*To stop music scroll down out of this frame, the option is on the index frame.

02-03-03- Hello everyone. I'm finally updating the site.

HOBBLING ANISTON IS THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE
(Infobeat)

Jennifer Aniston left fans scratching its head last night when she hobbled onstage at the PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS in Pasadena, California, with the help of a cane.

The Friends star had to be helped onto the by castmate MATTHEW PERRY when she was awarded the Favorite Female TV Performer prize, but she refused to explain why she was hobbling.

It was a good night for the actress, however - Friends also claimed the Favorite TV Comedy Series.

11-01-02- Okay, its been a while. I am currently updating the spoilers and episode guides. Please bare with me. News:

COURTENEY ALTERNATING COX AND ARQUETTE
(Infobeat)

Friends beauty COURTENEY COX ARQUETTE is requesting to be called by her maiden name - fuelling rumors that her marriage to actor DAVID ARQUETTE is in trouble.

The couple, who met on the set of WES CRAVEN's hit film SCREAM, have confessed to attending marriage guidance counseling and there have been reports that their relationship was under strain.

However, those close to the sexy actress insist that her relationship with the EIGHT-LEGGED FREAKS actor remains strong. Her spokeswoman says, "That's completely untrue. She vacillates between Courteney Cox and Courteney Cox Arquette."

A source close to the couple adds, "She just wants to be known as Courteney Cox again. She insists it's just out of respect to her family that she wants to use the name she grew up with."

09-26-02- Today is the premiere of FRIENDS on NBC, 8:00. Isn't that superb? LOL. Okay, uhh.. well I'm sure you've all heard that Friends WON an Emmy last week. And Jennifer Aniston WON Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. Unfortuantly, both Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry lost to Ray Romano from "Everybody Loves Raymond". I have some news on Matt LeBlanc:

Matt's Chivalry Spurned
Infobeat

TV star MATT LeBLANC found his friendly intervention in a domestic dispute ignored and unthanked.

When the sitcom hunk witnessed a woman being manhandled by her boyfriend in the parking lot of Twain's restaurant in Hollywood, Matt tried to break up the violence.

But the woman told Matt to mind his own business, and didn't thank him for trying to protect her. When the police arrived to break up the clashing couple, the sexy actor posed for photos with the cops.

Stayed tuned for the 2nd Friends DVD Review!

09-22-02- Its Matt vs. Matt up for the Emmys!

Jennifer Aniston hopes to receive a little bundle of joy at the Emmys. She's competing for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry are nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series. "Friends" is also nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series:

And the Nominees are...

Outstanding Actress, Comedy Series
Jennifer Aniston, 'Friends' (NBC)
Patricia Heaton, 'Everybody Loves Raymond' (CBS)
Jane Kaczmarek, 'Malcolm in the Middle' (FOX)
Debra Messing, 'Will & Grace' (NBC)
Sarah Jessica Parker, 'Sex and the City' (HBO)

Outstanding Actor, Comedy Series
Bernie Mac, 'Bernie Mac' (FOX)
Matt LeBlanc, 'Friends' (NBC)
Matthew Perry, 'Friends' (NBC)
Kelsey Grammer, 'Frasier' (NBC)
Ray Romano, 'Everybody Loves Raymond' (CBS)

Outstanding Comedy Series
'Will & Grace' (NBC)
'Curb Your Enthusiasm' (HBO)
'Everybody Loves Raymond' (CBS)
'Friends' (NBC)
'Sex and the City' (HBO)

*Note: This is only the categories in which the cast or the TV show 'Friends' is nominated for

09-21-02- Hey everyone, I had the spoilers section updated and have some news:

Is Kudrow Pregnant Again?
(WENN)

The cast and crew of FRIENDS have been told to keep quiet about LISA KUDROW's reported pregnancy - because producers have no plans to accommodate another baby story into the final series.

Writers want to concentrate on JENNIFER ANISTON and DAVID SCHWIMMER's new baby EMMA on the show and are refusing to confirm or deny reports that Kudrow is pregnant with her second child.

The actress' first pregnancy was incorporated into a storyline on the show - where her character, PHOEBE, was expecting triplets.

09-02-02- Its good to be back everyone! Sorry for no updates but I have a lot of news and I have a NEW spoiler for the ninth season's premiere.

LeBlanc Plans Christmas Wedding
(WENN)

FRIENDS star MATT LeBLANC is set to wed longtime girlfriend MELISSA McKNIGHT at Christmas.

The couple have been engaged for four years and the Canadian actor, 35, has decided it's time to become a husband for the first time - and a proper stepfather to his fianc�'s two kids JACKI and TYLER.

One pal says, "They've got a terrific home in Los Angeles and Matt wants to settle down more than he has been able to over the last few years.

"They're looking to get hitched sometime over the Christmas holidays, when Friends will be on vacation. It will be fairly small by Hollywood standards.

"Matt's walking on air and the kids are happy that Matt's going to marry their mom. He's talking about more kids with Melissa."

LeBlanc will be the first of the male stars of Friends to wed, although all three of the female cast have tied the knot.

09-02-02- Matthew Perry Opens Up

By Fred Topel

Matthew Perry�s new comedy, Serving Sara, finally makes its way to theaters after suffering a production delay while Perry dealt with some personal problems. Looking at the finished film, Perry could joke about how his rehabilitation from substance abuse served the character in a method acting sort of way.

�It would be impossible to look at this movie without realizing that this major crossroads in my life took place during the shooting of it,� Perry said. �In a very strange way, and it was no plan of mine, it sort of works in the movie. This guy�s a pretty down and out guy and I was in a pretty down and out time in my life, so it looks like I�m a genius. It looks like I�m doing some Robert De Niro Raging Bull kind of thing because at the end of the movie, it was three months later and here�s me back.�

Perry is used to having his private life made public, and he will openly talk about facing his problems. What he won�t stand for are rumors that can harm others. As recent reports claim he has begun drinking again, Perry vehemently refuted such claims.

� 2002 Paramount

�I like to think that the upside of being in the public eye going through a series of events as difficult as this is that you�re probably helping a lot more people than just some guy who�s doing it. So, if I�m influencing and helping all these people that I love because they�re going through the same problem that I was, and then they pick up a newspaper and read that I�m carrying some flask or something somewhere, then it may hurt their sobriety. I get paid very, very well to deal with lies and to deal with all that stuff. I don�t look at it like I get paid to act. I get paid for all the crap that�s in between. But these people don�t. So, if they�re hanging their hopes on hopefully a guy they relate to that�s having a problem, and then they read that he�s back, it may hurt them.�

Aside from that, Perry can laugh at some of his ridiculous press. �If I go by tabloids, I started drinking again, I�m the father of Elizabeth Hurley�s baby, I�m married to Jennifer Capriati, I�m dating a bunch of actresses I�ve never met. I like the way it makes me sound but I can�t do all that stuff in a four month period. Some of it is okay and you just kind of laugh at it. They�re mostly written like romance novels anyway, they�re just so badly written.�

� 2002 Paramount

Hurley is Perry�s co-star in Serving Sara. Perry plays process server Joe Tyler, assigned to deliver divorce papers to Sara (Hurley). But, Sara realizes if she serves her husband first, she�s entitled to a large settlement. So, she offers Joe a deal to share the settlement if he�ll help her serve her soon to be ex first. If it were that easy, there�d be no movie, so prepare to see comic chaos involving torn clothing, gunplay and the masturbation of a bull via milking the prostate.

