THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, June 22, 1995 TAG: 9506220066
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Larry Bonko
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
DEAR FRIENDS of ``Friends'': Thank you so very much for calling my number on Infoline (640-5555, Category 3333) and serenading me with the theme from the NBC sitcom that continues to soar even in re-runs.
``Friends'' made it to No. 1 in the ratings.
When I began my little Infoline poll in which I asked readers to vote for their favorite friend on ``Friends,'' how was I to know that you would get carried away?
While registering a vote for neat freak Monica (Courteney Cox) as her favorite friend on ``Friends,'' Cynthia S. in Virginia Beach broke into the theme.
``When it hasn't been your day or week or month or even your year, I'll be there for you.''
Same deal from Cindy P. in Suffolk.
``No one told you it was gonna' be this way.''
Miriam Love in Virginia Beach called my number not so much to vote for her favorite friend but to tell me that she couldn't wait until ``I'll Be There for You'' comes out in a single. ``I absolutely love the theme,'' she said.
The Rembrandts have recorded the ``Friends'' theme which was written by Michael Skloff with lyrics by Allee Willis. It's climbing on the charts. This theme may be bigger than ``Welcome Back, Kotter.''
Cox won the Infoline poll. She's the favorite friend on ``Friends.''
Cynthia S. summed up her appeal this way: ``Monica is pretty, funny and cool.''
Cox is one of the six free spirits on the Thursday night series about unmarried urbanites in their 20s who haven't quite pulled their lives together. What they do mostly on ``Friends'' is sit around and talk to each other about things.
Things. . . such as if you sleep funny, it could give you a bad hair day.
It works.
Look for NBC's rivals to put a number of friendly new shows on their fall schedule. Network TV always has been one great big Xerox machine.
The friend on ``Friends'' least liked in my Infoline poll is not the pampered girl, Rachel, played by Jennifer Aniston but Lisa Kudrow who is cast as the the freest of the free spirits on the show, Phoebe Buffay. She also plays Ursula the waitress on ``Mad About You,'' who is Phoebe's twin.
Phoebe hates Ursula. You already know that if you're a ``Friends'' freak.
A caller named Courtney S. in Norfolk voted down Phoebe because ``she plays a stupid part.''
Let me tell you, Courtney in Norfolk, that Lisa Kudrow is anything but stupid. She's a Vassar grad with a degree in biology.
Stupid? No. Ditzy? On TV. But not in real life.
When she and the cast of ``Friends'' met TV reporters in Los Angeles not long ago, Kudrow let us in on how people on the street react to her. ``They speak to me very s-l-o-w-l-y, and watch me very carefully, to see if everything they say to me is clicking in my head, and yes, everything does click.''
How fortunate this young actress has been.
In Hollywood, where there are a thousand actors up for every role, Kudrow has landed on two smash sitcoms.
How did that happen?
Of being cast on ``Mad About You,'' Kudrow said, ``I made an appearance on that show as a different character early in its first season. The producers remembered me in this little part, and when the role of the recurring role of the waitress came up, they brought me back.''
Then came ``Friends.'' Now she's a big TV star. And recently wed.
While responding to the friends of ``Friends'' Infoline poll, Cindy Storm in Virginia Beach called to ask if all the friends will be back next season. ``Are they going to change people around?'' asked Cindy.
Not a chance. NBC has a show here that will run for years and earn millions in syndication. Who would dare mess with the show's chemistry? by CNB