The One with Friendsgiving at Warner Bros. Studio
Last Saturday, my aunt and I attended the special limited time "Friendsgiving" event at Warner Bros. Studios, which consisted of a special Friends-themed tour and a Thanksgiving meal at the lot's commissary, where the cast used to dine while the show was filming.
The tour guides wasted no time jumping right into the tour. We signed up for the 1 p.m.- we got there a tad early, grabbed Starbucks, checked in (and received our fancy lanyards), met our group, hopped on a golf cart and off we went to the studio backlot. We were greeted by a video from James Michael Tyler (Gunther) and Maggie Wheeler (Janice) welcoming us to the tour and that there would be surprises and lots of fun on the way. Could we be more excited?!?!
Hennessy Street/New York City
Our first stop was the New York area, where many of the outside/city scenes were filmed, along with other promotional photo shoots - like Chandler and Joey taking Ben around the city when he was a baby or Chandler running down the street like a mad person trying to get Kathy's attention. I also learned that the building, pictured on the bottom left, is what the set of Central Perk was based on. In the first season, they used it for exterior shots and then rebuilt something similar on Stage 24, which they'd use for the later seasons. We also saw the street/alleyway that Monica, Rachel and the gang visit the movie set of Ross' monkey, Marcel, and the gals spot Jean Claude Van Damme.
As we rounded the streets of New York to the street resembling Brownstone apartments, the theater and one of the subway stops, we saw a bright yellow taxi cab.
New to the Warner Bros. lot is Phoebe's grandma's taxi cab. Apparently it had just come back after a stint in Las Vegas at an Escape Room. Kind of random, but okay. Inside, the dashboard was covered in trivia - questions about the show - and also included Phoebe's cheat sheet of "brake left, gas right," you know...Just in case she forgot.
The Fountain/Central Park
The next stop was the actual "Friends" fountain, which was used in the opening credits. It was recently moved from the Warner Bros. Ranch lot down the street to the main studio, just for this special tour. It was complete with a replica of the orange couch and umbrellas for the perfect photo ops. Everyone had time to pose for multiple pictures and boomerangs for Instagram to get it just right like the cast.
After we were done by the fountain, we were also in Central Park, featured in "The One Where Phoebe Runs." My aunt and I decided to reenact that scene as our tour guide promptly filmed it. That's probably one that we will keep in the vault, as it's incredibly embarrassing. But, here are a couple screenshots that aren't quite as embarrassing.
The One with the Prom Video
Next up, we made our way into Midwest Street, more famously known as Stars Hollow in "Gilmore girls." This time, however, we were stopping by for the practical set/house used in "The One with the Prom Video." You know the one where Rachel thinks her date is going to stand her up for prom and Ross' dad convinces him that he should step in and ask Rachel. This is the famous staircase and living room area where that all takes place. It was also used as Emily's house on "Pretty Little Liars" and Kim's Antiques from "Gilmore girls."
Stage 24
Since the "Friends" stage is currently used for "Fuller House," we weren't able to go inside. Although, I've visited the particular sound stage before, once when the set was dressed with Monica's place, Central Perk and whatever swing set was being used at the time. Since the show shot on the lot for 10 seasons, the outside has a plaque commemorating the show.
We were able to visit the inside of the "Mom" sound stage across the way, where our tour guide told us more about the process for a sitcom and the weekly schedule for shooting and production. It also helped that he applied it to the days of "Friends" when using examples for endorsements and other product placement.
Friendsgiving Meal
Our last official stop was the Friendsgiving meal at the commissary. "I'll Be There For You" was playing when we stepped off the cart. The foosball table was sitting outside (I don't think it was the official one, but never confirmed), along with tables outside with beverages (coffee and tea) and an open bar. As we walked inside, there was a table with a purple tablecloth, dressed with six table settings, accurately labeled with each character's name and the turkey head that Monica wears. They were chairs around the table were actually used on the show (the ones from Monica's apartment - AH!). The food was buffet style and again, all Friends-themed, with Monica's roasted turkey, Cider Gellar gravy, Chan-berry sauce, Joey's Dr. Ramory roasted ham, Rachel's roasted carrots and more.
All around the room, there were "Friends" cast posters and moments from the show lining the walls. Through the loud speakers, you could hear dialogue and famous moments from the show. It gave me goosies. After piling on the food, we found seats with the rest of our tour group. The food was delicious and fresh. I also got a cup of coffee in a Central Perk cup, that I wish I would've taken to go! The mini pumpkin pies were also a delightful treat.
Guests were able to leave at their leisure. Once we finished eating, we walked across the street to get photos with the FunkoPop "Friends" cast. They were SO cute! We geeked out over those for a few minutes and grabbed photos, then took the tram over to Stage 48, where the Central Perk set is located, along with other interactive exhibits. They even gave us special Friendsgiving mints as parting gifts. Such a sweet gesture and nice little memento.
During our time around the lot, a fire broke out on the hill next to the studio. The flames and smoke were pretty bad, but we all kept going. By the time we arrived, there were pieces of ash landing in front of us and you could practically taste the air, or it would make you choke.
We walked into Stage 48, which consists of the studio store, a real working Central Perk coffee shop and interactive exhibits, including the original Central Perk set, classic film costumes, the apartment set from "Big Bang Theory and more. It's honestly my favorite part of the tour. But, just as we were about to get in line and purchase our souvenirs, they announced that the studio lot was being evacuated. And I mean, EVERYONE had to leave.
It was super disappointing, but we'd had such a wonderful day. It was one of the best experiences I've ever had on the lot (and I've taken the tour a time or two). And before we left the studio store, I was able to get my picture with the Holiday Armadillo costume that Ross wears in season 7 of "Friends." I was SO excited to see it in the middle of the store.
We had such a great tour experience. The tour guide really makes or breaks the experience - Ours was lively and knowledgeable and made it fun for everyone.
Throughout the tour, there were clips from the show corresponding with the location they were pointing out, fun facts and trivia used throughout and behind-the-scenes information that some might not know about the show. While it was a "Friends" focused tour, we were able to see just as much, if not more, than a regular tour. We went at our own pace and were able to take as much time as we wanted. We walked around Stars Hollow a bit, getting our photos in the gazebo, walked through the Seavers' house from "Growing Pains," Lorelai and Sookie's houses from "Gilmore girls," the "Fuller House" house and so much more. It really felt like we were VIP.
We even saw Scott Eastwood, Clint Eastwood's son, who I later found was on the lot to watch a screening of his dad's latest movie. Apparently Mr. Eastwood also put up a stink when it came to evacuating the lot, because he said "there's work to be done," according to Scott's Instagram.
I would highly recommend this tour to any "Friends" fan. Being with other super fans of the show was the best - discussing trivia and referencing scenes from the show that only "Friends" fans would get. It was great getting to spend time with my aunt, as well.
If you have booked a tour, plan for a 3-4 hour experience. I believe all tours are currently sold out, unless you were on one that was evacuated or canceled due to the fires last weekend. But, feel free to check out the website, in case there are cancellations or changes. I think if it's popular enough, it might be something they keep on. Here's hoping...
But, I'll be going back to the studio next month for the special Gilmore Girls holiday lunch at Lorelai's! I can't wait.
That's all for now,