�It�s very difficult to describe what goes on there,� Perry said of the bull scene. �I have to shove my entire arm into the south end of a north facing bull, right? Somebody said that and it�s the only way to put it. How else do you do that?�

Slapstick is an art Perry discovered more in his movie career than on television. �I never really thought of myself as a physical comedian until we did The Whole Nine Yards where there was a lot of physical stuff. The influence there was Buster Keaton and early Chevy Chase stuff. Then we brought a lot of it into Serving Sara.�

� 2002 Paramount

One of the trademarks of physical comedy is the spit take, and Perry gets to do a honey of a spit take in Serving Sara. �I do a little known spit take. It�s the double spit take. I think what makes spit takes really funny is when you actually spit out more than you drank. That�s because we cut the camera and put in more than I had drank. The best spit take in the world is not from an Alan Arkin and Peter Falk movie called Big Trouble. If you want to rent the best spit take ever, and I know you do, that�s the one.�

Both fans and critics will mention a phenomenon called �The Friends Curse� where actors from the hit sitcom just can�t find a successful film. Courtney Cox bucked the trend with the Scream series, and Perry became the second bucker with The Whole Nine Yards. Perhaps the secret is not trying to stray too far from the roots to which the public has grown attached.

�If you�re lucky enough to be involved in something as successful as Friends or as successful as some huge movie, you�re going to be compared to that guy. The problem is that I enjoy being in comedies, so that means that my guy in the movie has to be funny. Chandler�s funny and these people in these movies are funny and we look a lot alike, so there are going to be similarities. The key is, while not throwing your audience too much for a loop really early on, to find little differences that you can play. For instance, one of the reasons I wanted to do Serving Sara was I saw the character of Joe as a really dark, very wounded, miserable guy in the beginning. That was attractive to me, so Reg[inald Hudlin, the director] and I talked about the levels of how bad and how dark we could take this guy. The nature of that kind of character arc was appealing.�

� 2002 Paramount

As Friends enters its ninth year, Perry reflected on the challenges he continues to enjoy. �I don't know how it keeps fresh. I think it�s because the actors keep getting older and their opinions and their ways of looking at their lives change. So, I got the show when I was 24 years old and now I�m 33. That�s a pretty significant little patch of time. What I like about the show is it�s been quite realistic in people growing up. Chandler was a pretty neurotic freak guy when the show first started. Now he�s married. I think it would be very sweet if they started to have a kid and if you got the impression that these six people are going to leave you like hopefully you are in a better position in life than when we all met.�

Perry is nominated for an Emmy this year in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy series category, as are some of his other Friends colleagues. This is the first year they have entered that category. �We kind of just all sort of agreed and it was a pretty rapid decision. It wasn�t too well thought out. We�re all kind of the leads on the show. We also haven�t had that much success, frankly, in the supporting category, so we decided to go for it.�

� 2002 Paramount

Next, Perry will star in The Whole Nine Yards 2, with Bruce Willis, Natasha Henstridge and Amanda Peet also returning. �We�re going to start that in the middle of October. Everybody�s back and the goal there obviously is to make a bigger, funnier movie than the first one and I think we�re in good shape so far.�

The October start date means he will be filming simultaneously to shooting Friends. �They moved the locale of the movie from Montreal to Los Angeles. Friends� schedule, because we�ve been doing it so long now, we�ve kind of got it down so it�s not that difficult to schedule. So, I think it will all work out.�

Serving Sara opens August 23.

Links To More News On Friends:

�After Friends: Looking For a Second Act
�Time To Leave Rachel Green and Friends Behind
�The Catcher In the Texas Chain Store

07-23-02- Jennifer Aniston's Raunchy Workout

InfoBeat FRIENDS star JENNIFER ANISTON has found a raunchy new way to stay in shape - cardio striptease.

The sexy wife of movie hunk BRAD PITT has been peeling off for the steamy workout with 20 other women at the CRUNCH GYM in Los Angeles as a way of "shedding pounds and inhibitions''.

A source told British tabloid DAILY STAR, "Jennifer believes cardio striptease is the perfect way to get fit.

"It helps keep her trim and it teaches her some very sexy routines."

And, according to friends, the new moves have livened things up in the bedroom too.

The source adds, "It's spiced up her sex life too - she now puts on strip shows for Brad as a treat."

Aniston isn't the only famous babe hooked on the new fad. Former BAYWATCH beauties CARMEN ELECTRA and ANJELICA BRIDGES are also cardio striptease devotees.

Anjelica tells the Star, "I thought they would be using poles and straddling chairs, and doing all this crazy stuff, but it's actually the best workout I've ever had."

But eager fans shouldn't get too excited by the prospect of Jen and co baring all in the gym - most participants stop stripping when they get to their bra and panties.

07-18-02- Hey all. I have another mistake posted, and some news on J. Aniston.

Jennifer Considers Quitting

Infobeat

JENNIFER ANISTON is on the verge of giving up celebrity life because she hates keeping up appearances as a fashion icon and role model to millions.

The FRIENDS star, who is married to BRAD PITT, admits she often thinks about living a much simpler life, especially when she has to make an effort to look perfect at parties and premieres. She says, "I do it because I have to do it. It's part of the deal. It's a pain in the ass to have to worry about stuff like that. I think, 'Do I even want to be a part of this anymore?' I'd love to just disappear sometimes - move to a quiet little town and open up a restaurant."

More Jennifer Aniston News Coming Up

07-16-02- Lisa Kudrow urges people to help children and families affected by AIDS

By Mike Falcon, Spotlight Health
With medical adviser Stephen A. Shoop, M.D.

As the free-spirit Phoebe on the hit series Friends, Lisa Kudrow has always been there for her pals -- Ross, Rachel, Joey, Chandler, and Monica. But the Emmy winner is also a true friend to children with AIDS - many of whom were not yet born when the series began eight years ago.

"There is still a lot to be done," says Kudrow, "because there are still children with the disease."

Kudrow recently hosted the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation (CAAF) benefit. By her side was a costumed-version of the animated pooch Blue of Blue's Clues.

"I'm happy to be here with him," says Kudrow, who was the welcoming voice for the event since Blue doesn't speak a word. "Just like a real dog, which is some ways he is."

CAAF is a distinctive voice in AIDS advocacy.

Unlike research-driven organizations, CAAF concentrates on improving the quality of life for children affected by the disease. They often act as a bridge between families affected by AIDS, local grassroots assistance organizations, and donors. They're a vital link, because pediatric AIDS has been a disease with marked contrasts, successes, and failures.

Pediatric AIDS in the USA has fallen dramatically in recent years, due largely to vastly improved systems for identifying mothers with AIDS and preventing or interrupting mother-to-child transmission.

But 14,000 kids in the USA are infected with HIV, says the CAAF. The organization also estimates that 80,000 children have been or will be orphaned by the AIDS-related deaths of their parents.

"These kids may not have AIDS, but their lives have been severely affected by the disease," explains Kudrow.

Positive news

"We look back on the last decade and see that the good news is knowing that when we are dealing with an HIV women who is expecting, we have better than a 98% chance of preventing transmission to babies," says Dr. Joseph Church, director of the Children's AIDS Center at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.

