabic term to describe a state of being that college freshman in Philosophy 101 have been getting high off of for years unknown. This can be a good thing. This can be fun and entertaining, but also informational. This can be a high quality show, but also an unfortunate example of greed and resting on laurels. It can even try to be as complex and giving as The Twilight Zone is.
       
      Let’s just leave it at this...
      Shatner better be involved.
       
      Wait, that’s not what I meant. I mean, he should be, but what I meant to say is...
       
      I have seen more shadow than substance, which does a disservice to the great legacy of The Twilight Zone, but the picture is starting to clarify and come into the light. Judgements can be saved and opinions will vary, but anything that helps to increase our ability to be human to each other and helps the legacy of the original to thrive has good in it.
       
      Sometimes you have The Howling Man, but I will prefer Night of the Meek here- positivity for the sake of itself, for the sake of each other, and that is another lesson
       
      from
       
      The Twilight Zone.
       

    4. The Umbrella Academy (2019)

      Will Put a Smile on Your Face and a Twist in Your Heart

      Superhumans with daddy issues, an apocalyptic prediction, a mysterious Monocle, a talking chimp and the best soundtrack of the year, which I’m confident enough to declare a month and a half into the year. You’ll have fun with this one or you’re not watching it in the right mindset, but it will probably pull you into it, regardless of where your brain was starting out.
       
      From the weird and wonderful mind that brought us the most influential alternative bands of recent times comes The Umbrella Academy, a thoughtfully adapted ten hour film that managed to keep the spirit of a very interesting comic book series alive.
       
      The basis of this story is that the estranged adult versions of a child superhero family gather for their adopted father’s funeral and find out that the world is about to end. I don’t know how your family reunions tend to go, but it does manage to get more interesting from there. You’ll be rooting for them to save the world just as hard as you’ll want to shake some sense into them- again, just like most family reunions.
       
      For those who are expecting outright dark and morbid scenes when the name Gerard Way gets thrown around, you'll have to rely on the particularly peculiar undertones and deep storylines to get your fix. The Umbrella Academy doesn’t rely on steady footing or letting you get comfortable with a genre, rather jumping into the fun with a variety of excellent music juxtaposed against strained family drama. The music plays a character almost as real as the actual cast, while the heaviness of the actual storyline plays out practically clandestinely, as though it were normal.
       
      Slow to start, but expertly paced, once the backstory is set, The Umbrella Academy quickly grabs your attention with stunning scenes and clever dialogue. Consequential actions and feelings are always well thought out, making this world a full experience. This show does not feel the need to spoon feed information to you; the audience is trusted to figure out what is going on at the rate information is being given. Only occasionally is a piece of inferable information spelled out, such as the fact that Sir Reginald Hargreeves never bothered to give his adopted children actual names, instead giving them the monikers of Number One through Seven, being stated flat out as a point of contention during a funeral scene.
       
      Thoughtfully crafted in many small ways, this complex family shows realistic relationships in an unreal setting. From the minor alterations in the CGI effects to show how their powers advance as they gain increased control to the overall character arcs making natural flows from their unusual youths to adulthood. It would be too easy to compare these superhuman children in their masks and school uniforms to the mutants at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, but for anyone who remembers and misses Pushing Daisies, you will get delightfully reminiscent vibes to that type of fantastical world.
       
      The characters come to life in ways that make you genuinely care for them. You can easily feel the results of their unusual upbringings, full of expectations, but lacking in childhood comfort and normalcy, and the years they spent apart, becoming themselves. There are a few flat performances littered throughout, but the acting is mostly strong. Robert Sheehan’s performance is particularly well suited for this production- a video game character of a superpowered derelict who happens to pull off a skirt better than your girlfriend does, he’s the guy Tyler Durden would be apprehensive of. His over the top personality makes up for the accent that slips every now and again as he acts as a reflection for how normal most of the other characters learned how to appear. Playing dangerous rival siblings, Tom Hopper and David Castañeda bring some classic fight scene energy to the screen. The beautiful, telekinetic Emmy Raver-Lampman, Ellen Page, as the often underappreciated Vanya, and Aidan Gallagher, who does reasonably well as a character who basically plays two roles, unencumbered by spatial or
      , filling the older and younger mental versions of himself in a consistently 13-year old appearance, round out the main cast. It is often difficult to take younger actors serious as mentally older and his method has an odd reminiscence of another aged-beyond-appearances character, Bernard the Elf from The Santa Clause. Even when the age isn’t believable, the stark snarkiness makes the character too likeable to actively notice it. Nothing is out of balance in this series that doesn’t seem to have an intent to its displacement, which results in a wonderful and beautiful level of absurdity and levity this creation makes the audience accept, even while they are trying to ward off the end of the world. 
      Lest you forget this is an adaptation of a comic book, there are villains with absurd mascot heads, a robot mom in early stage hardware dementia (Trigger Alert), and Dr. Pogo, a highly intelligent chimp, the later often ushering the story along and adding key pieces of information.
       
