It is brilliantly done and the coloring looks excellent..

Before diving into the review, I want to say that I am a big fan of this show. Over the years, I have watched the series countless times on DVD and in syndication. Doing this review has been a real pleasure so I hope you enjoy it.

For 10 seasons, the country was tuned into FRIENDS. They watched the six, 20-something group take on life of it’s own from 1994-2004. It’s possibly one of the most watched shows on TV and is still in syndication around the world. It stars Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, Courtney Cox as Monica Gellar, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, and David Schwimmer as Ross Gellar.

The show is about 6 friends who are trying to make it in New York. Through the 236 episodes, you experience their friendships, relationships, the good times and the bad. Some of them get married and some of them divorce but they always had each other. The show is really told around Ross and Rachel’s relationship and where it’s going, but even though that’s implied, it is not realized until you get a few seasons into the show.

As the show progressed, their living situation changed but it started with Rachel and Monica living together, as do Chandler and Joey, across the hall from each other. Phoebe lives somewhat close and Ross, Monica’s brother lives alone after a divorce. They frequently hang out in the local coffee house, Central Perk, which is right downstairs from where Rachel and Monica live. They also spent a lot of time in Monica’s apartment due to the size and openness. In a nutshell, this is where the show took place and most of the best moments occurred.

For a show having such a successful run, the producers knew that it was better to leave the party gracefully than to jump the shark and get cancelled. There were actually a few times where this almost happened but they never got the ax. I learned that with the final episode, the creators and writers made a few versions of the script so to not leak the ending. It was one of the few episodes that certain scenes were closed for filming and not have the audience there to spoil before airing. Showing what a huge following the show had gained, FRIENDS ended up being the fourth most watched series finales in the US.

This complete set includes all 236 episodes seasons over 21 discs. There are over 20 hours of features with 4 hours of brand new extras. The box it comes in has a lenticular picture from the first season and the finale with a magnetic snap closure, containing both the guide book and the housing for the discs. The 36-page episode guide book is detailed and it will easily walk you through the set with still-photos from each season scattered within its pages. Under every episode is the disc number, the season, then the name with what number episode it is, their original air dates, and any special features that may be included. The hard-back book housing for the discs is 8 discs per page front and back. The book also has a magnetic lock to seal out any dust that might make it inside the case. Together, this set has everything a fan would want.

The 1080p AVC video transfer for the Blu-rays has been remastered from the original 35mm film. It is brilliantly done and the coloring looks excellent. Remastering the series has not only upgraded the detail in the picture but seamlessly made the previous 4:3 format to 16:9 widescreen, expanding the frame. As previously mentioned, the picture quality was increased and any fan will instantly notice the upgrade. I have very few complaints about the video, sometimes there’s light grain on the picture and it appears not to be consistent across board. Also, I detected noise throughout the series and some annoying crushing in the blacks.

The majority of special features were not remastered for this release and they appear to be directly transferred from the DVD sets. The DAYS OF OUR LIVES footage is sporadically remastered so it retains the non-HD broadcast.

The audio mix has been upgraded to a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix which is a huge jump from the original track. They actually took the audience’s reactions and moved them to the rear surround speakers giving the viewers an effect like you’re there during the taping. The show is typically dialogue intensive so the focus is on reproducing the dialogue correctly; the track does that without a problem. The commentaries are in Dolby 2.0 and it’s very typical of those features; simply because it’s not necessary to fill the channels with sound. Overall, I think WB did a great job with this beloved franchise.

The set includes audio commentaries for selected episodes and they are all well done. Each audio commentary gives you a background of what was happening behind the scenes and the commentators run through the show they explain the meaning behind the jokes. The commentators are very thorough and informative.

Disc 1 – Season 1

Episode 1 The Pilot
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Disc 4 – Season 2

Special Features
-FRIENDS of FRIENDS Guestbook – a quick look at the guest stars for the show on season 4
-The Uncut Version Smelly Cat Music Video – This is the uninterrupted version of the world famous Smelly Cat Music video.
-Learn What’s Up With Your FRIENDS – a look at the cast with quick clips of each character.

Disc 5 – Disc 3

Episode 50 – The One Where No One’s Ready
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Episode 57 – The One with the Football
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Disc 6 – Season 3

Episode 64 – The One the Morning After
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Disc 7 – Season 4

Episode 81 – The One With Chandler in the Box
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Episode 85 – The One with the Embryos
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Disc 8- Season 4

Episode 96/97 – The One With Ross’s Wedding
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Special Features
-FRIENDS Around the World Documentary – This documentary showcases how fans in Sweden, Germany and Japan watch FRIENDS. Fans of the show will also get a quick glimpse of the work it takes to translate the show into other foreign languages.

-Leaf through the FRIENDS of FRIENDS Guestbook – See a few clips of the different actors that have made an appearance on the show. You can either play all or pick from the list of 11 different actor clips.

-Learn What’s Up With Your FRIENDS? – See a few of the quirkiest moments of each character. Clips range between 1-2 minutes each.

Disc 9- Disc 5

Episode 100 – The One Hundredth
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Episode 105 – The One With All The Thanksgivings
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Disc 10 – Season 5

Episode 111 – The One Where Everybody Finds Out
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Special Features
-Gunther Spills the Beans about the next season – a quick look at the next season from Gunther, the coffee shop guy.

