Generation Friends

 Book 7 of my 2022 Reading Challenge

Generation Friends: An Inside Look at the Show That Defined a Television Era

by Saul Austerlitz

4 stars

Published in 2019, 25 years after Friends premiered in 1994, this book is a behind-the-scenes look at the show, both during its run and the popularity it continues to have.

I'm a fan of the show.  I don't remember watching it religiously at the beginning but by 1998 or 1999, I was altering my schedule to make sure I was able to watch it on Thursday nights.  In a coincidence, I was pregnant at the same time as Rachel and my daughter was born in May 2002 so the birthing episode was very timely and extra funny.  I own the DVDs and my 16-year-old daughter is currently working her way through them now (with Kevin and I generally watching if we happen to walk by).

I picked this because I needed a "waiting" book (one that can be read in spurts between driving or activities) and this worked perfectly.  The author is interested in entertainment, not necessarily Friends, and I think helped with the tone of the book.  He presented things with enough background that you don't have to be a rabid fan to enjoy it but there was also lots of new stuff even if you have seen every show and DVD extra.

I felt the ending about the after-effects and new audience was a little long but overall I really enjoyed this book.