Equally heartening is the increased survival of children with AIDS or HIV. "When we first saw babies with AIDS in 1983 it was pretty lousy for about 10-12 years," recalls the expert.

"But these are the good times," emphasizes Church. "We've learned how to prevent a lot of bad diseases associated with AIDS. I have four teenaged patients infected as infants who are graduating from high school this year and going on to college."

The teens were infected over a decade before protease inhibitors became the frontline defense against HIV, so "they are a combination of motivation on their part and their families' parts, some good medicines, and some luck."

Many patients and families consider CAAF their good luck charm.

"It's a wonderful organization because the need doesn't end when someone is diagnosed," says Kudrow.

"Families are involved, so if a mom has the disease and has trouble coping and taking care of her kids because she's exhausted or sick, quality of life issues can be enormous," observes Church. "How does she get the kids treated, or go to work, or just make it through the day?"

"And young children don't have any idea of what's going on," adds Kudrow.

"So getting them to stay on what the doctor ordered can be a real challenge," says Church. "Then you have real basic care issues that can impact their health, like nutrition and dental care."

"Poor nutrition affects the child's ability to fight disease and stay well," he explains. "Getting good nutritious food into the child on a continuing and regular basis is extremely important." Church notes that dental infections have been tied to poorer health outcomes for children with AIDS.

The costs to families simply trying to struggle with the dynamics of disease are enormous as well. "You're looking at a figure somewhere between $10-20,000 a year," says Church.

That doesn't leave much room in many families for books, crayons, toys, and the other niceties that can make the difference between a culturally impoverished childhood and one that is rich with possibilities. Church notes that depression can impact an infected child's outlook and bottom-line health.

Warning signs

Of course, epidemic pediatric AIDS in areas of Africa and Asia makes the diminishing numbers of newly diagnosed kids with AIDS in this country seem like a roaring success. "And it has been in some respects," says Church.

"But we have to remember that every one of these children is vulnerable," says the expert. Additionally, since even some of the newer anti-AIDS drugs are encountering increasing resistance, nobody knows whether existing treatments will sustain life over the remaining decades these children should have in front of them.

Church has noted a disturbing trend in his practice recently, aside from the protease inhibitor resistance issues.

"Eight months ago we were celebrating that there were just one or two newly identified HIV-positive infants in Los Angeles County in each of the past three or four years," says Church. "But over the past eight months I've seen eight new cases in my practice here alone."

In three of the cases the parents refused prenatal testing. In another, the mother was infected by her husband after the first trimester of pregnancy. "These kids tended to be older at diagnosis," says Church.

That's problematic because early detection and treatment is tied to better life outcomes.

In another case the expectant mother decided not to get tested, got married, had the child, and then died. "You can imagine how this family and child are affected by AIDS," says Church. "Devastated."

Church sees one issue at the center of halting pediatric AIDS in the USA. "Here in California and many other states the attending obstetrician has to offer the HIV test to the pregnant woman," says Church. "If they decline, there is nothing we can do at that point."

The expert recently changed his view on what the law should be. "I'm following a group of kids that, if they had been tested as newborns, would still have the virus and be infected, but would not come into an emergency room undiagnosed and with complications like pneumocystis or brain damage. Even if only the newborn is tested and treated, we can reduce the transmission rates."

That's because the test for HIV antibodies does not always mean the infant is yet infected - the antibodies can be the mother's.

Until pediatric AIDS in the USA is eradicated, CAAF's call to action to help these children must remain strong, says Church. "These are just children," reminds Church. "For them and their parents, AIDS never goes away."

"It's very simple," explains Kudrow. "These children and their families could really use some help."

07-14-02- Well, I'm happy, because today I turned 14! LOL Okay, well, I really don't have much on Friends. Although, my other fav' show Sex and the City is starting it's new season on the 21st. LOL. However, I posted a new mistake, and finally won a new award. Speaking of awards, apply for one now! I too give out awards. I applied for other awards, hopefully I'll get a response soon.

07-04-02- Happy 4th everyone!!! Okay, here is the latest:

Jennifer Aniston Opts to Fake It
(WENN)

FRIENDS beauty JENNIFER ANISTON has found a quick and healthy way to get herself a vibrant tan - she sprays it on.

The New York native, married to movie hunk BRAD PITT, often worries about the damaging effects of the sun, although she enjoys sporting the bronzed look that lounging in sunlight affords her.

So she was thrilled when a pal turned her on to a new way to get brown - being sprayed from head-to-toe with a mist of self-tanning solution.

According to American tabloid the GLOBE, the screen stunner now swears by the stuff and admits it beats spending long hours baking under hot rays.

06-26-02- Yay! School has finished, and I am now available more often to update this site. I have a new mistake posted and news on J. Aniston:

Jennifer Aniston Stars In She's The One On BravoTV

In 1987 Jennifer Aniston was not getting a million dollars an episode for Friends and she was not yet married to Brad Pitt but she was in a great film that came out that year.

She's The One was Edward Burns' follow-up to The Brothers McMullen and it tells the story of two Irish-American brothers -- one a cabbie, the other a Wall Street player -- who discover that the women in their lives are a lot stronger and smarter than they ever imagined. Burns co-stars with Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz and John Mahoney.

She's The One will be playing on BravoTV June 27 at 8 P.M. Eastern. Don't miss the movie and your chance to win!

06-21-02- They're the New Friends (...BUT Sexier)

NY Post

NBC is hoping a British import called "Coupling" will help viewers forget "Friends" when that series ends next May.

NBC has snagged the rights to the BBC 2 comedy, which is described as "a frank and funny account of love and lust among a group of thirtysomethings" - a description that most certainly applies to "Friends."

"NBC said Friends' was coming to an end and they saw Coupling' as Friends' with sex," Beryl Vertue, the show's executive producer, told The London Times. Vertue was also behind the BBCs' "Men Behaving Badly," which ran on NBC for two seasons.

But NBC, which has tapped Ben Silverman to re-cast the show with American actors, isn't saying that "Coupling" is a replacement for "Friends."

One insider says "that would be putting the cart before the horse," especially since the pilot hasn't even been shot yet.

"It's being eyed as a midseason series and we're very excited, especially since it's such a hit in Britain," said an NBC spokesman.

Silverman, an ex-William Morris VP, is responsible for bringing "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," "Weakest Link," "Dog Eat Dog" and "Queer as Folk" to America.

He told The London Times that "Coupling," "would be a perfect show for the fans of Friends.' It's kind of a next-generation sitcom. It is really honest and edgy."

And, just like "Friends," "Coupling" revolves around six pals who share each other's lives and loves. It stars Jack Davenport, Sarah Alexander, Richard Coyle, Kate Isitt, Ben Miles and Gina Bellman.

NBC announced earlier this year that "Friends" will end next May after nine seasons. NBC is ponying up $1 million-per-episode for each of the six "Friends" stars.

British imports have had checkered success in the U.S. "All in the Family" and "Sanford and Son" - based on British shows "Till Death Do Us Part" and "Steptoe and Son" - were extremely successful.

But other shows, such as a short-lived version of John Cleese's "Fawlty Towers" Called "Payne" - starring John Larroqutte - and the aforementioned "Men Behaving Badly" flopped over here.

06-15-02- Happy Birthday Courteney Cox Arquette!

