Transcripts For WDJT Through The Decades 20160917

And im kerry sayers. And im your host, bill kurtis. Today we look back at the great comedies of television through the decades. If laughter truly is the best medicine than television has had a hand in keeping america healthy since the 1950s. Comedy has been a staple on television since it first clicked on and they have come in all shapes and sizes from variety shows to scripted characters and wonky animations, tv has found so many ways to make us laugh and keep us in stitches. Were looking back today on our Favorite Television comedies through the decades who not only made us laugh but were also recognized by one of the hightest tv honors the emmys. From a modern stone age family to some not quite ready for prime time players and a show but we begin with the first lady of television. The queen of comedy. Lucille ball. Few shows have had the impact of i love lucy, a comedic and cultural force that made its Television Debut in 1951. With four emmy wins and 20 nominations, its still one of the most popular and well loved sitcoms ever thanks to this unforgetable red head. Oh now youre really being catty. I am not. Im glad she got a car. It was dangerous flying around on that broomstick. She began her film career cast as a glamorous showgirl and although she moved on to more sizeable parts, almost none of her 30 plus movies gave her a chance to show off her comedic gifts. Hollywood wanted lucy to be pretty but not funny. Hollywood would soon change its the red head agreed on one condition. Now, you wrote once that she agreed to move from radio to television but only if you agreed that her husband could be on the Television Program with her. Thats right. Exactly. I said to her, thats silly now. He was head of a band and she said she had to have a place for him in her show otherwise shed have to all over the country in which case she couldnt do the show. So i said my gosh, you mean that . She said i do mean that. I want to have a baby. Thats the real story of it and i cant have a baby if hes traveling around the country and im staying here with television. So, i thought a few minutes and said, okay you stay here and have your baby and thats the way it happened. Yeah, thats what i thought when i married a band leader but ever since we said i do, i wanted to go into television to stay at home so that we can have children, be together. We had been married nine years and been apart eight and a half of the nine years, what with the war for three and a half and five years on the road with his band. I said its high time we were together. And so they were. At home and on television , in a new sitcom called i love lucy. It starred lucille ball and her real life cuban band leader starred lucille ball and her real life cuban band leader husband, desi arnaz as lovable couple lucy and ricky ricardo. The show premiered october 15, 1951. Within six months, i love lucy was the number one show in america. A distinction it would hold for four of its six seasons. Lucy was beautiful and she was lovable. She was a great entertainer and a great personality. What she meant to be expressed in words. She was simply in a class by herself. Years later lucy talked about why the show worked. Not only. There was identification with an american audience but with audiences all over the world we found out. They didnt have to understand the language to understand the predicament and the love at the end. We always had a happy ending. End. We always had a happy ending. The viewers fell in love with. A lot of lucille went into lucy. Its bound to after a while. But im not as quite as scatterbrained. Im not as scheming and im not as klutzy. Ricky, this is it. This is it . . This is it the happiest moment, i suppose mention that because i was really having a baby. It was really my last show before i had the baby and it was for real and it was the most exciting thing in my life. And it was trendsetting. Back in the day, being pregnant on t. V. Or even saying the word was scandalous. No way. You cant even look pregnant. No, i said. I dont think it has to be that way. Perhaps you cant say pregnant. They said thats for sure. I said well we have other ys of saying it. Im having a baby. Im giving birth. Im enceinte. We were a favorite show. We were a going concern and mr. Paley and everyone else wanted us to not be gone so long so that all helped but we had to get a lot of permission. But having a baby on t. V. Which almost 30 Million Viewers tuned in to see wasnt lucys only formed their own production company, desilu productions. They also negotiated 100 percent ownership of the show which meant controlling reruns and syndication eventually the lady with the funny faces became the first woman president of a Major Television production company. Shes our first female star, i think, that really rose to the top. She became even better than i when we continue our journey of emmy worthy television we turn from the groundwork laid out by lucille ball to the other classics that continued an evolution of what a sitcom would become through the decades. Well look back on the unforgetable family that proved cartoons werent just for saturday morning. The couple that topped the music charts and made america laugh at the same time. The debut of a