Friends

Friends is an American sitcom first released in 1994. The pilot episode named ‘The one where Monica got a roommate’ was the first episode of Friends and it was broadcast on NBC in America.

Production and distribution

Friends was produced by Warner Brothers TV in synergy with Bright/Kauffman/Crane productions.
Friends has been distributed on NBC, Comedy Central, Channel 4 and Netflix.
The pilot was released in America in 1994 and in the UK in 1995.

Development

The plot was developed for NBC as the president of NBC wanted a show that could include Friends sharing memorable times of their lives with their surrogate family.
Friends replaced Cheers, another successful sitcom on Thursday nights on NBC.
Friends was the first comedy show to be put on Netflix.

Funding

Friends was funded through the commercial model, explaining why each episode was 22-24 minutes long to leave room for adverts.
The more popular a show is, the more money it can demand from advertisers.
NBC paid over $6million for Friends per episode in the final season as the advertising potential was so high.

Channel 4

Channel 4 paid over $120 million for the last 3 seasons of Friends in 2001 which also meant they could demand more money during their advertising slots.
Channel 4 scored record high viewing figures during 2004 when the final season of Friends was airing.

Representation

Friends is reflective of America in the 90s. The characters have a care-free attitude which is reflective of a pre-9/11 society.

Certification

As Friends was released in America first it was regulated by FCC (Federal Communications Commission).
The FCC rated Friends a TV-14 meaning the show may be unsuitable for children aged 14 and under.
The show contains alcohol, sex and mild profanity in a humorous way which can justify its certification.
In the UK Friends was certified a PG for the same reasons as the FCC.

Youth in the 90s

The young people in 90s America were referred to as the ‘twixter’ generation as they were a generation of young adults stuck in between adolescence and adulthood.
The representation of America in Friends reflects the feeling of possibilities and the American Dream.

Masculinity

The representation of masculinity is less traditional and more reflective of ‘the new-man’, also known as the metrosexual man which was coined in 1994.
This is where men are more in touch with their emotions and care about their appearance more than traditional, masculine representation of men.

1Overview

1.1Media Language

1.1.1Media Language

1.1.2Media Language 2

1.2Audience

1.2.1Audiences

1.2.2Audiences 2

1.2.3End of Topic Test - Media Language & Audience

1.3Representation

1.3.1Stereotypes

1.3.2Gender

1.3.3Audiences

1.4The Media Industry

1.4.1Media Industries

1.4.2Ownership

1.4.3Funding & Regulation

1.4.4End of Topic Test - Representation/Media Industry

2Component 1: Section A

2.1Magazines

2.1.1Magazines

2.1.2Pride

2.1.3Pride 2

2.2GQ

2.2.1Context

2.2.2Narrative

2.2.3Representation

2.3Advertising & Marketing

2.3.1Advertising & Marketing

2.3.2Analysing Adverts

2.3.3Analysing Adverts 2

2.3.4Theories & Principles

2.3.5End of Topic Test - Magazines & Advertising

2.4Print Advertisements

2.4.1Quality Street

2.4.2This Girl Can

2.5Film Posters (Marketing)

2.5.1Spectre

2.5.2The Man with The Golden Gun

2.5.3The Man with The Golden Gun 2

2.6Newspapers

2.6.1Ownership & Regulation

2.6.2News Selection

2.6.3Media Language

2.6.4Genres

2.6.5Newspaper Conventions

2.6.6Representation

2.6.7Audience

2.6.8Theories

2.6.9End of Topic Test - Newspapers

2.7The Sun

2.7.1Context

2.7.2Narrative

2.7.3Language & Images

2.8The Guardian

2.8.1The Guardian

2.8.2Narrative

2.8.3Language & Images

3Component 1: Section B

3.1Video Games

3.1.1Video Games

3.2Film

3.2.1The Big Six

3.2.2Technology

3.2.3End of Topic Test - Video Games & Films

3.3Radio

3.3.1The Radio Industry

3.3.2Categories of Radio Station

3.3.3Technology & Radio Audiences

3.3.4Theories

3.3.5End of Topic Test - Radio

3.4No Time To Die

3.4.1Context

3.4.2Narrative

3.4.3Representation

4Component 2: Section A

5Component 2: Section B

5.1Music Video

5.1.1Music Videos

5.1.2The Music Industry

5.2Michael Jackson

5.2.1‘Black or White’

5.3Taylor Swift

5.3.1Bad Blood

5.3.2Intertextual References

5.3.3Media Theories

5.3.4Representation

5.3.5Social Media

5.4Bruno Mars

5.4.1Uptown Funk

5.4.2Analysis

5.4.3End of Topic Test - Music Videos

5.5Lizzo

5.5.1Context

5.5.2'Good as Hell'

5.5.3Media Language

5.5.4Representation

5.5.5Audience

5.5.6Industry

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