On this day in 1964, 38 year old Courteney Cox was born to Richard Cox and Courteney Copeland in Birmingham, Alabama. The youngest of four, Courteney wanted to be an architect but decided modeling/acting was for her. She signed up with Ford Modeling Agency. She can currently be seen in the popular Friends and the Scream Trilogies. Recently, it was Courteney Cox Arquette's and David Arquette's 3 year anniversary since they were married on June 12th 2000.

Next "Friends" birthday: Matt LeBlanc - July 25th

06-09-02- I just wanted to let you know that I have finished creating the easy quiz. Now I have a total of three Friends quizzes (Hard, Medium, Easy). Take it if you can! You get an award for each quiz (certain rules apply).

Also, I am working on something that I found on a website for "Friends". The news should be up in a week or less.

06-08-02- Okay, make that updating the site once a week. LOL, there isn't much to update now the Friends is done with it's 8th season. We'll just have to wait until September for the good updates. But I do have some news:

Aniston Sues Publishers Over Topless Pics

(Infobeat)

JENNIFER ANISTON is to sue two magazine publishers after they published photos of her sunbathing topless.

The FRIENDS babe is angry that a paparazzi scaled a neighbor's wall to take shots of her in her backyard. She is also annoyed with the copy which accompanied the pics, which described them as "raunchy".

A Los Angeles federal judge has set a trial date for 2 July 2. MAN'S WORLD PUBLICATIONS and CRESCENT PUBLISHING GROUP will argue the photo, which appeared in several European magazines before finding a place in CELEBRITY SKIN and HIGH SOCIETY, was newsworthy.

05-24-02- I am sorry, again for the tardiness of my updates. From now on, I could only update this site maybe twice a week because I have too mnay exams to study for and the 8th season of Friends has finished. I have all of the scripts to every episodes that aired, and I have a lot of news:

(All article from InfoBeat)

Friends Star Schwimmer Injured in Bar Fight

FRIENDS star DAVID SCHWIMMER was rushed to hospital after a bar-room brawl left him needing stitches in a gashed forehead.

The actor was catching up with a friend at New York's THOMPSON HOTEL when he got caught in an argument between two women that left a shard of glass in his head.

Schwimmer's spokesman, INA TRECIOKAS, says, "A woman from across the bar flung a glass at another woman. They were apparently a little rowdy and drunk."

Though one source claims the glass-thrower attacked Schwimmer, Treciokas insists that he was an accidental casualty.

She says, "He doesn't know either of the women. He just happened to be in the bar," adding that she believes they were guests at a record-release party for the PET SHOP BOYS.

Paramedics came to the scene of the bloody melee, but Schwimmer's injury was serious enough that, around 1.30 am, he sought emergency-room treatment at LENOX HILL hospital.

Treciokas says, "They gave him a couple of stitches to be safe. They're above his hairline, so they're not visible. He's fine now. He was not really shaken up."

Schwimmer has now returned to his home in Los Angeles.

Aniston's Baby Bed a Top Draw

The hospital bed where FRIENDS character RACHEL GREEN gave birth is proving to be a huge attraction for the ladies of New York.

The city's ST VINCENT'S HOSPITAL has been inundated with hundreds of requests for the bed after Rachel, played by gorgeous JENNIFER ANISTON, had her long-awaited baby there in a hit episode of the long-running show.

A hospital spokesman reveals, "Most said they wanted to have their baby where Rachel had hers. They wanted to book her room."

The gullible fans are so desperate to emulate their heroine that they don't realize the crucial scene was really filmed in a Los Angeles sound stage!

'FRIENDS' Baby Boom

NY Post--A whopping 35 million people (an extreme 16.2 in Nielson Ratings) watched Rachel give birth to Baby Emma on "Friends" - the second-biggest audience in the show's history.

Thursday night's hour-long season finale featured the unmarried Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) finally delivering her baby girl, fathered by Ross (David Schwimmer).

It was one of TV's most talked-about births, joining Little Ricky's arrival on "I Love Lucy" in 1953 and "Murphy Brown" having her out-of-wedlock bundle of joy in 1992.

The "Friends" episode came wrapped with a farcical twist, when Rachel mistakenly thought that dim-bulb actor Joey (Matt LeBlanc) was proposing to her - and she accepted (the ring was actually from Ross).

Thursday's episode was the most-watched "Friends" episode since 1996 - when 53 million people watched a star-studded "very special" hour following the Super Bowl on NBC.

This week's episode drew 14.6 million more viewers in head-to-head competition with "Survivor 4" on CBS.

More important for NBC, more adults between the ages of 18 to 49 - the audience most coveted by advertisers - watched Thursday's episode than watched the Oscars this past March.

NBC has already announced that next season will be the last for "Friends," which debuted in 1994.

Each of the "Friends" stars - Aniston, LeBlanc, Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry and Lisa Kudrow - will be paid $1 million per episode next season.

05-09-02- I have 3 new scripts for the eighth season and a new mistake posted.

05-07-02- Friends Star Shows Off Her Design Skills

(WENN)

FRIENDS star COURTENEY COX ARQUETTE has been showing off her interior design skills for a new exhibition in Los Angeles.

The actress was invited to design a room for the House Beautiful Celebrity Show House in Brentwood by HOUSE BEAUTIFUL magazine editor and pal MARIAN McEVOY.

And the star, who plays fussy MONICA on Friends, jumped at the chance to show off her creative skills with the help of designer pal FREDERICK SUTHERLAND.

Cox Arquette's girls' bedroom is all white with dark wood floors and a white shag carpet.

05-04-02- Sorry I haven't updated in a week again. The problem is that I have a lot of state-wide tests during May-June and I must study for them and one of the affects is I can't update this site as much as I did before. But I did update the "Mistakes" section and I have news:

Review: Friends - The Complete 1st Season DVD

By Fred Topel

After a few �Best of� collections, Friends is finally getting the season-by-season treatment. That�s ideal because you�re sure to get every episode and be able to watch your favorites, not just what someone else chose as �the best.� And this set has some extra features to add to the experience of revisiting the beginning of one of the better �90s sitcoms.

The commentary is amazing. The show�s creators talk about everything � from behind-the-scenes dealings with the network and their aesthetics for the opening fountain sequence to how they had to research modern 20-somethings. The comments from each of the three creators are edited together to create a calculated flow of ideas and to eliminate any down time, and it works perfectly. Everyone gets fair time. It�s also nice that they point out some of the extended footage that was cut on initial airing. There�s no such guide on other episodes, but many are clearly longer than the standard 22 minutes. Only the pilot episode has the commentary, but they really cover everything.

The �Friends of Friends� feature is the DVD equivalent of a clip show. You can select all the celebrities from the list and see one of their scenes from the episode on which they appeared. Yeah, it�s a good way to glorify all the guests, but it�s essentially using old clips and calling it a new feature.

An interactive tour of Central Perk, the coffee shop from the show, lets you select items from the set and you get a text explaining its purpose, sometimes with audio clips from the producers explaining their history. That�s a brilliant extra making use of simple menus and audio clips, with tidbits for trivia buffs and also an aesthetic analysis of the importance of this set.

A trivia game lets you test your knowledge of the show. If you get the wrong answer, a clip of one of the Friends will tell you so. Guess right and you see the corresponding show clip. I guess that�s another clip feature too, but at least it gets you thinking. And it�s great that it doesn�t make you go back to the beginning when you get a wrong answer. You can just keep trying until you get it right.