sketch comedy the american comedic landscape. Plus, the cartoon series that helped educate a generation of children through song. When lucy first debuted only nine percent of american households had televisions. Ten years later, that figure had skyrocketed to ten fold. A larger audience called for more variety and a cartoon family called the flintstones they debuted in 1960. A year later, fred, wilma, barney and betty earned an emmy nomination for their efforts that made us all laugh. When we started, as far as im concerned, i had no idea it would grow to these proportions. Im glad that it did. 167 episodes. Two liveaction movies. Countless specials and the flintstones started as a collaboration of two men and paved the way for the future of cartoons airing in prime time. Its a journey that began with a roll of a stone bowling ball on september 30, 1960. Do i see a split . Just keep your eye on the ball barney boy. Bill hanna and joe barbera with the creation of the tom and jerry cartoon. By 1960, abc purchased a new series about a Family Living in the stoneage. The flintstones became the firstever animated cartoon to air in primetime. Thursday night on abc everybody rocks with the flinstones. That little invention will make me the first man to take off into the blue. The First Episode called li september 30, 1960. Like what would happen often in its six season run, fred and barney would spend the half hour getting in and out of trouble. Wilma look. Isnt that fred and barney . Stone age people Walking Around in bare feet, carrying a briefcase or wearing a hat or whatever puts them wherever you want to put them. And also, its a great leveler, all over like in 87 countries. They speak in swedish. They speak in spanish but the thing about it is when they show up on the screen everyone has a kind of a simpatico with them because theyre not rich people. Theyre not poor people. Theyre just the middle of the road. They have daily problems of getting fired, getting a new job, jealousy. Fred, voiced by alan reed got his appearance from the v actor as well. Bugs bunnys mel blancprovided the voice to barney. Well, it would be kinda like. Like that, with a slow laugh laughs joined by Jean Vander Pyl and Bea Benaderet as wilma and betty love your dress. Ah, thanks the foursome spent 112 episodes together over four years. There was such a chemistry in the cast. Wed all known each other for so many years. We loved each other very much and think it came over and people could relate. The flintstones has been brought to you by winston. Americas bestselling, best tasting filtered cigarette. The animated family also became so popular, they were used to push other products. Wilma wheres the alka seltzer . Where it always is next to the oneaday multiple vitamins. Where it always is next to the oneaday multiple vitamins. And for extra power get welchade with my picture on the can. And when it came time for a big announcement on the show, merchandise was a serious consideration. And in the flintstones, we introduced, we had a baby born in an animated cartoon. It was a tremendous event. In fact, they even asked us not to make it a boy. They wanted a girl. They wanted a girl because girl dolls sold a lot better than so in the middle of the series, fred and wilma had pebbles instead of of a son as planned. We put a little bone in her hair and our Merchandising Company was so tickled, i think they sold three million of them in the first month the flintstones commercial success has spanned more than halfacentury with liveaction films and countless t. V. Specials and movies produced over the years. Flintstones vitamins are a part of nearly every kids childhood flintstones vitamins are a part of nearly every kids childhood along with fruity pebbles breakfast cereal. The show also paved the way for other animated primetime hits like the jetsons and later, shows like the simpsons and south park. Hannabarbera did morethan good. It proved animated characters could be just as entertaining as anyone else lucky enough to find themselves on prime time t. V. Next we turn from the world of animation to a dynamic duo that entertained audiences for two decades. When we come back, how two unknowns, caesar and cleo, transformed themselves into the beloved sonny and cher. And later. We jump forward to the 90s for the one with the twentysomething friends who took mustsee tv to a whole new level. New level. Hi guys got the birthday girl a drum set. Drum set . Hes kidding [laughs] oh you guys must have Time Warner Cable. This is gonna be some party. Yeah, their free home wifi lets us connect all our devices at the same time. And theres no data cap, so. The kids must love that, huh . hey, theres the birthday girl lets get this Party Started no data cap. Uploading honey, im goin viral call now. Get 15 megs for 39. 