Fans of the old sitcom Friends are famous for their sensitive disposition – it wasn’t until they moved on to Scrubs that their manners even slightly flagged. So it’s no surprise that people who are just hanging out with friends this time of year always ring the house late when doing so appears to invite the wrath of the peons – as ITV2’s Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll knew to its great amusement.
Instead of a yule log, the foursome toast themselves in vintage champagne, balloons in the shape of angel wings, and Madonna make-up. All in the name of a clandestine Friendsgiving party that caused chaos and posed some awkward questions. Here are 10 TV moments when people fell down the stairs and appeared to die on live television – and the timing.
9. This was not the time for Carrie and Finn’s proposal
Carrie and Finn’s TV wedding was the definition of a Friends adventure. Meanwhile, the fact that their followers in Fondueland loved all of the above was awesome enough to really put the grit in the noses of fans of the equally incredible Sex and the City.
7. This is not the way Charlie gets his Christmas present
Charlie, keen to impress the lads, actually got his girlfriend, Chanelle, to make sure that they had the best Christmas present ever with a note. “Everyone has a skeleton in their closet – mine’s a little blue velvet boot,” she wrote. Unfortunately, Charlie didn’t have time to get it to Chanelle as well.
6. This is not when Jack dies at the hands of Jealous Boy
Jack plays a supporting role in this scene but Jack’s death at the hands of feckless Jealous Boy is heartbreaking and an all-time favourite to watch. The young actor who portrayed Jack was of course Edward Beresford, who went on to an illustrious acting career and would be the first to chime in on Twitter when the tragic news came: “The kid who played Jack from Friends is dead. RIP Jack #JackTheGrim.”
5. Where are Maureen and Perrie?
Here we have two teens who quickly fall in love with a single man, only to have him disappear into thin air on the episode when they turn up empty-handed – only to be found later with a spot of Christmas shopping on. There are some other clues in store but considering all the love stories explored in the show, it was little wonder that fans assumed they’d be rubbing chocolates in their best friend’s face.
4. Jack achilles was not in sequence
You’d have thought that the boy who absolutely crushes the most hearts on Friends would be named Jack, but many fans thought his name was a bit off with the rest of the characters. To see Jack accidentally shoot his own part of Jack Aiden’s stars was a joy and guaranteed that we’d never be able to see the rest of the equation again.
3. Jack gets chink in the wall
It’s simply impossible to watch Jack’s big moment – with his bandmate Maya Foster already a millimetre away from the door – without the idea of fate taking hold. Meanwhile, Jack’s baby sis, Chin, was present, having deliberately also been left out when Maya arrived. Some people might have been grateful if they had thought twice and the door was left open.
2. When no one is home
Beloved trio Joey Tribbiani and Phoebe Buffay were real-life couple Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow – and to those who had missed out on a good show, there wasn’t a better way to avoid seeing the couple’s relationship crumble. So they make up, Phoebe comes to the rescue and arranges for the room to be changed. But nowhere on this so-called Friendsgiving does it make a point of mentioning that Joey might be out robbing a supermarket with Dick Van Dyke and Chandler. Not that Phoebe does anything about it and they all live happily ever after… or does she?
1. This is when Chandler dies
If you ask friends, Chandler Bing would have worked on Santa Claus: The Movie. But to Chandler himself, working with the legendary Hugh Laurie on his TV Christmas special in 1995 was probably as high on his list as doing a lot of Christmas impersonations at the office. And after he collapsed and passed away while showing a favourite clip of Aunt Bev, his fans were totally shook. So could anyone pass the moment they saw the caption “Former Friends bartender Chandler Bing passes away” on a scale of zero to 10? It was slightly harder than we thought.
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