Editing Friends (section)

== Distribution ==
=== Broadcast ===
After the produced pilot lived up to NBC's hopes, the series premiered with the name ''Friends'' on September 22, 1994, in the coveted Thursday 8:30 p.m. time slot. The pilot aired between ''[[Mad About You]]'' and ''Seinfeld'',<ref name="friendsorigin" /> and was watched by almost 22 million American viewers.<ref name="creators">{{Cite web |last=Lauer |first=Matt |author-link=Matt Lauer |date=May 5, 2004 |title='Friends' Creators Share Show's Beginnings |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna4899445 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002171335/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/4899445/ns/dateline_nbc-newsmakers/t/friends-creators-share-shows-beginnings/ |archive-date=October 2, 2013 |access-date=May 5, 2004 |website=[[Dateline NBC]]}}</ref> The series was a huge success throughout its run and was a staple of NBC's Thursday night line-up, dubbed by the network as [[Must See TV]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/a13025/nbc-elaborates-on-friends-finale-plans.html |title=NBC elaborates on ''Friends'' finale plans |access-date=December 31, 2008 |author=Welsh, James |date=January 15, 2004 |website=[[Digital Spy]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090121212505/http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/a13025/nbc-elaborates-on-friends-finale-plans.html |archive-date=January 21, 2009 }}</ref> 

Having already made huge success in the United States, ''Friends'' producers decided to air the show in Europe. It premiered in the United Kingdom on April 28, 1995.<ref>Edition: 65,253 The Times April 28, 1995</ref> Season 1 was broadcast until September 1995 on [[Channel 4]] at 9:30 PM on Friday nights, and immediately was a success. The popularity of the show allowed "[[I'll Be There for You (The Rembrandts song)|I'll Be There for You]]" the theme song by [[the Rembrandts]] to hit number 3 on the [[UK Singles Chart]]s in September 1995.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Official Singles Chart Top 100 &#124; Official Charts Company |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/19950903/7501/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116035559/https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/19950903/7501/ |archive-date=November 16, 2020 |access-date=April 25, 2020 |website=www.officialcharts.com}}</ref>

When Crane told reporters in 2001 that the ninth season was a possibility, critics believed that he was posturing and that at least two of the cast members would not sign on for another season.<ref name="plottwists" /> When it was confirmed that ''Friends'' would return for a ninth season, the news was mainly about the amount of money—$7 million per episode—that it took to bring the series back for another season.<ref name="plottwists" /> After year-long expectations that the ninth season would be the series' last, NBC signed a deal in late December 2002 to bring the series back for a final tenth season. The series' creative team did not want to extend negotiations into the next year and wanted to start writing the rest of the ninth-season episodes and a potential series finale.<ref name="friendsseason10" /> NBC agreed to pay $10 million to Warner Bros. for the production of each tenth-season episode, the highest price in television history for a 30-minute series.<ref name="friendsreviews">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/entertainment/3689029.stm |title=''Friends'' climax watched by 51&nbsp;m |access-date=January 1, 2009 |date=May 7, 2004 |work=BBC News |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205020628/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/entertainment/3689029.stm |archive-date=February 5, 2009 }}</ref> Although NBC was unable to bring in enough advertising revenue from commercials to cover the costs, the series was integral to the Thursday night schedule, which brought high ratings and profits to the other television series.<ref name="friendsseason10">{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9803E4DF163CF932A15751C1A9649C8B63 |title=NBC Close to a Deal to Keep ''Friends'' for Another Season |access-date=December 29, 2008 |author=Carter, Bill |date=December 21, 2002 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122075303/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9803E4DF163CF932A15751C1A9649C8B63 |archive-date=January 22, 2009 }}</ref> The cast demanded that the tenth season be reduced from the usual 24 episodes to 18 episodes to allow them to work on outside projects.<ref name="friendsoverstay">{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/09/ew.hot.friends/ |title=Is ''Friends'' overstaying its welcome? |access-date=January 1, 2008 |author=Bonin, Liane |date=January 9, 2003 |work=CNN|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122070102/http://edition.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/09/ew.hot.friends/ |archive-date=January 22, 2009 }}</ref>

In fall 2001, Warner Bros. Domestic Cable made a deal with sister network TBS (both were owned by [[WarnerMedia|Time Warner]]) to air the series in rerun syndication. Warner Bros. Domestic Cable announced that it had sold additional cable rights to ''Friends'' to Nick at Nite which began airing in the fall of 2011 (unlike the TBS and broadcast syndication airings, Nick at Nite broadcasts of the series, which began airing as part of a seven-night launch marathon on September 5, 2011, replace the end credit [[post-credits scene|tag scenes]] with [[Marginalized closing credits|marginalized credits]] featuring promotions for the series and other Nick at Nite programs). Warner Bros. was expected to make $200 million in license fees and advertising from the deal. Nick at Nite paid $500,000 per episode to air the episodes after 6 pm. ET for six years through fall 2017. In syndication until 2005, ''Friends'' had earned $4 million per episode in cash license fees for a total of $944 million.<ref>{{cite news |author=Dempsey, John |title=Friends of ''Friends'' |url=https://variety.com/2005/scene/markets-festivals/friends-of-friends-1117925752/ |date=July 11, 2005 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=September 3, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119160918/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117925752.html?cs=1&s=h&p=0 |archive-date=January 19, 2012 }}</ref>