99 a month. Hi grandma miss you who is that . Are you gonna finish that . Ok. Switching is easy with Time Warner Cables exclusive onehour arrival window, so you dont have to wait around. Plus, theres no contract all with a moneyback guarantee. He overdid it. [snoring] [giggling] get 15 meg internet with 9 per month. Call now. Ask about free installation, and access to nearly 500,000 wifi hotspots with select plans. Sonny and cher. They went together like Peanut Butter and jelly. The singing duo shot to fame with their music, but found staying power on television with the sonny and cher comedy hour in 1971. Two years later, that work was recogized with an emmy. Ladies and gentlemen, sonny and cher they were the odd couple but it somehow worked on stage at least. In the early 70s, they transformed their lounge act into an entertainment force of nature. By 76, they were trying to recapture their television magic. You stepped on part of my song but thats okay. Thats alright. Its probably the best part. Their relationship began in the early 60s. He was 27, son of italian immigrants. She was a 16year old runaway. Records around to get played and there was a restaurant that all of us hung out at when we werent getting records promoted and she was with another record promotion man friend of mine and her girlfriend. He liked my girlfriend. And he introduced us and i was crazy about her girlfriend and that night the four of us double dated and her girlfriend left me that night. They started singing together under the names caesar and cleo but it wasnt until changing their names to sonny and cher and making a trip to london in 1965 that they really hit it big. Before we got back to america somehow everything exploded in england and in those days. When we got back to america everyone thought we were english, you know and in those days it was enough to be english and then you just became a star. So, we exploded, we came back we had five songs in the top 20. And it went right to the top and established them and with all gimmicks they had, with all the clothes and the fashion and being sort of being leaders of sunset strip hippie movement, they became almost caricatures of themselves overnight. Its amazing how big they became so quickly. With their professional career skyrocketing, their personal relationship did too. They had a child together and got married. Their single i got u became a number one hit and their signature song. Their act hit primetime in 1971. I have to introduce our friends now on the sonny cher nitty gritty hour. their first tv special, the nitty gritty hour was such a success, they were offered their own variety show. The sonny and cher comedy hour debuted in 1971 as a summer replacement series, and by that now if you want a real comfortable cuddle. Oooh, well get rid of this too. Laughter love a man with red underwear. During its four year run, the show received 15 emmy nominations but their success on screen couldnt survive what was happening off it. Their marriage was failing and as the divorce got nasty, the show went down the drain. It was funny. It started with a marriage and went Business Partners so it was kind of a marriage and a Business Partnership at the same time and one got diluted, i think. The ambition of pulling off the sonny and cher thing i think kinda ruined the marriage from the beginning because that became the ambition and then when that happened, when that was done, we almost completed the cycle on that particular as much as they could no longer be together personally, things professionally werent going well apart. Both tried solo t v shows. Neither one lasted very long. So when cher, then remarried to gregg allman of the allman brothers, reached out looking to reconcile and give it another go together on the show biz front, both were ready. The new show debuted on february 1, 1976 to much fanfare and high ratings but dte new sketches and songs and some high profile guests, the jokes that were funny when they were married didnt go over as well now that they were divorced. The show ended its run after just two seasons. Their careers would take them in seperate directions and there would be plenty of shots back and forth in the press but when bono died in a skiing accident in 98, cher delivered the eulogy. As a matter of fact, one of the first things that he ever told me was that he was a descendent of napoleon and that his father had shortened the name of bonaparte to bono when they came to this country. When i was young, there was this section in the Readers Digest and it was called the most unforgettable character ive ever met and for is sonny bono. And no matter how long i live or who i meet in my life, that person will always be son for me. Thank you. While the american sitcom is ever changing through the decades, theres one show that has remained a stalwart. When we return, well look back on when a cast of comedians hit the scene with a new show in american cultural touchstone. Plus, could it be the most popular sitcom of the 90s . Well revisit the friends that helped define a decade. The same seven words have been uttered, or you could say, shouted, 24 times every year, for the last four decades. It was october of 1975 when a nbc and those 7 words live from new york its saturday night were first heard. Saturday night live would redefine comedy on television and has gone on to rack up the most emmy nominations ever with over 40 wins. Talk about a live show wow. Its nice to see you. Welcome, and thanks for joining us live. And thanks for joining us live. When George Carlin delivered the shows first monologue. It was unlike what you had seen between eight and 11 beforehand or at any other time. I felt that if i could do the kind of show i wanted to do in late night