Of course, my only big complaint is that none of the actors contributed anything to this DVD. Yes, they�re busy, but this show made all of their careers, so at least some brief interviews would have been nice. They could get them in between takes in a current taping reflecting on the growth of the show. But short of their participation, the producers of this DVD made some good extras to go along with a complete collection of episodes.

Genre: Comedy Length: 400 minutes MPAA Rating: NR Studio: Warner Bros. Director: Various Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer Rating: 7 out of 10

04-28-02- I have fixed all of the broken links in the pictures section. Now you can see as many pictures as I have, and thats a lot.

04-23-02- I have all the spoilers for the 8th season, and a lot of pictures included.

04-23-02- I am very sorry I haven't updated this site in a week but I have been pretty busy with my school's play "Grease" which was 2 nights in a row. But I haveso much news!!! On Matt LeBlanc, David Schimmer, Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt:

Matt LeBlanc's Porn Past Uncovered

I just found this out. Like his character Joey, Matt LeBlanc did porn movies before he was on the big screen.

(WENN)

Heart-throb FRIENDS actor MATT LEBLANC's steamy porn past is set to be broadcast across Europe.

Matt, 31, is now a major Hollywood hunk - and he's less than happy is that his raunchy performance in sexy soft-porn segment JUST LIKE THAT from infamous late night series THE RED SHOE DIARIES will be screened by PLAYBOY TV.

JEREMY YATES, deputy managing director of the channel in Britain, says, "Buying the rights to this film was a real coup for us. Matt is a massive star in Friends and we are expecting big audiences to see him with his kit off.

"Of course, it was made well before he was famous. He would want an absolute fortune to do scenes as scorching as these nowadays."

He adds, "It's a major reason for women subscribers to tune into Playboy TV. Friends fans have never seen him like this. They'll see much more of him than they have ever done before."

Matt stripped off only a year before getting his role as JOEY TRIBBIANI in the hit comedy.

Schwimmer Fights Against Rape

(InfoBeat)

Friends star DAVID SCHWIMMER has been promoted from being the face of Los Angeles' RAPE TREATMENT CENTRE - to director.

The TV hunk, who plays Ross Geller on the hit show, believes it's his job as a celebrity to draw attention to important causes.

The 35-year-old says, "To be perfectly honest, I feel I have a duty to use my celebrity status in a positive way. Most rape victims are women, so the bulk of the discussion is loaded towards women. I thought I could find a way to approach the subject of rape in such a way that men are going to respond to it."

Two of his former girlfriends are victims of the violent crime.

He says, "One was a child at the time, who was abused by a family friend. And then she was raped again when she was 16 in a date-rape situation." The Center started out offering crisis services for rape victims who came to the casualty department, and then branched out into providing counseling and therapy.

Schwimmer continues, "My most devastating moment was when a 13-year-old girl told me her story. At that moment, I realized just how important this center really is. Nothing else had ever made me connect with reality like that." He also gave support to COSMOPOLITAN magazine's campaign to make it illegal to possess or distribute the "rape drug" GHB.

He enthuses, "I think Cosmo's campaign is great, and that the possession and distribution of any of these "rape drugs" should be illegal."

Pitt Refuses to Watch Aniston Film Sex Scenes

(InfoBeat)

BRAD PITT has refused to watch his wife JENNIFER ANISTON shooting her new film's saucy sex scenes with a younger man.

The Hollywood hunk, who has enjoyed his own steamy scream romps, would not watch parts of THE GOOD GIRL being filmed - because he couldn't handle her intimacy with JAKE GYLLENHAAL, who is 17 years younger than Pitt.

A close friend of the OCEANS' 11 star tell Britain's DAILY STAR newspaper, "He just knew he couldn't handle it. The most he's ever had to put up with is seeing her kiss a few guys - these scenes are much more full-on."

And a movie insider says, "Brad was with Jennifer throughout - except when she filmed the sex scenes. Then he was nowhere to be seen. It was obviously an issue."

04-16-02- Perry Asked for an Ally Return

(WENN)--

ALLY McBEAL bosses are so impressed with FRIENDS star MATTHEW PERRY's guest appearance, they've invited him back for more.

Creator DAVID E KELLEY is determined to ensure the last few shows of the legal comedy's current season are hits, so he's piling up the guests - for what might be the program's last episodes.

HEATHER LOCKLEAR, VANESSA WILLIAMS and LARA FLYNN BOYLE are also set for cameos, while former stars LISA NICOLE CARSON and COURTNEY THORNE SMITH will return for the finale.

As for the future of the show, a spokesman for Ally McBeal says, "A decision has yet to be made."

04-13-02- Sorry, I only have a continued spoiler for the season finale. But hey, its still something! LOL.

04-10-02- I have posted a long (not as long as it seems) spoiler for the season finale. So for those of you who can't wait, check it out.

04-07-02- I have posted a lot of new pictures in the pictures section, and have also changed the layout for that section. I also got a new script for the latest episode which aired 4/4/2002 (TOW Joey's Interview). Interested?

04-06-02- I have updated the episode guide section. I have also a new script for episode 818, and 2 spoilers which one of them is long. I currently have all the titles of every episode of every season. So if you are interested, go there.

04-03-02- I have also updated the quizzes. I currently have a hard quiz and a medium quiz which you can win an award for. Check it out.

04-03-02- Matthew Perry Steps Out with New Girl

FRIENDS actor MATTHEW PERRY has a gorgeous new girlfriend - and she stars in a rival show.

The Hollywood hunk has been hitting the Tinseltown scene with primetime rival LAUREN GRAHAM, who plays LORELAI, the sexy single mother of a teenage daughter on hit American sitcom GILMORE GIRLS.

A longtime pal of Perry tells American tabloid the STAR, "Matthew and Lauren have been friends for years, and true love just recently blossomed."

Perry and Graham first met in 1995 when they both guest-starred on the sitcom CAROLINE IN THE CITY. But, sources say, the romance was jump-started by an investigation into whether Perry's ex-lover ANDI O'REILLY had anything to do with a daring daytime burglary of $500,000 in gold and jewelry - which prompted him to dump her.

The pal continues, "Soon after, he realized that this gorgeous creature was someone he wanted to be more than friends with."

The pair have since been seen out at the SAG AWARDS on March 10 and the Hollywood premiere of JODIE FOSTER's thriller THE PANIC ROOM just days later.

The friend adds, "This time Matthew lucked out and found a really great gal."

04-02-02- Hey all. Today I went to 90 Grove St. and Bedford St. Name ring a bell? Well that is the outside apartment building of Monica's, Chandler's, and Joey's apt.! You know there is that blue hooded red wooden restaurant on the street level of the building right? Well I noticed that not many people eat there. You should! It is actually called "Chez Michallet" and is ZAGAT Surveyed. LOL. Pictures will be available soon. Also, remember to watch the special two-hour episode on Ally McBeal (FOX Television) guest-starring Matthew Perry and Chrisina Ricci. It airs Monday, April 15th (8 or 9 pm). I also have fixed a broken link in the "pictures" section and added a few more facts/mistakes.