      It’s weird and fun; it might not be for everyone, but I would advise you to give it a chance. Give this show a real chance, get into it, and just have a blast enjoying the ride and the superb music choices that go along with it. I bloody love it and you might just, too!
       
      Easter Egg Theory: Don’t Stop Me Now
      I promise.

    5. When Two Worlds Meet: 7 Iconic Crossover Episodes in TV Shows

      Watching one TV show? Great! Watching two at the same time? It’s twice the fun! Here are 7 times we’ve been glued to our screens as our favorite characters from different shows come together:

      1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Angel

      The Yoko Factor
      [embed]
      [/embed] 
      Commando Riley was a nice guy and all, but even in spite of the whole Initiative deal, he was a bit too much on the straight and narrow for our favorite vampire slayer. Things hadn’t been the same in the Buffy universe since Angel left for Los Angeles, so we were all happy when he came to sort things out in The Yoko Factor. But what really made this an iconic crossover episode was the incredible fight scene (and subsequent fight scene!) between Buffy’s two boys, with Angel, of course, taking the victory.

      2. Friends / Mad About You

      The One with Two Parts
      [embed]
      [/embed] 
      In The Friends episode The One with Two Parts, we’re introduced to Phoebe’s identical twin sister, Ursula, who’s possibly even kookier than Phoebe herself. What some viewers didn’t know, however, is that Ursula, played by Lisa Kudrow, was already an established character on the hit sitcom Mad About You. Helen Hunt and Leila Kenzie make guest appearances in this episode as their Mad About You characters Jamie and Fran who mistake Phoebe for Ursula resulting in comedy and confusion all in one. 

      3. Grey’s Anatomy / Private Practice

      Before and After
      [embed]
      [/embed] 
      After Meredith’s totally embarrassing ‘pick me’ speech in Grey’s Anatomy, Derek should definitely have run back into Addison’s arms. But it wasn’t to be and Addison up and left Seattle for Los Angeles, reuniting with old friends at their ‘Private Practice’. She didn’t stay gone long, however, returning to the hallways of Seattle Grace where the red-headed doctor was joined by Private Practice stars Audra McDonald (Naomi) and Taye Diggs (Sam Bennett) as they attempt to save the life of Addison’s brother.

      4. Family Guy / The Simpsons

      The Simpsons Guy
      [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eecsja7KvEA[/embed]
       
      Finding themselves stranded a long way from Quahog, Rhode Island, the Griffin family end up in Springfield, home of The Simpsons. Initially bonding over a taste for Apu’s donuts, Peter and Homer eventually end up in a squabble about beer, and both families begin to notice quirks in each other which make them think twice about maintaining their friendship. Iconic? Definitely. This crossover episode highlights the evolution of animation, comparing classic family comedies to their modern counterparts.

      5. Special Agent Oso / Handy Manny

      The Manny with the Golden Bear
      [embed]
      [/embed] 
      As anyone with young kids knows, Special Agent Oso and Handy Manny are some of the best shows on the Disney Channel, but what happened when the two world’s collided? An iconic crossover was born! In The Manny with the Golden Bear, Oso is tasked with teaching a young boy to ride his bike, but uh-oh — the bike is broken! So a very special guest star is called in to save the day: Handy Manny and his tools. This episode is truly a kid’s favourite, teaching them the importance of working together as a team.

      6. Community / Cougar Town

      Critical Film Studies
      [embed]
      [/embed] 
      Although he’s one of the best characters in Community, Abed certainly has his quirks! With somewhat of an obsessive personality, Abed clings onto people, ideas, and even TV shows, with Courtney Cox’s Cougar Town his favorite. Cougar Town is mentioned throughout the series, but it wasn’t until the Critical Film Studies episode that Abed mentions he recently had a bit-part on the show. And he’s right! Carefully watch the Cougar Town episode Something Good Coming, and you can spot him in the background!

       7. Mork & Mindy / Happy Days

      Pilot
      [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6EKSD5xM7M[/embed]
       
      As a Happy Days spin-off, it was only natural that we’d see a Mork & Mindy/Happy Days crossover episode at some point… we just didn’t think it would be so soon! The crossover occurred during the Mork & Mindy pilot episode, with alien Mork explaining to earth-dwelling Mindy that this was not his first time on the planet. In fact, during his previous visit, Mork had not only met The Fonz, but actually dated Laverne! Henry Winkler and Penny Marshall both make appearances through flashbacks. 



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