Friends ‘defined 90s culture’ says UCC broadcast historian

A University College Cork broadcast historian has spoken about the influence of the sitcom Friends on Cork culture.

Dr Finola Doyle O’Neill was speaking to The Echo following beloved star Matthew Perry’s untimely death.

The 54-year-old, who became a superstar playing funnyman Chandler Bing during the show’s 10 seasons, died in an apparent drowning at his Los Angeles home, US outlets have reported.

Dr Doyle O’Neill said she often references the sitcom, which introduced Matthew’s best-known character Chandler to our screens, in her lectures. She spoke about the celebrity’s heartbreaking deterioration following a previous battle with prescription drugs.

“He was an iconic kind of figure,” she told The Echo. 

“I think the sad thing, looking back, is that we knew so little about him. 

“The Friends re-union showed him in a different light. We saw a sadder side to him. It wasn’t really the memory that we had of him essentially.”

She praised the show for being ahead of its time.

“For the most part it was pioneering,” she said.

“There were certain parts that felt out of line, such as when Pheobe was carrying her brother’s baby.

“Others were handled very well in a way that was ahead of its time. 

“The deepest characterisation we had was when Chandler and his partner in the show, Monica, were going down the surrogacy route. 

“The storyline was treated very sensitively and it was probably the best piece of acting he has ever done. I thought he did it beautifully.”

She said Friends paved the way for other comedies.

“It’s been replicated so many times. However, that was the beginning of us looking at people who had separate lives but shared that commonality in the evenings. 

“The writers talked about the fact that it was all based on their own lives and I think that’s what made it so real.”

Dr Doyle O’Neill described how Matthew Perry played a role in redefining an era.

“Just like the 80s was defined by cult shows like Dallas, much of 90s culture was defined by Friends. 

“There was a safeness about it that people connected with. For the most part it was quite pioneering in the issues that it dealt with which were very real and authentic,” she said.

She spoke of how the star’s visible signs of drug addiction became apparent during filming through inconsistent weight loss and fluctuations.

“There was an inconsistency about him that you could see playing out throughout the series because he was so fragile,” she added. 

Perry starred in Friends from 1994 until 2004.

He also appeared on Ally McBeal in 2002 and earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his role in The West Wing in 2003.

He is known for a number of films, including T he Whole Nine Yards, 17 Again, Fools Rush In, and Serving Sara.