03-31-02- Sorry I haven't updated this site with news in 5 days. I have been pretty busy with school and the Holidays. But I do have something from Infobeat

Aniston Top-Selling Magazine Face

JENNIFER ANISTON has topped a poll of best-selling celebrities pictured on American magazines.

The FRIENDS star's face helped sell more magazines than anyone else in the final months of 2001.

She appeared on the front of LADIES HOME JOURNAL with husband BRAD PITT as well as ELLE and REDBOOK on her own.

American publication MEDIA INDUSTRY NEWSLETTER carried out the poll.

Other popular publications included MADONNA fronting AMERICAN PHOTO, REESE WITHERSPOON on the cover of COSMOGIRL! and JULIA ROBERTS on GOOD HOUSEKEEPING.

MARIAH CAREY proved to be the least popular celebrity when she appeared on the cover of ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST

03-26-02- In the section "Downloads" you will find that I have posted Friends ringtones for your cell phones! Check it out. Also,

Friends STARS Told to Leave Their Hair Alone

(WENN)

FRIENDS stars JENNIFER ANISTON and COURTENEY COX ARQUETTE's dreams of drastically changing their hairstyles for the sitcom's final series have been dashed by producers.

Cox Arquette wanted to dye her dark hair red for the final season, while Aniston was hoping to shock with a short, spikey look.

Producers explained the two actresses would risk their hefty pay hikes if they meddled with their looks, and the two decided their new images can wait.

03-25-02- I have a new episode synopsis in the spoilers section, and the airdate of the 1-hour season finale episode.

03-24-02- A little more on Matt LeBlanc (Infobeat):

Will Joey Score His Own Show?

NY Post--FRIENDS" may end at the end of next season - but Matt LeBlanc's dimwitted actor, Joey Tribbiani, may not.

According to published reports, "secret plans" are in the works to give Joey his own show the season after "Friends" goes off the air - much like "Frasier" was spun off from "Cheers."

The idea under discussion is to have Joey move to L.A. after he gets the part of a rich playboy in a "Dynasty"-type show, The Mirror, a London newspaper, reported yesterday.

When the show gets cancelled after one episode, Joey is stranded in California, it said.

One insider told the paper that Joey will "definitely be less dumb" in the new show.

"Friends," one of the most successful sitcoms in TV history, is ending its nine-season run in May 2003.

NBC agreed earlier this year to pay each cast member more than $1 million an episode in order to keep the series on the air for one more season.

When "Friends" is finished, it will leave a gaping hole in the network's lineup - and the idea of a spinoff show built around one of the established "Friends" characters would be a natural.

As long as LeBlanc would be willing to continue playing the same character, it would not be difficult to produce.

Kelsey Grammer, who moved seamlessly from the hit show "Cheers" to "Frasier" nine years ago, has become the highest-paid actor on TV.

An NBC spokeswoman said "there are no discussions whatsoever."

03-22-02- Friends' Joey Set for Frasier-Style Spin-Off Show

MATT LeBLANC
FRIENDS favourite JOEY TRIBBIANI is set to become a permanent fixture on TV screens - if plans for a FRASIER-style spin-off series are approved.

The lovable bungling lothario, played by heart-throb MATT LeBLANC, will be "definitely less dumb" and will be living in Los Angeles, continuing to try and make it as an actor.

LeBlanc, 34, is said to be extremely excited about the project, if it should come together when Friends finishes later this year.

According to Britain's THE MIRROR newspaper, a source says, "He gets a job in a DYNASTY series as the playboy son but it's cancelled after the first episode."

The decision could spark outrage amongst the other Friends actors - COURTENEY COX, LISA KUDROW, JENNIFER ANISTON, DAVID SCHWIMMER and MATTHEW PERRY - none of whom have exactly set the screen alight with their film roles.

03-21-02- I won another award for the month of March! I have a lot of spoilers in the section, and I recently posted an episode synopsis in the 19th episode of this season. I also have some news from infobeat:

Fox Swings AT 'FRIENDS'

ONCE was just not enough and this time "Celebrity Boxing" is gunning for "Friends."

Fox will air an encore presentation of the campy boxing special, which pitted washed-up TV stars and tabloid trash against each other in the ring, this Thursday at 8 p.m.

The ultra-competitive time slot will pit the second-run boxing special up against a repeat of "Friends," the highest rated show on television.

The all-star slug-fest - which pitted ''Partridge Family" buffoon Danny Bonaduce against "Brady Bunch" dud Barry Williams, "Diff'rent Strokes" star Todd Bridges against Vanilla Ice and scandal-ridden skate-queen Tonya Harding against Clinton sexgate siren Paula Jones - was seen by about 15.5 million viewers last Wednesday.

Wednesday night's boxing special was headlined by Harding's defeat of Paula Jones and its ratings were so good, they even beat a repeat episode of "West Wing."

Fox sources say plans are already underway for a new "Celebrity Boxing" special that could air as early as May. Grade Z-level media personalities like "Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire" bride Darva Conger and Long Island's own Joey Buttofuoco are already pushing to be part of the next edition.

03-19-02- I have posted a few more interviews on the interviews section, you might want to read up on those if interested. I have a lot, so don't feel bad if you don't read them all, LOL.

03-18-02- Have you seen the spoilers section this week? I have a lot of upcoming episode titles, and few synopsis on them. Speaking of spoilers, I posted something on Saturday about the title of 822, it was changed from TOW JOEY PAYS BACK CHANDLER to TOW WHERE RACHEL IS LATE. By the way, does anyone now when the next awards show will be that Friends would be nominated for? Could it be the Emmy's or Oscars? Please e-mail me at: [email protected].

03-16-02- EMMY WINNER RENA SOFER GUEST-STARS AS WIDE-EYED SALESGIRL WHO ANGERS RACHEL BY FLIRTING WITH ROSS IN NBC�S �FRIENDS�

BURBANK, Calif. -- March 13, 2002 -- Emmy Award winner Rena Sofer (�General Hospital,� �Melrose Place�) will guest-star as an adoring salesgirl at a baby-supply store who is openly enamored with Ross (David Schwimmer) - which angers a huffy Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) when the pair shops for their anticipated baby on NBC�s hit �Friends� (Thursdays, 8-8:30 p.m. ET).

The episode - �The One with the Cooking Class� - will be broadcast in May.

During the last two seasons, Sofer guest-starred in several episodes of NBC�s �Ed� as an attorney and romantic interest for the series� title character. In 1995, she won her Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and a Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Younger Actress for her work as Lois Cerullo Ashton on �General Hospital.�

A few years later, Sofer moved to primetime series as a regular (1998-99) in �Melrose Place,� �Oh Grow Up� and �The Opposite Sex.� Her TV movies include �Nightmare Street,� �Hostile Advances: The Kerry Ellison Story� and �The Stepsister.� She also guest-starred in �Seinfeld,� �Ellen� and �Caroline in the City.� Among her feature films are �Keeping the Faith� and �Traffic.�

The top-rated comedy series also recently announced that film star Alec Baldwin will guest-star in a separate episode on Thursday, March 28 (8-8:30 p.m. ET).

�Friends� was created by the writing team of Marta Kauffman & David Crane. Emmy and CableACE Award-winning producer Kevin S. Bright is executive producer with Kauffman and Crane. Scott Silveri, Shana Goldberg-Meehan, Andrew Reich and Ted Cohen also serve as executive producers. �Friends� is a Bright/Kauffman/Crane Production in association with Warner Bros. Television.

-NBC Media Village

03-15-02- Great news for me! I have won 2 awards for my site, A gold award for, "Best Friends Site", and another gold award for, "Best Beginner's Site". Thank you all for voting! I also have 3 new spoilers!!!

03-14-02- I have updated the site onse again. I have an updated spoiler (episode title change and description), and I also have interviews on Matt LeBlanc and Courteney Cox Arquette.

03-11-02- Hi all. I'm sad. Jennifer Aniston did not win the ScreenActorsGuild Award (Actor) for Outstanding Female Actor in a Comedy Series, Megan Mullally who plays Karen on Will & Grace won. Also, Friends did not win Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble of a Comedy Series, the cast of Sex and the City did (it's porn!!!). LOL. I actually saw Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and Matthew Perry, but they did not show the others. Jennifer Aniston was defenitly not there, because when she was nominated they showed her picture, not her live appearance.

03-10-02- I posted a new script for the latest episode of "Friends" and updated the linkage and interviews sections. And now, I have a lot of interviews posted on there. Except, I don't have any for Matt LeBlanc or Courteney Cox Arquette, so if you know where I can find it, please e-mail me. I also put up my quiz page. So far I have a hard quiz only which you could win an award for. Check it out.

03-09-02- Sorry, I don't have much but a new spoiler. Check it out in the "Spoilers" section. By the way, do you have a site? Well, you can win a Friends award for it! Go to "Awards". This is also important: I am deleting everything that I posted before February, so if you found those news posts interesting save them into your pc, because it will be gone in about 1 week.

03-07-02- Congratulations to the "Friends" cast on their Screen Actors Guild Award nominations!

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series:
FRIENDS (NBC) Jennifer Aniston (Rachel Green), Courteney Cox Arquette (Monica Geller Bing), Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe Buffay), Matt LeBlanc (Joey Tribbiani), Matthew Perry (Chandler Bing), David Schwimmer (Ross Geller)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series:
JENNIFER ANISTON (FRIENDS, Rachel Green)

Tune in for the awards show March 10th on TNT (8:00 p.m. ET/PT). For more info, please go to: http://www.tnt.tv/SAG

03-06-02- Fergie Set for Friends Role?

World Entertainment News Network--FRIENDS bosses want British royal SARAH FERGUSON to romance dopey JOEY TRIBBIANI in one of the final episodes of the hit sitcom.

According to British newspaper THE DAILY STAR, Fergie has been asked to play a member of a European royal family who falls for MATT LeBLANC's womanizing character.

A source says, "The two of them just seem made for each other. They've so much in common.

"Fergie is thinking the offer over. She's a big fan of Friends and they're hoping she'll agree to appear. She's not a trained actress, but the producers really just want her to play herself. We're sure she could manage that."

The cast of the long-running American show - LeBlanc, MATTHEW PERRY, JENNIFER ANISTON, COURTENEY COX ARQUETTE, LISA KUDROW and DAVID SCHWIMMER - will received a bumper pay packet for the final series.

03-04-02- You know, I was browsing through Friends websites today and I come across a website which is pretty interesting. It was about the executive producers of "Friends" who are Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane. They have the most information than any other site that I know of. In addition, I have a new interview from that site on the producers, and also have a script for the 16th episode of Friends from the 8th season (last week's). You can find those at their section. If you want to check out the Friends producers site, click on the banner below:

"Mathew Perry on Ally McBeal"

Written by Bill Brioux
Toronto Sun

As if Matthew Perry didn't have enough money. The Friends star, who'll make a cool million a week next season along with his comedy co-stars, will guest star in April for two episodes on Ally McBeal.

Variety reports that Perry will play "a cocky, successful and opinionated attorney who wreaks havoc on Ally's personal and professional lives."

Perry's McBeal stint will coincide with Christina Ricci's star turn. The recent parade of stars, including Jon Bon Jovi, hasn't fooled anybody. McBeal is McFourth in its timeslot, which is horrible!

02-13-02- Ok people I have posted 1 more mistake in the section, scripts for episode's 814, and 815, also spoilers for the next two episodes. I am currently getting interviews on the "Friends". Check back soon.

Jennifer Aniston turned 33 years old today. she was born on February 11th, 1969. A few interesting facts about her is that her father, John Aniston plays Victor on Days of Our Lives. Her g-dfather was also actor Telly Savalas. And her real name is Jennifer Anistakis.
The next "Friend's" birthday is on June 15th. And thats Courtney Cox Arquette.

NEGOTIATIONS to keep the cast of "Friends" together for another season could turn into a $150-million cliffhanger.

The Post has learned that all six cast members want to return for a ninth season - but only if they each receive offers starting at as much as $1.25 million a show. This would make it the most expensive sitcom in television history.

Sources say the entire "Friends" cast is hanging tough and together, including Jennifer Aniston. Because of her marriage to Brad Pitt as well as recent award nominations and film career resurgence, she was thought to be the gang's weakest link. But insiders say Aniston would like to keeping working on the sitcom.

Also complicating talks is the fact that "Friends," always a Top Five show in the ratings, is back in firm possession of the No. 1 slot.

Meanwhile, the show has passed a major milestone: it looks to be the No. 1 television show in history financially, surpassing even "Seinfeld."

The only issue now is how much Warner Bros. TV and NBC are willing to raise the cast's current salaries of $750,000 each for the 24-episode series.

Not long after the start of the series eight years ago, the "Friends" cast seemed to have brilliant film careers ahead of them. But since then almost all their movies bombed at the box office, and sometimes their performances with the critics. Last month, however, Aniston's lead performance in "A Good Girl," a small independent film that debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, was warmly received.

Meanwhile, NBC entertainment president Jeff Zucker has openly declared that re-signing the "Friends" cast is his top priority.

Warner Bros. pays the actors, but also receives a license fee from NBC to defray the cost of producing the show. In the past when bargaining went down to the wire for shows like "Frasier" and "ER," the network felt intense pressure to close negotiations by May when the next fall schedule is announced to advertisers. That's how "Frasier" star Kelsey Grammar negotiated a cool $1.6 million an episode.

But a source says the "Friends" cast is prepared to go all the way to the day before production starts this summer to strike the best deal. That could mean the return of "Friends" may still be in doubt by the time of the upfront presentations. Still, the insider noted, "I'm confident everything will all work out."

Sometimes the studios and networks have to resort to innovative proposals. In April 1997, NBC and Paramount agreed on a three-year renewal of "Frasier" for $200 million in return for NBC's right to three reruns a season, not the usual two.

Warner's Bros. sweetened "ER" resignings by offering key actors certain film commitments in addition to cash. In the case of Julianna Margulies, Warner Bros. thought it was breaking new ground by offering her the same money as Eriq LaSalle and Noah Wylie.

According to insiders, the last proposal from the studio was $20 million in salary, plus another $7 million in movie commitments she could do during the hiatus. But Margulies walked away from the deal.

To keep the "Seinfeld" cast, NBC officials tried the novel approach of offering stock in parent company General Electric. At one point in the talks, the "Seinfeld" cast called their broker to find out the stock's worth: even though the price was $1.5 million, over the next 10 years it might be worth $15 million, the broker said.

"We want the money now," the cast reportedly replied.

A source says the "Friends" gang, too, is only interested in up front cash.