that it would be a success. The show, which skewers whomever and whatever is news superstardom has been a late Night Institution for millions of viewers. Dont judge me. No judging. We werent big hits the first year. The second year even. Got into the third year and then everybody said that everybody was watching it. Eighteen Million People still watch something we started so its kind of an institution that way. From saturday night news headquarters this is weekend update with chevy chase. Are you under the covers right now . Did youwe good evening. Im chevy chase. Decades later, weekend update continued to be an snl staple. Jim. Let me tell you something. Theres gonna be a whole bunch of things we dont tell mrs. Clinton. But what she and everybody else knows is youve made it when saturday night live spoofs you. What the hells going on . February 2005 skit. Okay. Looping session for bill kurtis inside the mind of a serial killer. He then inserted a. 45 caliber pistol into the mans rectum and pulled the trigger. Bill. Top of page eight. As if cooking his own genitals wasnt enough. Thats great. There must be a reason that its still on the air and it isnt just that its been on the air because there were a lot of shows when we started that are no longer on the air. I of shows when we started that are no longer on the air. I think say. Are you from outer space . In a way child, my friends and i answer the call of a troubled nation in this dire hour of need. Conjunction junction. Say that to anyone of a certain age and the likely response will be whats your function . The show was schoolhouse rock. It premiered on january 6, 1973 and for more than a decade this culture staple. The motivation for schoolhouse rock was coincidental coming from a group of new york ad men. A guy named david mccall had the idea. He was on a camping trip with one of his kids and he noticed that the kid could not learn his multiplication tables but knew the lyrics to every new rock song he heard on the radio and he thought jeez, if we could put rote learning with good music perhaps kids would learn the information in the songs. so, thats how it started and he came back to the agency and he came to george he wondered if i knew any musicians who played this kind of music and id played jazz piano for a while and so i knew a lot of musicians and the lucky thing was i knew a guy named bob dorough who wound up writing the first. The multiplication series, all the songs. And hes a wonderful, wonderful writer the teams first song was a catchy math instructional, magic number. They took the song and storyboard illustrations to Abc Television and Michael Eisner. But we were actually. We were abcs Advertising Agency and so we took the idea over and really it was never part of the agency business, it was a thing we did on the side, it was like he used to say, it was a Kitchen Table thing he drew on his Kitchen Table. Kitchen table or not, abc loved the concept for schoolhouse rock and a t. V. Series was the series consisted of short, threeminute segments that ran during abc programs on saturday mornings. We started with multiplication and then we thought where do we go from here . And we went into grammar, i think Michael Eisner suggested grammar and someone decided that that was somewhat structured in that there were eight parts of speech. Other subject areas included, science, government and computer technology. The series won immediate its easier too. I think it just. The kids dont mind it. Its not so painful; learning that way. And what really made schoolhouse rock so popular were the songs themselves. The secret of the series is really in the songwriting and then toms ability to take that and visualize it in a wonderful way. The past and the present and the future. Faith and hope and charity. The heart and the brain and the body give you the thing that weve tried to do throughout this thing is to never talk down to kids and weve just always been out there to make ourselves laugh and entertain ourselves and somehow the kids have gone along with it. Its funny, its called schoolhouse rock but actually it was put together by people who are kind of underground jazz musicians. I can remember being so, so turned on by the fact that we got a recording session for like ive got six and its zoot sims is in the band. And for us it was just. For us it was wow were hanging out with these wonderful players. Other key contributors included songwriter lynn ahrens and trumpet player and singer, jack sheldon. So, it was all great people, they were hard to do because they were complicated stuff. But i loved doing it. I sang. I always sang but on Conjunction Junction, i played the trumpet too. One standout song was the grammar rock favorite, Conjunction Junction. Well, i love Conjunction Junction. Conjunction Junction was. Its funny because we would sit around and talk about song ideas. And i thought thati think that my memory is that i had that idea. George said Conjunction Junction. I said Conjunction Junction a place where you hookup cars or hookup words with one another. And then bob dorough went away and two weeks later he called and said ive got a song. Junction, whats your function . Puttin together words and phrases and clauses. Conjunction junction. Whats your function . Another