-Grab a Backstage Pass with the Discovery Channel Documentary: The One that Goes Behind the Scenes – a dissection of how FRIENDS was created and picked up by NBC. It explains who everyone is and their jobs with a look at season 5 behind the scenes writing, pre-production, rehearsals and the final product.

-Cross the Atlantic for a Whirlwind English Visit with FRIENDS: On Location in London – a quick featurette of the cast and crew’s visit to film in London.

Disc 11 – Season 6

Episode 130 – The One Where Ross Got High
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Episode 136/137 – The One That Could Have Been
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Episode 145/146 – The One With the Proposal
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Special Features
-Leaf Through the FRIENDS of FRIENDS Guestbook: Interviews With Elliot Gould, Christina Pickles, Maggie Wheeler, and Jane Sibbett

-Gag Reel – another funny gag reel from the show

-Gunther Spills the Beans about the next season – a quick look at the next season from Gunther, the coffee shop guy.

Disc 13 – Season 7

Episode 156 – The One with the Holiday Armadillo
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Disc 14 – Season 7

Episode 159 – The One Where Rosita Dies
-The Special Features have the “Super-Sized” versions of the Episode

Episode 161 – The One With Joey’s New Brain*
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane
-The Special Features have the “Super-Sized” versions of the Episode

Episode 162 – The One with the Truth About London
-The Special Features have the “Super-Sized” versions of the Episode

Episode 169/170 – The One with Monica and Chandler’s Wedding
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Special Features
-FRIENDS of FRIENDS Video Guestbook – Interviews with Morgan Fairchild, Alexandra Holden, Cole Sprouse, Eddie Cahill and Paget Brewster
-Gag Reel – another hilarious gag reel.
– Gunther Spills the Beans about the next season – a quick look at the next season from Gunther, the coffee shop guy.
-The One with More FRIENDS: 4 Original Broadcast ‘Super-Sized’ Episodes – These uncut episodes are not in HD but in the original format from the DVD set.

Disc 15 – Season 8

Episode 173 – The One Where Rachel Tells Ross
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Episode 174 – The One with the Video Tape
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Disc 16 – Season 8

Episode 193/194 – The One Where Rachel has a Baby
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Disc 17 – Season 9

Episode 200 – The One With the Male Nanny
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Episode 202 – The One With Rachel’s Other Sister
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Disc 18 – Season 9

Episode 217/218 – The One in Barbados
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Special Features
-Behind the Style: The Look of FRIENDS – Costume Designer Deborah McGuire, Hair Stylist Jonathan Hanousek and Make-up Artist Robin Siegel offer an inside look at FRIENDS Fashion, Hair, Make-up over the years
-Gag Reel – another funny gag reel from the show.
-The Flaming Lips song “Phoebe Battle the Pink Robots” Music Video – Featuring Lisa Kudrow and Directed by Kevin S. Bright
-Gunther Spills the Beans about the Final Season – a quick look at the last and final season from Gunther, the coffee shop guy.

Disc 19 – Season 10

Episode 226 – The One With the Late Thanksgiving
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Episode 229 – The One Where the Stripper Cries
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Disc 20 – Season 10

Episode 235/236 – The Last One
-Optional Audio Commentary – with Executive Producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane

Special Features
-FRIENDS Final Thoughts – The Cast and Producers reflect during the final days at work and after the series production ends
-Multiple Season Gag Reels – Gags from seasons 1 through 4 and season 10. The final season’s gags includes with a special opening with Conan O’Brien and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
-FRIENDS of FRIENDS Video Guestbook – Interviews with Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, and Aisha Tyler
-Matt LeBlanc Joey Joey Music Video – This is a very strange music video about Joey Tribbiani.

Disc 21 – Bonus Disc

-True FRIENDS Documentaries:
FRIENDS From the Start – a documentary of how FRIENDS got its start. It has interviews with the creators, executives and produces explaining what they went through from pitching to casting.
When FRIENDS Become Family – how over the years, the cast and crew became
The Legacy of FRIENDS – about the decision to end the series
-The Original Producers’ Cut for The One Where Rachel Tells Ross – this is the original version of the episode. There was a joke about a bomb on the plane, but a few months later, the tragic events that transpired on 9/11 forced the producers to cut the episode.
-The Original Script for The One Where Rachel Tells Ross – this is the script of the episode that was changed due to 9/11.
-The One With Never Before Seen Gags –
-FRIENDS on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno – this is the episode the cast talking about their experiences on FRIENDS.
-FRIENDS Visit the Ellen DeGeneres Show – a series of appearances of the cast on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.
-The Rembrandts: I’ll Be There For You Music Video – The Official Music Video featuring the cast of FRIENDS.

Watching the series again on Blu-ray is almost like watching the series for the first time because of how well WB has treated the release. I have now taken notice of nuances and items in shots that may have been out of focus before due to framing. One thing I noticed that I wasn’t expecting is that the episodes are not the same versions as the DVD releases. With this release being titled as complete, I was expecting the same episodes from the DVDs to be remastered. However, this is not the case. I noticed immediately that there were quite a few changes and even though these changes often impacted the way the episode progressed, I believe they were made for a reason. I have seen the DVDs countless times throughout the years to be able to see and enjoy the differences. I don’t personally like the choice of not using the uncut episodes but every fan will feel differently. With that being said, I highly recommend for fans of the show pick up this set because with all of the included material and the enhancements, this really is an excellent release.

Order your copy of FRIENDS: The Complete Series on Blu-ray from Amazon!