august 19–september 1, 2019 | new york 65Here’s
Proof That
They Were
Really
Friends
generation friends will
be published on September 17.PHOTOGRAPHS: COPYRIGHT © BRUZA BROTHER PRODUCTIONS, LLC
it has been 25 years since Friends
premiered on NBC, but it still occupies a
wide swath of pop culture. Last year, Netflix
reportedly spent $80 million to stream the show
through 2019. (Next year, it moves to HBO Max.)
Pottery Barn has introduced aFriendscollection,
including a $1,099 apothecary table. This fall,
there will be a Central Perk pop-up in Soho. In
his new book,Generation Friends,which looks
at the making of the show, Saul Austerlitz
decodes the heart of its enduring appeal, writing
that “Friends’ comic minimalism was conjoined
to a soap-opera maximalism. It ... compelled us
to stay glued to our screens by the promise of
emotional revelation.” Included in Austerlitz’s
book are these candid snapshots of the cast.