Friends is a cult-classic television show that, despite ending two decades ago, remains incredibly popular today. Fans of the show love the on-screen chemistry between Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and Courteney Cox. However, the show almost didn’t make it to air because of a divisive scene in the pilot episode—Monica’s unforgettable dinner date with her co-worker “Paul the Wine Guy” (John Allen Nelson).
On their date, Paul confides in Monica, admitting he can’t perform “sexually” ever since his wife walked out on him. They wind up having a one-night stand, and Monica finds out it was just a trick. However, one network executive wasn’t a fan of the storyline.
“The guy who was in charge [an NBC executive] said, ‘We’re not going to like Monica because [in the pilot] she sleeps with a guy on the first date,’” co-creator David Crane told TV Insider.
‘Friends’ Almost Got Canceled Because NBC Thought Monica Was Too Horny
In reality, Monica’s date echoes the experiences of women who have dealt with a similar situation. Given the show follows a bunch of 20-somethings making their way in New York City, it’s also realistic to the young adult experience.
“We made the argument that it makes her sympathetic. The network, in trying to prove that the audience wouldn’t like Monica if she sleeps with a guy on the first date, distributed a little questionnaire to the audience at our dress rehearsal,” Crane revealed.
A 2004 NBC research poll published by The Smoking Gun confirms this. Most women who screened the pilot felt sympathy for Monica, with some viewers describing Paul as “good-looking and believable” and that he “added a ‘punch’ of reality because ‘there are definitely guys like him.’”
“And it was so skewed. The question was like: ‘When Monica sleeps with a guy on her first date, is she a) a slut or b) a harlot?’ And people wrote in saying ‘No, it’s fine.’”
Ultimately, keeping the scene in the pilot episode worked, as the show ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004.
The post The Scene That Got ‘Friends’ in Hot Water Before It Even Premiered appeared first on VICE.