hit for schoolhouse rock was the aptly titled im just a bill. The song outlines the arduous journey of a legislative bill patiently hoping and waiting to be signed into law. im just a bill, yes, im only a bill. And im sitting here on capitol hill. Its a long, long journey to the capitol city. A long, long wait while itt committee but i know ill be a law someday et cetera, it goes on and on. Schoolhouse rock ran for 12 years on abc until 1985. Along the way it wonour emmy awards and a grammy nomination for multiplication rock. In the 1990s, the series was revived for several more seasons along with a live show that appealed to grownup former viewers. And tom said. Told nina later. That he spent more time watching the audience than he did watching the show because everybody in that audience knows every word to every song. And they sing along, they clap along, i mean, its astonishing. Schoolhouse rock has continued to live on and find new audiences through videos, cds and later, through other digital platforms. We often say you can walk into just about any restaurant and if theres a waiter or waitress in their twenties, you can say Conjunction Junction and most assuredly they will answer whats your function . and for the talented people who worked on the series, schoolhouse rock will always rank as a unique and special project. Every one of them. Every Single Person involved with it was enthusiastic because of what it was. It was just out of the ordinary. They rent there doing background for doing something that might someday matter and lo and behold it has turned out to matter. Still ahead, we look back on two Iconic Television series that made for mustsee tv in the 90s from a show with odd characters who helped us laugh at the stress of everyday life to the six single twenty somethings living together in manhattan that became a part of broadcast history. Stick with us. Youre watching in 1982, nbc premiered their new must see tv sitcom about a group of people who hang out at a boston bar where Everybody Knows your name. Cheers to one of the funniest shows on television 11 seasons and 28 emmy awards later. The job itself. The itself lent a closeness because were sitting in a bar. What do you do in a bar . You sit there and crack jokes. You got pals. You make fun of each other but you all stick together. It was a family. Cheers was a family. The characters on cheers you know, they were essentially losers. The gang at cheers may have been a bunch of lovable losers but when it came to the ratings, the show was a winner. In the fifth year, i were. In a familiar story for some of televisions lasting hits, cheers was facing cancelation in its first season. Nbcs Brandon Tartikoff would save it and in the years that would follow, cheers would prove it was Something Special by pulling off something that seemed impossible a change in the lead actress when kirstie alleys neurotic rebecca took over for shelly longs diane. I think this is wrong, honey. I said wrong is what i do best. I made no bones about it. I thought it was a brilliant stroke of luck for the show. I thought it was a magnificent thing for the show. I said well you know. People were worried about it. I said, you know what this does . This allows us to have a whole new show and still be a hit. This is probably the best thing that ever happened to the show. And then, you know kirstie was fantastic and whimsical and funny and she was so self performed. I mean she was just a magnificent thing to happen to that show. Hey guys. You will not believe who i brought back with me. Sam, howd you do it . The doorman at the ritz carlton. Holy keoyte. Thats admiral william j. Crowe, jr. The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. Wait a minute, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff is a doorman at the ritz carlton . Boy, no wonder they charge you so much over there. No, woody. Woody, this really is the joint chief of staff. He was at the dinner. The navy cant afford to pay doormens salary, woody. Turns out hes a big basefall fan. He knew all about me. While we all now know sam malones back story as a washedup pitcher. Early versions had him as a former football player. The script was changed when ted dansons chemistry with shelly long landed him the role. Danson credits cheers with changing the course of his career. I was into being a character actor up until to that point, up until cheers so cheers was a still like this character man, you know, inside. I still feel like im a character actor. But as strong as the will they wont they dynamic was with sam and diane, it was the gang that made cheers special. That includes cliff and norm who werent even supposed to be regular characters. Admiral william j. Crowe, jr. Promoted to admiral in 1970 fought for many. Manned the Pacific Command in 1983. In 1985, appointed 11th chairman joint chiefs of staff. Wife. Shirley. Im very impressed. Howd you know that . Simple, sir. Im an american. George wendt and John Ratzenberger actually both auditioned for the same role in the pilot and everyones favorite postman admits he didnt exactly deliver. I did a terrible audition. I had no idea what was going on. I was tripping over myself and as i was being escorted out the door very hastily i turned and it all . What are you talking