Putting back the F.R.I.E.N.D.S set again!

Finally, the F.R.I.E.N.D.S reunion happened. It was probably the most awaited reunion of all time. Watching Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Monica (Courteney Cox), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), Joey (Matt Le Blanc), Chandler (Mathew Perry), and Ross (David Schwimmer) get together was a treat to the eyes of millions.

 

Apart from getting all the stars together, HBO made sure to give us the same vibes too. If you’ve already watched the big event, the set seems to have been restored almost perfectly.

 

Installing the set was not an easy task at all. It looks frozen in time like it’s been there waiting for its members ever since the finale in 2004. The production designer, John Shaffner, and Joe Stewart created the set back in 1994 and now again in 2021. They worked hard to create the set all over again after almost 17 years, making sure that every single piece sits exactly as before.

 

Although a lot of items were restored by the members of the show and also, the restoration of Central Perk set in Warner Bros. Studio, it didn’t feel too hectic at first, but it was later realized that it is unfortunately almost impossible to take them apart and place them in a different location. A lot of alterations had been made previously to make it fit inside the museum. At last, the designers had to recreate the set.

 

The coffee shop and the street outside of it were the ones that were rebuilt. The streets, however, were not entirely correct because it was hardly shown in the episodes, therefore it became difficult to get that particular part right.

 

They had to reprint Monica’s carpet the pattern on a single piece of plain carpet and track down a piece of linoleum used for parquet floors to scan and reprint onto the stock linoleum.

 

It all came together in the end until the tragedy struck. The global pandemic. To have a sizeable audience for the interview the segment had to be moved outside, due to California’s rules about indoor gatherings at the time.

 

The idea of seating was to make a giant set of stairs and then cover it with pillows, fabrics, and lamps similar to that of Central Perk. Originally, it was planned to match the couch with an orange carpet but, David rejected the idea. So, instead, they went with maroon.

 

It is quite appealing how all the little things can make such a huge impact overall.