The One After the Superbowl, Part One
Encyclopedia
"The One After the Superbowl" is a double-length episode of the American television sitcom Friends
' second season. It originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) in the United States on January 28, 1996, immediately after NBC's telecast of Super Bowl XXX
. The network's decision to air the episode directly after the Super Bowl was made in hopes of making it the "highest-grossing ad-revenue day in television history." Guest stars in the episode are Brooke Shields
, Chris Isaak
, Julia Roberts
, Jean-Claude Van Damme
, Fred Willard
, and Dan Castellaneta
. They were cast to draw more viewers and further increase the advertising revenue.
The main plot of the episode sees Ross
(David Schwimmer
) searching for his former pet monkey, Marcel, and discovering that he is working on a film set in New York
. The first part of the episode was written by Mike Sokowitz and Jeffrey Astrof and the second by Michael Borkow. Both parts were directed by Michael Lembeck
. The episode drew 52.9 million viewers, making it the most-watched episode in the show's history. Since airing, "The One After the Superbowl" has received mixed reviews from television critics.
decides to pay a visit to his old pet at the San Diego Zoo
during his business trip to California. When Ross cannot find the monkey, the zoo administrator (Fred Willard
) tells him that Marcel has died. However, a janitor (Dan Castelanetta) later informs Ross that Marcel was kidnapped and forced into show business and is currently filming a movie in New York. Meanwhile, Joey
(Matt LeBlanc
) has to contend with a stalker (Brooke Shields
) who thinks that Joey is actually Dr. Drake Ramoray, the character he plays on Days of Our Lives
. Despite this, Joey goes on a date with her. She dumps him when she suspects "Drake" is cheating on her with another woman (actually another character in the soap opera). Phoebe
(Lisa Kudrow
) dates a man (Chris Isaak
) who hired her to perform at a children's concert.
Ross, hoping for a reunion with Marcel, looks for him on the movie set. Joey meanwhile, sucks up to the production assistant to land a part in the movie. While on set, Chandler
(Matthew Perry
) meets his old childhood friend Susie "Underpants" Moss (Julia Roberts
) working on the production, with whom he has a colored history; when they were in elementary school
, Chandler pulled up Susie's skirt when she was on stage, revealing her underwear to the entire school. They arrange a date, Chandler unsuspecting that it is a plot to get revenge. After convincing him to wear her panties
, Susie leaves him wearing nothing but the panties in a bathroom stall in the restaurant they were having dinner in. Meanwhile, Monica
(Courteney Cox
) and Rachel
(Jennifer Aniston
) meet the movie's star Jean-Claude Van Damme
, and compete for his attention. This creates tension between them, as they both argue over who should get to date him. They both dump him when he tries to convince them to have a threesome
with Drew Barrymore
. Ross finally reunites with Marcel and Joey lands a small role in the movie, but loses his solitary line after overacting
.
The first part of "The One After the Superbowl" was written by Mike Sikowitz and Jeffrey Astrof, and the second part by Michael Borkow. Both parts were directed by Michael Lembeck
. On January 28, 1996, the day the episode aired, executive producer Kevin S. Bright commented: "It'll be bigger in size and scope then a regular Friends episode. Tonight we go one step beyond." At the beginning of January 1996, it was confirmed that Julia Roberts
, Brooke Shields
, Chris Isaak
and Jean-Claude Van Damme
would all guest star in "The One After the Superbowl". Actors and comedians Fred Willard
and Dan Castellaneta
also made minor guest appearances in the episode, as the zookeeper and the zoo janitor respectively.
Bright commented that Shields' performance was "a little into silly land" at first, but it "eventually turned in a very funny performance." Shields commented that when she was asked to appear on the show, she "said yes basically sight unseen. I don't know where I was on the list. Maybe everybody else said no." The writers had difficulty devising jokes that would be funny when Van Damme said them. In order to create "Van Damme-proof" jokes, one writer "would say them in a really horrible French accent, putting the emphasis on the wrong word". If people laughed, Van Damme was given the joke to perform. One line created in this way was Van Damme's "I can crack a walnut with my butt."