about a bar know it all . So you know the guy who. So i started improvising and thats my background and i got them to laugh enough where i got my dignity back. Thats really all i was looking for. I could see the pieces all over the carpet. So i walked out the door and said good luck on the show. Two days later they gave me a call and said they wanted to try the show out for seven episodes. Seven out of 13 episodes. Something like that. 283 hanging around. And so did everyone else as cheers last call on may 20, 1993, became the second highest rated Series Finale of all time. Sorry. Were closed. Cheers paved the pathway to the ensemble cast sticom that came to dominate the ninetieis. But it was show about nothing up comic Jerry Seinfeld that had something to prove on thursday nights. With its now legendary cast, they received an impressive 68 emmy nominations and 10 wins over their run. Think they do the flamenco . I would think. So you could call a woman for a date, ask her if shes free for dinner and a flamenco. Well, you dont flamenco on the f in 1989, Jerry Seinfeld joined a growing number of standup comics who made the transition from stage to sitcom. I came up with the idea of being myself. laughs that was my idea. Be myself and i conceived it with my friend larry david. We were just, you know working on the show. Jerry used to call a general store. Like we were in a little general store, you know . To fill out the cast, seinfeld hired Michael Richards to play his neighbor, kramer and Jason Alexander as george, a standin for larry david. That sort of, you know, bounceoffthewalls neuroses is very much larry and whenever i get stuck with how to do something, i just go, how would larry david do this . and then it comes out right. Theyre so gifted mentally that we mustnt disturb their the confines of an office as long as huge sums of money are involved then the delicate genius can be disturbed between the pilot and premiere, Julia Louisdreyfus was added as jerrys exgirlfriend, elaine. What evidence is there that cancers so smart anyway, huh . In the late 80s, when every sitcom had a gimmick, seinfeld had nothing by design. It was pitched as a show about conversation, actually which is close to nothing, you know. As close to nothing as you could get without really being nothing. Oh, its about something. I mean you know each storyline. Theyre dealing with a girl across the way whos undressing, you know . Thats something, isnt it . Or a bet about whos gonna go out first, if you remember that episode. I dont even want to talk about it. The series added a number of phrases to the american lexicon, including master of your domain lexicon, including master of your domain and soup nazi. No soup for you come back one year i think we were all shocked when we did the episode that it would have such staying power because we thought we were highlighting just a little known sort of new york gem so it is remarkable that the episode has had so much penetration into the fan world. Seinfeld didnt shy away from an occasional high concept like an episode that plays backwards or one set but most of the shows focused on the everyday relationships between the four main characters. Jerry, i dont think im gonna be able to get this project off the ground if i dont have your participation. I dont want my picture plastered up in the lobby imagine walking by someone on the floor and you say, hey, carl and he says, hey, jerry see, thats the kind of society i want to live in. Kramer, i dont want to stop and talk with every person every time i walk in th be on my way. And what are you gonna do when you see everyone talking to each other and youre the only one left out . The formula was a winner. Nearly two decades after it ended, seinfes locations are still Tourist Attractions in new york and with the series in syndication all around the world, at any given moment, its a sure bet that someone, somewhere. Yada yada show about nothing, the next sitcom we look back on today had a definite theme. A quintessential show about life as twentysomethings in the big city. When we return, from the haircut to the hangout, we remember the show that defined a decade friends. Remember the show that defined a decade friends. I know you [laughs] welcome hi were your neighbors. We live across the street. Thanks for this. I see youve got Time Warner Cable and you can record six shows at the same time. And with the super fast internet, entertainment nirvana wow. Nirvana. Switch to Time Warner Cable for 89. 99 per month, youll get free hd channels, 30 meg internet with no data cap, and unlimited calling. Call now. Looks like youre all hooked up. Games about to start. Lets do it. Were watching here . Oh yeah. Ohh. How about you and i go watch my favorite show . Switching is easy. Youll get our exclusive onehour arrival window, a moneyback guarantee, and theres no contract to sign. Oh youve got the twc phone. Its unlimited calling to like half the world. Including mexico, canada, india, european union. Yeah. This will work as a coffee table. Dont ah it says. Fragile. Get tv, internet and phone for 89. 