Friends Season 1 - episode different from aired version (1 Viewer)

[Ian_Fisher]

I was watching the episode "The One Where Nana Dies Twice" this weekend on the Friends Season 1 set, and I noticed that the episode has been changed from the way it originally aired (and I believe from the way I've seen it in syndication).

After Ross takes the pain medication for his back, he wanders around the funeral telling his friends how much he loves them. He then sits beside Rachel and says, "Rachel, I love you." To which Rachel replies, "I love you." Ross respons with, "No, I really love you." and Rachel says, "I really love you." Ross then cries, "Oh, you don't get it!" and passes out. (this is all from memory so it's probably not exact)

In the originaly airing it went like this...
ROSS - Rachel. Rachel Rachel. I love you the most.
RACHEL - Oh, well you know who I love the most?
ROSS - No.
RACHEL - You!
ROSS - Oh, you don't get it!

(I got the original version from http://www.eigo-i.com/friends/transcript/108, and it's the same on numerous other script sites)

I just think it's weird that they altered it for the DVD, and in my opinion, the new version isn't as funny as the old one. Anybody else notice this, or know why they did it?

 

[Simon Massey]

Every single episode from Season 1 has additional scenes or lines of dialogue in them. The scene you mentioned though, I thought was just the same as what I saw on TV

 

[Ian_Fisher]

I know that the episodes have additional scenes in them. But this one is definitly altered. My sister taped them when they first were shown, and this scene is not an added scene, it is altered from the way it was originally shown.

 

[Michael Martin]

You could say that the aired version was altered from how it was originally shot. Warners restored the original footage for the entire episode for the DVDs. When the show was edited to fit into 22 (or less) minutes, sometimes that means clipping lines or even slightly changing dialogue and storylines.

If you have the Best of collection, you'll note that The One Where No One's Ready is also altered. In the version on the DVD set, Ross's watch stops telling time. That never happened in the aired version, though the aired version looped some of the dialogue used in the "longer" version.

Being a huge Friends fan (at least through season 4), I am quite happy at getting MORE of each episode, even if adding back in some footage slightly changes what was seen when the ep originall aired.

 

[Josh Dial]

Michael,

In the aired version of The One Where No One's Ready, I can confirm that his watch does indeed stop working. I watched this episode last week on television while at work, and some coworkers and I were discussing this very fact. It seems as though the local station here broadcast the "extended version" or something like that, because both of us remember seeing it before without the watch stopping incident.

cheers!

Josh

 

[Christian Preischl]

In Season 2 there's actually something missing on the US discs that was on the R2 discs. In "The One after the Superbowl" there's a scene with Lisa Kudrow and Chris Isaac over the end credits of part 1 where they're singing together and she makes fun of his voice. Since the episode is presented in it's one hour form on the US discs (as opposed to the 2-part form present on the PAL discs) the scene is no longer there. I was pretty pissed off about it, they could have at least stuck it in the extras or maybe in the celebrity guest book feature (which finally would have given this extra a point).

Chris

 

[Michael Martin]

In the aired version of The One Where No One's Ready, I can confirm that his watch does indeed stop working.

I wonder if Canada has different laws/regulations concerning number of commercials airing during a set time. I know for certain that the original airing (and subsequent syndicated reruns) in the US did NOT have Ross' watch stopping.

What they did instead was loop Ross yelling TWELVE and SEVEN minutes during the show. The syndicated reruns cut out Joey imitating the answering machine, among other things. The original aired version also did not have Rachel talking about some guy who evidently slept with her and her sister, though it is present on the DVD version.

 

[Ian_Fisher]

I know that in several of the shows they have added scenes and restored lines of dialog that haven't been shown since the original airing. This was just the first instance I've seen where content was altered, not just added. I would be suprised if it was changed due to time constraints, as the new version and the old version only differ by a few seconds at most. And, in my opinion, I just don't think the version on the DVD is as funny as the original scene.

Boy, it just seems like nothing is sacred. Next thing you know, Lucas will be altering "Star Wars" so that Greedo shoots at Han Solo first....oh..wait...never mind!

 

[LarryDavenport]

When a TV show goes to syndication about five minutes is cut out per half hour. With Friends you are getting the five minutes back, plus two or three minutes that were cut because of the original time constraint.

Personally I prefer these longer episodes because we get more character development.

 

[Sam Davatchi]

In Season 2 there's actually something missing on the US discs that was on the R2 discs. In "The One after the Superbowl" there's a scene with Lisa Kudrow and Chris Isaac over the end credits of part 1 where they're singing together and she makes fun of his voice.

You are right. I just checked both my French R2 DVD and R1 DVD and the scene is missing from the R1. It’s the first time I see that the R1 has less than the R2. I guess I will keep my R2 DVDs. I wasn’t sure if I should keep them or not after I got the R1 sets.

 

[Ian_Fisher]

hmmm...

I must not be doing a very good job explaining my issue. I KNOW that once an episode of a television show goes into syndication, it is shortened by several minutes. I KNOW that the season sets of Friends restores these lost minutes, PLUS extra scenes that have never been shown on broadcast television.

What I am talking about in "The One Where Nana Dies Twice" is an ALTERNATE version of the scene. It's entirely possible that this alternate take wasn't used because it is a few seconds longer then the broadcast version. At any rate, the scene, as it oringially aired, and (to my knowledge) how it exists in syndication, is NOT on the DVD.

I'm just saying that I was surprised. I knew that the DVD had all the episodes, with all of the cuts made for syndication restored, and with extra scenes never broadcast added. I just didn't expect that any of the episodes would have scenes removed and replaced with alternate versions.

 

[LarryDavenport]

I'll have to watch the DVD again because I remember the scene as you describe it above and I thought the scene was intact.