Roberts recorded her scenes from January 6–8, 1996. She had a relationship with cast member Matthew Perry at the time and an audience member said about their on-screen kiss, "Julia looked at Matt and said 'I'm glad we rehearsed this over the weekend'." A sound recordist commented: "I've seen screen kisses before but this was the best. They really went at it." Roberts thought her appearance on the show was "the most nerve-wracking thing" she had done since auditioning for Pretty Woman
. "I wanted to be the best I could be. [Perry] is incredibly funny, and you want to inspire that same kind of joy that he does. Then at a certain point at lunch, you go, 'Well, it ain't gonna happen. I'll just try to be cute.'"
The decision to air the episode directly after Super Bowl XXX
was made by NBC in hopes of making that Sunday the "highest-grossing ad-revenue day in television history." The guest stars were cast to draw more viewers and further increase the advertising revenue. In past years, networks had "exploited" the post-Super Bowl time slot to launch new series. NBC made an exception with Friends because they believed it would attract more advertising revenue than a new show. Curt King, press manager for Friends, commented: "Try to think of the new shows that were premiered after recent Super Bowls and name one that's still around. What we decided to do this year was not to unveil a new show but give people an extra-special version of a show they already like a lot."
and a 47 percent audience share, making it the highest-rated episode of any sitcom ever to debut after the Super Bowl. The advertising rates for "The One After the Superbowl" averaged $600,000 for 30 seconds of commercial time. This was one of the largest advertising rates ever for a sitcom at the time. The episode's director, Michael Lembeck
, won the 1996 Emmy Award in the "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing for a Comedy Series" category for this episode, the only Emmy won by Friends that year.
"The One After the Superbowl" received mixed reviews from television critics. Lisa Davis of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
called the guest appearances "a blatant ploy to boost ratings." The Charlotte Observer
' s Tim Goodman said the episode's "pathetic infusion of 'star appeal'" made him "nauseous" and commented that the producers "should just make Bernie Kopell
a regular and turn it into the Love Boat
all over again." Diane Holloway of the Austin American-Statesman
also noted the similarities with the television series Love Boat, known for its many guest stars: "[The episode] had a couple of chuckles, but came off like a young Love Boat." Entertainment Weekly
called the episode "fragmented, poorly paced, and only sporadically funny. Cramming the already crowded ensemble with celebs may have been a ratings grabber [...] but the results are forced sitcomedy and stilted acting," specifically citing Van Damme. Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide wrote that the episode "feels like nothing more than a big stunt to follow the big game." He went on to say that the cameos of Willard and Castellaneta "offers easily the best parts of the program."
Shields was praised for her performance. Alan Pergament of The Buffalo News
said she "showed a different side and was the best guest star" in the episode. Peter Marks of The New York Times
commented that Shields' performance was "so edgy and unbridled" that she "stole the episode" from Roberts and Isaak. Jae-Ha Kim of the Chicago Sun-Times
wrote that the chemistry between Perry and Roberts was "authentic" and that Shields "may have found her niche as a sitcom queen." Her performance in the episode impressed NBC so much that she was offered her own sitcom, Suddenly Susan
, for the network's 1996 fall lineup. In discussion of Shields performance,
Joanne Ostrow of The Denver Post
noted that she "did a nice turn to help her stalled career." She went onto say that Roberts' appearance was "to little effect".
Ostrow commented that the Monica and Rachel storyline "was evidence of unfunny, lazy writing." Kim, however, thought the storyline offered some "funny moments." Ostrow was complimentary of cast members Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer's performances. "Lisa Kudrow, as Phoebe, singer of truthful folk songs, continues to be a Friends highlight and David Schwimmer can carry off amusing, emotionally tinged moments even opposite a monkey." DVD Talk
's Earl Cressey named the episode one of the highlights of the second season of Friends. Hal Boedeker of The Orlando Sentinel praised "The One After the Superbowl" for being better than most episodes of Friends and "pleasantly off-the-wall and in keeping with the Friends spirit." The authors of Friends Like Us: The Unofficial Guide to Friends wrote that there are "some lovely moments of slapstick" in the episode. They called Roberts "a fine guest-star", while Van Damme was "embarrassing". Pergament said "The One After the Superbowl" "had its moments", but he thought it felt more like an episode of Seinfeld
than an episode of Friends. The Houston Chronicle
s Ann Hodges gave the episode a more negative review, commenting that the Friends writers "dropped the ball" with it: "Women's underwear, three-way-sex jokes, and a monkey — that was it. The insipid, stupid script was an insult to guest stars like Julia Roberts and Jean-Claude Van Damme."
