Given 'Friends' enduring popularity even with the new generation, it's quite hard to believe that the NBC ensemble comedy show actually began airing almost 25 years ago. In celebration of this milestone, both loyal and brand news fans of the iconic show are going to be treated with a chance to see and visit some of the most memorable spaces that appeared on the show.
NYC Pop-up Experience
Included in the pop-up is a replica of Monica Geller's apartment, which was actually one of the most used sets on the show.
This coming September, a 'Friends'-themed interactive pop-up will be open for viewing in New York City. According to a Warner Bros. press release, the installation will include interactive spaces that appeared on the show such as Central Perk, the coffee shop the gang often hangs out in, and walk-through replicas of some of the character's apartments.
The Central Park fountain, which features prominently in the show's opening credits, will also be ready for visitors to take pictures with.
The installation's goal is to 'bring the 'Friends' experience to life' for fans by paying homage to all the best parts of the show from the loveable cast to the many quotable moments to the iconic sets, according to Peter van Roden, a senior vice president at the American entertainment company.
What to Expect
A screenshot of the pop-up installation's layout as posted by the show's co-creator, Jeffrey Klarik, on Twitter
The pop-up will be open to the public from September 7 to October 6 coinciding with the anniversary of the airing of the first 'Friends' episode on September 22, 1994. Fans can already buy tickets, which costs $29.50 a pop, beginning August 2. However, it's worth noting that that the pop-up's organizers have limited ticket-buying to four tickets per transaction. It will be held in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood.
As can be seen from the installation's layout (pictured above), the 'Friends' experience begins with a replica of the Central Park fountain. Following that are the replicas of the apartments that the six main characters lived in throughout the show's original 10-year run. The last stop is a recreation of the famous Central Perk coffee shop. A gift shop will also be open towards the end of the installation.
Friends-Themed
The couch at Primark's Central Perk cafe
Understandably, not all 'Friends' fans will get the chance to see this 25th-anniversary pop-up. Fortunately, they can still celebrate the momentous occasion in other ways. For one, they can enjoy and use the 2,300 GIF's made from the show's 10 seasons. The project was made in a partnership with Warner Bros. and the GIF database, Giphy. What more, the upscale furnishing store, Pottery Barn, has also released a Friends-inspired line late last July.
And for 'Friends' fans living in the United Kingdom, the retail company Primark has just opened their own version of the Central Perk cafe in the Primark Manchester store last June. The coffee shop reportedly serves a variety of New York-themed food and drinks.