99 per month. Plus free installation, tv equipment, and epix included. Nbc was on a roll in the nights mustsee tv wouldnt be fully realized until the debut of phoebe, monica, chandler, joey and of course ross and rachel. With 6 emmy wins, friends was a little sitcom thats success hung on the cast. Just 6 people in their twenties living in new york city, and as it soon as it hit the airwaves, as chandler would say, could there bea more popular show . With over 60 hello our friend joey. Joey what would you do if you were omnipotent . Id probably kill myself. Excuse me . Hey, if little joey s dead, then ive got no reason to live, right . Joey. Joey. Omnipotent. Im so sorry. I thought it was like a theoretical question. Rachel, ross, monica, phoebe, chandler and joey. Six new rachel, ross, monica, phoebe, chandler and joey. Six new york twenty somethings who made us feel like they were our friends too. In shock everyday that we come to work and we just realize how well we get along and theres not a black sheep in the group and no one gets on anyones nerves and no one gets picked on more than the other. Im sure thatll all happen eventually but right now its just been great. The show became an anchor not only for nbcs thursday night lineup but a cultural the catchphrases. How you doin . We were on a break the show is really funny, i mean theres no question about it. I watched two episodes just recently and i was really surprised. I mean not surprised but pleasantly excited cause you always think what you do. You obviously took the job because it was good but its even better than i thought. Even the theme song hit the charts. Action am i okay . The fica guys took my money. Everyone i know is either getting married or getting pregnant or having a propmotion and i am serving coffee to people, so if that sounds like im okay, okay monica, you can tell them im okay, okay . Im sorry. Rachel has left the building. Nbcs inital Market Research on the pilot had it on the verge of being killed but the network and producers stuck with it. What at the the time was an unconventional they screened the pilot for test groups and stuff like that and a lot of people said the show reminds them of free willy. what are your comments and thoughts . Well, i can see where they would get that. Totally. I understand that and i think thats a good comparison. Theres a lot of training. I just thought it was interesting because theres no whale, and theres no like little boy and no water so why it to free willy . well, the plot is very similar actually, if you think about it. You have six People Living in new york. And by the Time Entertainment tonights cameras arrived on set to preview the show when i was in my twenties, i am actually not in my twenties anymore but very close to being in my 20s. Im just 30. U know, we didnt have a coffeeshop to all hang out in but yeah its the same problems. Im sorry. Pardon me, courtney. What is it you want to do . What . An interview. Oh you are . On tv . Yeah . Oh kkay. Im sorry. Are you sure . Because we gotta go. Ill let you know what they are saying. You guys got to come up with another bit you could tell there was Something Special. At a party to celebrate their 100th show, not to mention one of the top sitcoms of all time, their boss, Marta Kauffman thanked her actors. Their boss, Marta Kauffman thanked her actors. Emotional but jennifer, courtney, lisa and matt and matthew and david, you are the friends and you are our friends and it amazes me every week that whatever is written you make better and we love you for it. I just want to also thank the 300 people behind me who come in here every week and really make the magic happen. Watch the friends finale, the show had earned its place in television history. As for why it such a hit . Maybe because they were there for us and we were there for thatll do it for us today. Thatll do it for us today. Im bill kurtis. Im bill kurtis. At some of the the best in tv i know you [laughs] welcome hi were your neighbors. We live across the street. Thanks for this. I see youve got Time Warner Cable like the rest of the hood. Genius. Yeah, they offer tons of free hd channels. And you can record six shows at the same time. And with the super fast internet, entertainment nirvana wow. Nirvana. Switch to Time Warner Cable for 89. 99 per month, youll get free hd channels, 30 meg internet with no data cap, and unlimited calling. Call now. Ke youre all hooked up. Games about to start. Lets do it. Were watching here . Oh yeah. Ohh. How about you and i go watch my favorite show . Switching is easy. Youll get our exclusive onehour arrival window, a moneyback guarantee, and theres no contract to sign. Oh youve got the twc phone. Its unlimited calling to like half the world. Including mexico, canada, india, european union. Yeah. This will work as a coffee table. Dont ah it says. Fragile. Get tv, internet and phone for 89. 99 per month. Plus free installation, i think we have a fighting chance every year in the championship but this one will feel good coming from dead last, carl knows we are here. He cant pace himself. There is no time. We fought pressure and it is a full on battle. Kyle leduc, carl renezeder, who will come out on time . You see that hope and you know the truck will go past that you need to put it there. I got to go for broke, see the truck on the side door behind me. In pro 2 with the championship almost in hand, from Rob Maccachren all that is left is a battle for second