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX was an American football game played on January 28, 1996 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona to decide the National Football League champion following the 1995 regular season...
. The network's decision to air the episode directly after the Super Bowl was made in hopes of making it the "highest-grossing ad-revenue day in television history." Guest stars in the episode are Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields
Brooke Christa Shields is an American actress and model. Some of her better-known movies include Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon, as well as TV shows such as Suddenly Susan, That '70s Show and Lipstick Jungle....
, Chris Isaak
Chris Isaak
Christopher Joseph "Chris" Isaak is an American rock musician and occasional actor.-Early life:Isaak was born in Stockton, California, the son of Dorothy , a potato chip factory worker, and Joe Isaak, a forklift driver. Isaak's mother is Italian American, originating from Genoa...
, Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
, Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor, best known for his martial arts action films, the most successful of which include Bloodsport , Kickboxer , Double Impact , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , Timecop ,...
, Fred Willard
Fred Willard
Fred Willard is an American actor, comedian, and voice over actor, best known for his improvisational comedy skills. He is known for his roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration as well as...
, and Dan Castellaneta
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
. They were cast to draw more viewers and further increase the advertising revenue.
The main plot of the episode sees Ross
Ross Geller
Ross Eustace Geller, Ph.D. is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television series Friends, portrayed by David Schwimmer. The character is noted for his geeky, lovable demeanor.- Origin :...
(David Schwimmer
David Schwimmer
David Lawrence Schwimmer is an American actor and director of television and film. He was born in New York City, and his family moved to Los Angeles when he was two. He began his acting career performing in school plays at Beverly Hills High School. In 1988, he graduated from Northwestern...
) searching for his former pet monkey, Marcel, and discovering that he is working on a film set in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The first part of the episode was written by Mike Sokowitz and Jeffrey Astrof and the second by Michael Borkow. Both parts were directed by Michael Lembeck
Michael Lembeck
Michael Lembeck is an actor, television and film director.Lembeck was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Caroline and Harvey Lembeck, an actor and comedian. He began acting in the late-1960s and directing in the 1970s. His most notable acting role was as Julie Cooper's husband, Max Horvath, on...
. The episode drew 52.9 million viewers, making it the most-watched episode in the show's history. Since airing, "The One After the Superbowl" has received mixed reviews from television critics.
Plot
After seeing a monkey in a beer commercial that reminds him of his former pet monkey Marcel, RossRoss Geller
Ross Eustace Geller, Ph.D. is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television series Friends, portrayed by David Schwimmer. The character is noted for his geeky, lovable demeanor.- Origin :...
decides to pay a visit to his old pet at the San Diego Zoo
San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, is one of the most progressive zoos in the world, with over 4,000 animals of more than 800 species...
during his business trip to California. When Ross cannot find the monkey, the zoo administrator (Fred Willard
Fred Willard
Fred Willard is an American actor, comedian, and voice over actor, best known for his improvisational comedy skills. He is known for his roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration as well as...
) tells him that Marcel has died. However, a janitor (Dan Castelanetta) later informs Ross that Marcel was kidnapped and forced into show business and is currently filming a movie in New York. Meanwhile, Joey
Joey Tribbiani
Joseph Francis "Joey" Tribbiani, Jr. is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television sitcom Friends and the title character in the spin-off, Joey , portrayed by Matt LeBlanc....
(Matt LeBlanc
Matt LeBlanc
Matthew Steven "Matt" LeBlanc is an American actor, best known for his role as Joey Tribbiani on the NBC sitcoms Friends and its spin-off Joey....
) has to contend with a stalker (Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields
Brooke Christa Shields is an American actress and model. Some of her better-known movies include Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon, as well as TV shows such as Suddenly Susan, That '70s Show and Lipstick Jungle....
) who thinks that Joey is actually Dr. Drake Ramoray, the character he plays on Days of Our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
. Despite this, Joey goes on a date with her. She dumps him when she suspects "Drake" is cheating on her with another woman (actually another character in the soap opera). Phoebe
Phoebe Buffay
Phoebe Buffay-Hannigan is a fictional character on the U.S. television sitcom Friends , portrayed by Lisa Kudrow...
(Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Valerie Kudrow is an American actress, best known for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the television sitcom Friends, for which she received many accolades including an Emmy Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards...
) dates a man (Chris Isaak
Chris Isaak
Christopher Joseph "Chris" Isaak is an American rock musician and occasional actor.-Early life:Isaak was born in Stockton, California, the son of Dorothy , a potato chip factory worker, and Joe Isaak, a forklift driver. Isaak's mother is Italian American, originating from Genoa...
) who hired her to perform at a children's concert.
Ross, hoping for a reunion with Marcel, looks for him on the movie set. Joey meanwhile, sucks up to the production assistant to land a part in the movie. While on set, Chandler
Chandler Bing
Chandler Muriel Bing is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television sitcom Friends, portrayed by Matthew Perry.-Background:Chandler Muriel Bing was born on April 8, 1968, the son of an erotic novelist mother and a cross-dressing Las Vegas star and is of Scottish ancestry. Chandler was Ross...
(Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry (actor)
Matthew Langford Perry is a Canadian-American actor and comedian, best known for his Emmy-nominated role as Chandler Bing on the popular, long-running NBC television sitcom Friends...
) meets his old childhood friend Susie "Underpants" Moss (Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
) working on the production, with whom he has a colored history; when they were in elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
, Chandler pulled up Susie's skirt when she was on stage, revealing her underwear to the entire school. They arrange a date, Chandler unsuspecting that it is a plot to get revenge. After convincing him to wear her panties
Panties
Panties are a form of underwear, usually light and snug-fitting, designed to be worn by women or girls in the area directly below the waist. Typical components include an elastic waistband, a crotch panel to cover the genital area , and a pair of leg openings which, like the waistband, are often...
, Susie leaves him wearing nothing but the panties in a bathroom stall in the restaurant they were having dinner in. Meanwhile, Monica
Monica Geller
Monica E. Geller Bing is a fictional character on the popular US television sitcom Friends, portrayed by Courteney Cox. Monica is known as the "Mother Hen" of the group and her Greenwich Village apartment was one of the group's main gathering places. She was also known for her obsessive personality...
(Courteney Cox
Courteney Cox
Courteney Bass Cox is an American actress, she is best known for her roles as Monica Geller on the NBC sitcom Friends, Gale Weathers in the horror series Scream and as Jules Cobb in the ABC sitcom Cougar Town, for which she earned her first Golden Globe nomination....
) and Rachel
Rachel Green
Rachel Karen Green is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television sitcom Friends, portrayed by Jennifer Aniston. Aniston received an Emmy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe for her performances.-Background:...
(Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Joanna Aniston is an American actress, film director, and producer, best known for her role as Rachel Green on the television sitcom Friends, a role which earned her an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.Aniston has also enjoyed a successful film career,...
) meet the movie's star Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor, best known for his martial arts action films, the most successful of which include Bloodsport , Kickboxer , Double Impact , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , Timecop ,...
, and compete for his attention. This creates tension between them, as they both argue over who should get to date him. They both dump him when he tries to convince them to have a threesome
Threesome
A threesome is a group of three engaged in the same activity. In relation to a sexual activity a threesome refer to the activity involving three people of any gender or sexual orientation...
with Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore
Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
. Ross finally reunites with Marcel and Joey lands a small role in the movie, but loses his solitary line after overacting
Overacting
Overacting is the exaggeration of gestures and speech when acting. It may be unintentional, particularly in the case of a bad actor, or be required for the role. For the latter, it is commonly used in comical situations or to stress the evil characteristics of a villain...
.
Production
Michael Lembeck
Michael Lembeck is an actor, television and film director.Lembeck was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Caroline and Harvey Lembeck, an actor and comedian. He began acting in the late-1960s and directing in the 1970s. His most notable acting role was as Julie Cooper's husband, Max Horvath, on...
. On January 28, 1996, the day the episode aired, executive producer Kevin S. Bright commented: "It'll be bigger in size and scope then a regular Friends episode. Tonight we go one step beyond." At the beginning of January 1996, it was confirmed that Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
, Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields
Brooke Christa Shields is an American actress and model. Some of her better-known movies include Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon, as well as TV shows such as Suddenly Susan, That '70s Show and Lipstick Jungle....