=== Remaster ===
Beginning in March 2012, [[High-definition television|high definition]] versions of all 236 ''Friends'' episodes were made available to local broadcast stations, starting with the pilot episode. For the remastered episodes, Warner Bros. restored previously cropped images on the left and right sides of the screen, using the original [[35mm movie film|35 mm film]] source, to use the entire [[16:9]] widescreen frame. Because the show was not originally filmed for widescreen, but rather filmed in 4-perf format and protected for 4:3, some cropping problems arise in some shots where information from the top and bottom of the frame is removed, and some expanded shots reveal unintentional artifacts, including set edges, boom mics and body doubles replacing some of the main cast.<ref name="Albiniak, Paige">{{cite news |author=Albiniak, Paige |title=With Friends Like These, Who Needs Standard-Def? |url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/481325-With_Friends_Like_These_Who_Needs_Standard_Def_.php |date=March 5, 2012 |work=[[Broadcasting & Cable]] |url-status=dead  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130226235238/http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/481325-With_Friends_Like_These_Who_Needs_Standard_Def_.php |archive-date=February 26, 2013 }}</ref>

In early versions of the HD remasters, there were also a few shots, including chroma effects shots, which were sourced from standard-definition videotape sources, as not all of the footage had been located in time for the remaster. The original film sources for these shots were later rescanned for later broadcast and release.<ref name="Albiniak, Paige" /> These masters had been airing in New Zealand on TV2 since January 2011, and the earlier HD prints continue to air on Comedy Central in the United Kingdom as of 2020.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.screenscribe.tv/channels/the-one-with-the-high-definition/ |title=The One With the High Definition |publisher=ScreenScribe |date=January 17, 2011 |access-date=July 10, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726115618/http://www.screenscribe.tv/channels/the-one-with-the-high-definition/ |archive-date=July 26, 2013 }}</ref> Netflix added all ten seasons of ''Friends'' in high definition to its streaming service in the United States in January 2015 before the platform discontinued the series in late 2019.

=== Home media ===
All ten seasons have been released on DVD individually and as a box set. Each [[DVD region code|Region]] 1 season release contains special features and are presented in their aforementioned original international broadcast versions, although Region 2 releases are as originally aired domestically. For the first season, each episode is updated with color correction and sound enhancement.<ref name="friendswrit" /> A wide range of ''Friends'' merchandise has been produced by various companies. In September 1995, [[Warner Music Group|WEA Records]] released the first album of [[Music of Friends|music from ''Friends'']], the ''Friends Original TV Soundtrack'', containing music featured in previous and future episodes. The soundtrack debuted on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] at number 46,<ref>{{cite news |author=Dretzka, Gary |date=November 2, 1995 |title=Hit Show, Hit Soundtrack: It's No Longer An Accident |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19951102/2150142/tv-amp-music----hit-show-hit-soundtrack-its-no-longer-an-accident |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090823075419/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19951102&slug=2150142 |archive-date=August 23, 2009 |access-date=January 3, 2009 |work=Chicago Tribune}}</ref> and sold 500,000 copies in November 1995.<ref>{{cite news |author=Burlingame, Jon |date=December 27, 1995 |title=''Friends'' Theme Leads Pack of Hot-Selling TV Soundtracks |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=RM&p_theme=rm&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB4E4396284FBF4&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D |url-access=registration |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125074058/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=RM&p_theme=rm&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB4E4396284FBF4&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D |archive-date=November 25, 2018 |access-date=January 3, 2009 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref>

In 1999, a second soundtrack album entitled ''Friends Again'' was released.<ref>{{cite web |date=January 16, 1999 |title=''Friends Again'': Various Artists |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000023YA0 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116035556/https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000023YA0 |archive-date=November 16, 2020 |access-date=January 3, 2009 |website=Amazon}}</ref> Other merchandise includes a ''Friends'' version of the DVD game ''[[Scene It?]]'', and a quiz video game for [[PlayStation 2]] and [[PC game|PC]] entitled ''Friends: The One with All the Trivia''.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Friends: The One With All the Trivia'' |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000B6H21S |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116035507/https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000B6H21S |archive-date=November 16, 2020 |access-date=January 3, 2009 |website=Amazon}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=''Friends: The One With All the Trivia'' |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AMFEHM |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626211400/https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AMFEHM |archive-date=June 26, 2019 |access-date=October 8, 2009 |website=Amazon}}</ref> On September 28, 2009, a box set was released in the UK celebrating the show's 15th anniversary. The box set contained extended episodes, an episode guide, and original special features.<ref>{{cite web |date=September 28, 2009 |title=Friends – Season 1–10 Complete Collection 15th Anniversary DVD: Amazon.co.uk: Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer, James Michael Tyler, Elliott Gould, Maggie Wheeler, Christina Pickles, Paul Rudd, Jane Sibbett, David Crane, Marta Kauffman: DVD |url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002CYIR0M/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116035541/https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002CYIR0M/ |archive-date=November 16, 2020 |access-date=July 26, 2010 |publisher=Amazon.co.uk}}</ref>

Warner Home Video released a complete series collection on [[Blu-ray Disc|Blu-ray]] on November 13, 2012.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Friends – Warner Home Video Press Release Announces The Complete Series on Blu-ray Disc! |date=June 19, 2012 |publisher=Warner Home Video |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Friends-The-Complete-Series/17109 |via=TV Shows On DVD |access-date=June 19, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622020526/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Friends-The-Complete-Series/17109 |archive-date=June 22, 2012}}</ref> In September 2024, the entire series was released on [[Ultra HD Blu-ray]] in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the show.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Chan |first=Tim |date=September 21, 2024 |title='Friends' in 4K: The Hit Series Celebrates 30th Anniversary With This Special-Edition Box Set |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/product-recommendations/lifestyle/friends-complete-series-4k-box-set-buy-online-1235108619/ |access-date=25 March 2025 |magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref>