“Friends ”Creators Reveal Questionnaire Network Gave Audience About Monica Sleeping with Someone on a First Date

In a retrospective interview for the U.Okay. outlet , the creators of the hit ’90s sitcom, and , revealed that they needed to arise for ‘s character in opposition to an NBC government earlier than the pilot episode even aired.

In “The Pilot,” chef Monica sleeps with a co-worker whom the group calls “Paul the wine man” (John Allen Nelson) on their first date after he shares that he hasn’t had intercourse with anybody since his final breakup, which was two years prior.

Whereas recapping the occasions of the date with one other co-worker, Monica discovers that Paul’s story was a mislead get her into mattress.

Crane, 67, recalled to The Occasions: “The man who was in cost [an NBC executive] stated: ‘We’re not going to love Monica as a result of [in the pilot] she sleeps with a man on the primary date.’ We made the argument that it makes her sympathetic.”

Associated:

Unnamed executives at NBC disagreed so adamantly that Crane stated they went to nice lengths to show the co-creators unsuitable.

“In making an attempt to show that the viewers wouldn’t like Monica if she sleeps with a man on the primary date, [the network] distributed somewhat questionnaire to the viewers at our costume rehearsal,” Crane continued.

“And it was so skewed. The query was like, ‘When Monica sleeps with a man on her first date, is she a) a slut or b) a harlot?’ ” The costume rehearsal viewers selected “not one of the above,” though it wasn’t an possibility.

Associated:

“And other people wrote in saying, ‘No, it’s high-quality,’ ” Crane concluded on the topic.

By no means miss a narrative — join to remain up-to-date on the most effective of what PEOPLE has to supply​​, from superstar information to forcing human curiosity tales.

The TV producers additionally informed TheOccasions that followers of the present — notably in London — additionally impacted a later storyline — the wedding between Monica and Chandler Bing (performed by the late ).

“We thought it could be a one-night stand. However they acquired such a robust response from the viewers in London that it truly altered the place we had been going with the storyline,” Kauffman, 67, stated.

“The cliché is that British individuals are extremely reserved, however they had been so welcoming [of the couple],” Crane added.

For extra Folks information, be certain to

Learn the unique article on .