, Chris Isaak
Chris Isaak
Christopher Joseph "Chris" Isaak is an American rock musician and occasional actor.-Early life:Isaak was born in Stockton, California, the son of Dorothy , a potato chip factory worker, and Joe Isaak, a forklift driver. Isaak's mother is Italian American, originating from Genoa...
and Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor, best known for his martial arts action films, the most successful of which include Bloodsport , Kickboxer , Double Impact , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , Timecop ,...
would all guest star in "The One After the Superbowl". Actors and comedians Fred Willard
Fred Willard
Fred Willard is an American actor, comedian, and voice over actor, best known for his improvisational comedy skills. He is known for his roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration as well as...
and Dan Castellaneta
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
also made minor guest appearances in the episode, as the zookeeper and the zoo janitor respectively.
Bright commented that Shields' performance was "a little into silly land" at first, but it "eventually turned in a very funny performance." Shields commented that when she was asked to appear on the show, she "said yes basically sight unseen. I don't know where I was on the list. Maybe everybody else said no." The writers had difficulty devising jokes that would be funny when Van Damme said them. In order to create "Van Damme-proof" jokes, one writer "would say them in a really horrible French accent, putting the emphasis on the wrong word". If people laughed, Van Damme was given the joke to perform. One line created in this way was Van Damme's "I can crack a walnut with my butt."
Roberts recorded her scenes from January 6–8, 1996. She had a relationship with cast member Matthew Perry at the time and an audience member said about their on-screen kiss, "Julia looked at Matt and said 'I'm glad we rehearsed this over the weekend'." A sound recordist commented: "I've seen screen kisses before but this was the best. They really went at it." Roberts thought her appearance on the show was "the most nerve-wracking thing" she had done since auditioning for Pretty Woman
Pretty Woman
Pretty Woman is a 1990 romantic comedy film set in Los Angeles, California. Written by J.F. Lawton and directed by Garry Marshall, this motion picture features Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, and also Hector Elizondo, Ralph Bellamy, and Jason Alexander in supporting roles. Roberts played the only...
. "I wanted to be the best I could be. [Perry] is incredibly funny, and you want to inspire that same kind of joy that he does. Then at a certain point at lunch, you go, 'Well, it ain't gonna happen. I'll just try to be cute.'"
The decision to air the episode directly after Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX was an American football game played on January 28, 1996 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona to decide the National Football League champion following the 1995 regular season...
was made by NBC in hopes of making that Sunday the "highest-grossing ad-revenue day in television history." The guest stars were cast to draw more viewers and further increase the advertising revenue. In past years, networks had "exploited" the post-Super Bowl time slot to launch new series. NBC made an exception with Friends because they believed it would attract more advertising revenue than a new show. Curt King, press manager for Friends, commented: "Try to think of the new shows that were premiered after recent Super Bowls and name one that's still around. What we decided to do this year was not to unveil a new show but give people an extra-special version of a show they already like a lot."
Reception
"The One After the Superbowl" is the most-watched episode in the history of Friends, with a total of 52.9 million viewers tuned in after the Super Bowl ended. The episode generated a 29.5 Nielsen ratingNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
and a 47 percent audience share, making it the highest-rated episode of any sitcom ever to debut after the Super Bowl. The advertising rates for "The One After the Superbowl" averaged $600,000 for 30 seconds of commercial time. This was one of the largest advertising rates ever for a sitcom at the time. The episode's director, Michael Lembeck
Michael Lembeck
Michael Lembeck is an actor, television and film director.Lembeck was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Caroline and Harvey Lembeck, an actor and comedian. He began acting in the late-1960s and directing in the 1970s. His most notable acting role was as Julie Cooper's husband, Max Horvath, on...
, won the 1996 Emmy Award in the "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing for a Comedy Series" category for this episode, the only Emmy won by Friends that year.
"The One After the Superbowl" received mixed reviews from television critics. Lisa Davis of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is a major U.S. daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. Its area of domination is checked by its main rival, The Dallas Morning News, which is published from the eastern half of the Metroplex. It is owned...
called the guest appearances "a blatant ploy to boost ratings." The Charlotte Observer
The Charlotte Observer
The Charlotte Observer, serving Charlotte, North Carolina and its metro area, is the largest newspaper, in terms of circulation, in North Carolina and South Carolina...