-Infobeat

02-06-02- Okay, I also have a few new pictures that werent posted on the picture section click here if you want to see them. They are old though, but weren't on this site yet.

02-01-02- I also have a pretty long spoiler for episode 816. It was posted by a person who saw a taping. Check it out in the spoilers section.

02-01-02- "LeBlanc on Joey: Sweet or sexy, but not dumb"
By Robert Bianco, USA TODAY

One of America's best Friends is falling in love with a friend of his own. Tonight on NBC's and TV's top-rated comedy, Friends (8 ET/PT), Joey finally acknowledges he has feelings for Rachel. That's a big step for him, and for Matt LeBlanc, the actor who has played Joey for the past eight years. Sexually charged and yet somehow still blissfully innocent, Joey has served as the comic relief from the show's weightier romantic story lines.

With rare exception, LeBlanc says, he has been the team's "fullback" � "this guy who comes in with the giant joke, and is very light and doesn't really have heavier dramatic moments in the show. The dramatic stuff is more Monica/Chandler, Rachel/Ross. That's been really fun. This is just different."

Different may be an understatement. "I think this is life-altering for Joey," says the show's co-creator and executive producer, Marta Kauffman. "Joey didn't know what he wanted. It turns out he's not as shallow as he thought he was."

Kauffman hopes the story also will change the way some people think about LeBlanc, who she believes doesn't get his just due, perhaps because his comic style seems so effortless. "I think he's the most underrated actor of the six of them. I absolutely adore him. He's fun, and he's perceptive, and he's smart."

Sitting in his rose-colored, candle-lit dressing room on the first day back from his Christmas break, the 34-year-old actor seems slightly embarrassed by the praise, and by the interview. "I'm a little uncomfortable being singled out. I'm just part of an ensemble."

Well, yes, but he's a crucial component of that ensemble. LeBlanc has created a uniquely likable character, a womanizer whose sexual narcissism is outweighed by his generosity of spirit, his joy for life and his complete devotion to his friends. In the wake of the show's success, many sitcoms added Joey clones to their casts, but without the sweet spin LeBlanc puts on the character. What they got were annoyingly stupid stud puppets.

Yet LeBlanc hesitates to admit even the most obvious point: It has been a very good season for Joey. "Yeah, I guess. Look, I think they've all been good seasons for Joey. I feel fortunate to be a part of something that is so great and well received and well written. I enjoy it here."

So do some 26 million people a week, as Friends enjoys a creative and ratings resurgence that is as rare as it is unexpected. After the painful events of Sept. 11, many experts in the TV industry thought a fantasy sitcom set in New York would no longer sit well with viewers. Instead, the show is drawing its biggest audience since 1996.

LeBlanc has heard the theory that familiar favorites such as Friends are serving as a source of comfort in a time of need, but like most of us, he has no idea whether there's any truth to the notion.

An only child who grew up in Newton, Mass., LeBlanc got his start in New York as a model. On the back wall of his dressing room, he has a picture of the Lower Manhattan skyline, with the World Trade Center in the foreground. "I'll keep that there. If anything, it means more now."

Of course, the show wouldn't be much comfort if it weren't also funny. LeBlanc thinks the writing has been particularly strong this year, and he believes the series has benefited from Rachel's pregnancy, which has steered the show back to its original Ross/Rachel focus.

Like all the actors, LeBlanc says he's proud of the work he has done on Friends, and he's very protective of his character. That's one reason he's worried about Joey's attraction to Rachel � he always has thought of Rachel as a sister. When he heard about the story, his first thought was that it was incestuous.

He's right to be concerned. Any time a show tampers with the relationships among its characters, it risks fan revolt. Viewers may see the plot twist as contrived or even lazy: First Chandler hooks up with Monica; now Joey pursues Rachel. What's more, the story alters the chemistry the show has worked so hard to establish, and if fans don't buy it, getting out of the story will be harder than going in.

Friends' continued success is of considerable financial interest to its producing studio, so Warner Bros. Television president Peter Roth says he was "a little concerned" when the Joey/Rachel story idea was broached. But after he read the script and saw how tastefully the story was handled in last week's episode, his worries went away.

"In lesser hands, it might be of some concern," Roth says. "But in the hands of these writers, and in the hands of two such wonderful actors, we have no worries."

LeBlanc insists he doesn't know where the story is headed and doesn't want to know, because he doesn't want to be disappointed. Kauffman isn't revealing anything either, but she does say Joey won't have it easy.

If women want to hug and console him, Kauffman says, most of the credit goes to LeBlanc for bringing a sweetness to the role she hadn't envisioned. LeBlanc prefers to share the credit, but he does say he lobbied for a change in Joey's original libido level. "In the pilot, Joey tried to sleep with all the girls on the show. I said, if this Joey guy can't have a platonic relationship with at least these three women on the show, then why would they be friends with him? I don't buy that they would like this guy or want to have this guy in their home, if he's constantly hitting on them." One thing that hasn't changed is Joey's startling inability to grasp the obvious. Indeed, some of the show's funniest moments have come from LeBlanc's delayed reactions to the world around him. (It can be as complex as Joey's refusal to see that Chandler was falling for one of his girlfriends or as simple as the just-a-beat-late flash of recognition he gave when he was the last to figure out the father of Rachel's baby.) But whatever you do, don't call Joey dumb.

"I don't think he's dumb," LeBlanc insists. "I think he's wrong. He's absolutely sure he's right. The only problem is, he's not. There have been episodes where I wonder, 'Wow, how did he get his shoes tied this morning?' But I guess that's the license you have in television."

The downside of Joey's appeal and LeBlanc's skill is that people tend to confuse the two. Not only do they think he's Joey, they also think he's one of their friends. When LeBlanc has been out in public with his Lost in Space buddy Gary Oldman, people have been wary of Oldman because he has played so many villains, but they walk right up to LeBlanc and slap him on the back � because he's Joey. "That's one of the things that happens on TV. You just learn to accept it. I can think of worse things."

Despite the vagaries of fame, LeBlanc says life is pretty good. He's engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Melissa McKnight, though no wedding date has been set. It's no secret LeBlanc's film career has not gone as well as his TV work. People use Ed (his movie with an ape) as a synonym for the cast's general inability to translate their appeal to the big screen. Still, he has enjoyed making his films; he liked Lost in Space and had a good time making Eddie Izzard's soon-to-be-released All the Queen's Men. But he's content to rest his reputation (and his financial future) on Friends. "Friends is the kind of thing you hope for; it's the one-in-a-million shot. Am I ever going to be involved with a project as big as this again? Odds are, no. ... Do I need to be in blockbuster after blockbuster after blockbuster? No, I don't need that."

Obviously, no conversation with LeBlanc is complete without two inevitable questions. The first one he has heard for eight years: Do the cast members really get along? The answer, he says, is yes. "I love those other five people. In the beginning, it was a conscious effort on all of our parts to get along. In doing that, we really took a good look at each other and realized we really liked each other."

The newer question is whether the actors are returning for another season. "I honestly don't know," LeBlanc says. "And I'm not going to guess in a national newspaper. "I come from a very blue-collar background. (His father was a marine diesel mechanic, his mother worked in a factory, and he started out as a carpenter.) I'm not carrying anything heavy. I'm not working in the rain. It's a cake walk."