I'll Be There For You: The One About Friends by Kelsey Miller

Book Review Sep 12, 2022

My review

3/5 stars

For anyone of a certain generation (i.e. mine), Friends is culture-defining and eternally comforting. I've lost count of how many times I've watched each episode and will constantly return to it for easy watching. For obvious reasons, this book piqued my interest.

It was a bit of a mixed-bag for me. There were things I've loved and things I wish were different. Starting with what I wish was different, the book didn't cover as much of the on-set production as I'd hoped; some elements were covered but it was more focused on their pay negotiations and the casting of the show, I would have loved to have more anecdotes about what went on behind the scenes.

The book also felt quite fast-paced and jumped about in the timeline, making it hard to keep up with at times given how much it was attempting to cover. This was particularly annoying when I discovered that the last 30% of the book was quotes for the source material rather than actual content.

On the flip side, I really enjoyed some of the info that was provided. Given the cultural impact that the show has had, I was impressed that the author managed to find content that wasn't (at least in my world) commonplace knowledge. Things like how they handled 9/11 in the show and the details of the Lyle court case were notably interesting.

The book also manages to address some of the more complex issues surrounding the show since it was taken off air in 2004, without passing judgement on the situation. It's a difficult tone to strike and I appreciated the author's efforts to keep herself unbiased in her writing on the subjects.

A decent read for anyone that loves Friends, but it didn't hit the mark I had hoped it would.

Book blurb

Over twenty years since its low-profile debut and Friends is the most streamed show on UK Netflix. But has it stood the test of time? Are some parts of it more problematic than we remember? And who was the cast’s least favourite guest star?

Join Kelsey Miller as she answers all of these questions and more. And as she relives the show’s most iconic moments, examines some of its controversies, and shines a light on the many trends it inspired – from oversized coffee cups to the much-copied 90s haircut, ‘The Rachel’.

Weaving incisive commentary, revelatory interviews and behind-the-scenes anecdotes involving high-profile guest stars, I’ll Be There for You is the most comprehensive take on Friends yet, and the ultimate book for fans everywhere.