Bernie Kopell
Bernard Morton "Bernie" Kopell is an American television character actor who is probably best known for his roles as Dr. Adam Bricker in The Love Boat and KAOS agent Siegfried in Get Smart...
a regular and turn it into the Love Boat
The Love Boat
The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
all over again." Diane Holloway of the Austin American-Statesman
Austin American-Statesman
The Austin American-Statesman is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of Texas. It is an award-winning publication owned by Cox Enterprises. The Newspaper places focus on issues affecting Austin and the Central Texas region....
also noted the similarities with the television series Love Boat, known for its many guest stars: "[The episode] had a couple of chuckles, but came off like a young Love Boat." Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
called the episode "fragmented, poorly paced, and only sporadically funny. Cramming the already crowded ensemble with celebs may have been a ratings grabber [...] but the results are forced sitcomedy and stilted acting," specifically citing Van Damme. Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide wrote that the episode "feels like nothing more than a big stunt to follow the big game." He went on to say that the cameos of Willard and Castellaneta "offers easily the best parts of the program."
Shields was praised for her performance. Alan Pergament of The Buffalo News
The Buffalo News
The Buffalo News is the primary newspaper of the Buffalo – Niagara Falls metropolitan area, and the area's only daily newspaper. It is the only newspaper owned by Berkshire Hathaway.-History:...
said she "showed a different side and was the best guest star" in the episode. Peter Marks of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
commented that Shields' performance was "so edgy and unbridled" that she "stole the episode" from Roberts and Isaak. Jae-Ha Kim of the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
wrote that the chemistry between Perry and Roberts was "authentic" and that Shields "may have found her niche as a sitcom queen." Her performance in the episode impressed NBC so much that she was offered her own sitcom, Suddenly Susan
Suddenly Susan
Suddenly Susan is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC from 1996 to 2000. The show takes place at The Gate, a fictitious magazine which is based in San Francisco. Among the magazine's employees is Susan Keane , who always has been cared for by someone else...
, for the network's 1996 fall lineup. In discussion of Shields performance,
Joanne Ostrow of The Denver Post
The Denver Post
-Ownership:The Post is the flagship newspaper of MediaNews Group Inc., founded in 1983 by William Dean Singleton and Richard Scudder. MediaNews is today one of the nation's largest newspaper chains, publisher of 61 daily newspapers and more than 120 non-daily publications in 13 states. MediaNews...
noted that she "did a nice turn to help her stalled career." She went onto say that Roberts' appearance was "to little effect".
Ostrow commented that the Monica and Rachel storyline "was evidence of unfunny, lazy writing." Kim, however, thought the storyline offered some "funny moments." Ostrow was complimentary of cast members Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer's performances. "Lisa Kudrow, as Phoebe, singer of truthful folk songs, continues to be a Friends highlight and David Schwimmer can carry off amusing, emotionally tinged moments even opposite a monkey." DVD Talk
DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a website for DVD enthusiasts founded in January 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman when DVDs and DVD players were first beginning to hit the market.The site started as an online forum, an email newsletter, and a page of DVD news and reviews...
's Earl Cressey named the episode one of the highlights of the second season of Friends. Hal Boedeker of The Orlando Sentinel praised "The One After the Superbowl" for being better than most episodes of Friends and "pleasantly off-the-wall and in keeping with the Friends spirit." The authors of Friends Like Us: The Unofficial Guide to Friends wrote that there are "some lovely moments of slapstick" in the episode. They called Roberts "a fine guest-star", while Van Damme was "embarrassing". Pergament said "The One After the Superbowl" "had its moments", but he thought it felt more like an episode of Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
than an episode of Friends. The Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
s Ann Hodges gave the episode a more negative review, commenting that the Friends writers "dropped the ball" with it: "Women's underwear, three-way-sex jokes, and a monkey — that was it. The insipid, stupid script was an insult to guest stars like Julia Roberts and Jean-Claude Van Damme."
External links
- "The One After the Superbowl: Part 1" at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- "The One After the Superbowl: Part 1" at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
- "The One After the Superbowl: Part 2" at the Internet Movie Database
- "The One After the Superbowl: Part 2" at the TV.com