Friends: television note

I've been at it again: television bulimia. This time it's Friends, on for two consecutive episodes at dinnertime; in re-run, of course. I knew it was there when it was the alleged hot show to watch years ago but somehow never zapped it. (This is the great fallacy about how myriad-channel choice segments the audience. I don't know anyone who can actually read one of those church-book sized weekly television programs. I turn on, I zap, I watch. 17 is the weather. Don't ask me to do anything more complicated).

Great acting, everybody is absolutely in character at all times. As for the writing, now that there is a strike on...

There is of course a heavy dose of fantasy fulfillment which is terrifically addictive. The sexes sleep around but continue to respect each other: those guys will actually hold poker evenings with the girls or bundle off for a week-end in Vegas on a whim (which, from New York, is actually a fair distance). The girls, for their part, are financially independent, will land an executive position at Ralph Laureen for the asking, and cook a fantastic dinner in a spotless apartment. Cleanliness is in their genes.

The true tour-de-force, though, is in the portrayal of New York city. Central Perk coffee shop is marvellous the way Disney's portrayal of Neverland is magical. The physical presence of the girls is pure Valley Girl: that hair doesn't move, the hips are reed-thin from years of egg-white omelets,everybody has a near-tan; where are the rats, where is the cold and the damp, where is New York? Life is just not like that on this side if the Jet-Stream.

Fantastic sums of money are at play with such shows. The concept is priceless; once it is well-defined, the episodes grind out like pancakes, the actors radiate joie-de-vivre and who wouldn't at those salaries. The handsome guy is waiting in the wings to marry the fat girl,once she looks like that. " Why don't you try advertising, darling?"

I've still got a lot to beef about. Like that show at eight o'clock where everyone wears Armani to the morgue.

Later!