It’s been thirty years since Friends debuted, and Warner is celebrating by bringing out another version of the Friends: Complete Series box set, this time in 4K Ultra HD. (I was sent a copy for review by the studio.)
Note that in my set, every one of these cases had some loose discs, so if you buy this, check them quickly to make sure they all play and aren’t scratched. Also, be aware that these discs are 4K only, there are no Blu-ray, DVD, or digital versions included. That meant that the only part of the set I could watch was the Bonus Features, which come on a Blu-ray disc. (I watch mostly old sitcoms and really old movies, so I haven’t seen the need to update my video system for a perceived improvement in quality, having already lived through VHS, Beta, LaserDisc, DVD, HD-DVD, and Blu-ray.)
Ten seasons, 236 episodes, are included in five cases. Most seasons cover two discs each (although 3, 6, and 9 have three discs), so this is a lot more space efficient than the previous DVD set (although that had a lovely case with a door, shown here).
The Bonus Features are on two discs, including the features from the previous season sets, plus three documentaries from 2012, totaling about 70 minutes: one about the origin, one about guest stars and the show’s development, and one about the show’s legacy. They include the creators and many of the supporting cast but none of the friends themselves.
The new feature is “Friends: Through the Peephole”, 15 minutes in the prop and costume storage department hosted by someone who doesn’t seem to have worked on the show. The only mention of Matthew Perry’s passing is a tribute card at the end of this. There’s also a seven-question trivia quiz which is fiendishly hard.
The Friends reunion special is not included, and I would argue it should have been. I speculate that using it would have required paying the actors again, and given Warner Bros. Discovery’s current financial struggles, I think the goal is to make more money off this beloved property with minimal cost.
It is very nice that they do include a small booklet. It lists all the show titles, noting which have commentary available (30 of them, including those which have key dramatic points), as well as the special features.
I rewatched this show a couple of years ago, and some doesn’t age well — the older I get, the more I want to sit Rachel down and tell her to follow her dreams instead of allowing a stalker to “win” her — but these are characters many of us spent a lot of time with, over a decade, and there’s a lot of humor still to be found.
English (US) · 