When Friends Makers Almost Banned An Episode Fearing Of Stirring Up Controversy & Set Up 104 Operators On Call To Address Complaints; Read On (Picture Credit: IMDB)
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Popular American television sitcom Friends is celebrated for its humour, memorable characters, and enduring popularity even years after its original run. Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer, who portrayed the iconic characters of Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler, and Ross, are still remembered well by the fans.
The popular sitcom was aired during 90’s and the sitcom relived the fame after it started streaming on Netflix. While many of the fans would remember almost all the episodes, one particular episode went down in history, which nearly blew up in the producers’ faces.
The episode in question was The One With The Lesbian Wedding, which was prohibited from broadcasting on a select network in the USA in the second season. During the show’s initial seasons, a particular episode featuring a lesbian wedding stirred controversy within the NBC network.
In this episode, the characters Carol and Susan, portrayed by Jane Sibbett and Jessica Hecht, respectively, were at the centre of the storyline. According to Marta Kauffman, the show’s creator, the network was so apprehensive about this episode that they went to great lengths to address potential viewer complaints. They reportedly set up a call centre with over a hundred operators to handle any feedback or concerns from the audience.
During a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Kauffman said: “When we did the lesbian wedding episode of Friends, everybody was up in arms. NBC put 104 operators on for fear of getting a million phone calls. They got two.” The partnerships on the show were non-traditional and took a more liberal stance towards marriage, having children, and other family-related issues.
Friends also gained notoriety for the unique pregnancies experienced by its three female lead stars, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, and Lisa Kudrow, throughout the series.
