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10 Secrets From the Friends Set Revealed

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Mar 21, 2018 5:51 PM
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1. The Refrigerators in Monica's and Joey's Apartments Really Worked

According to DigitalSpy, the refrigerator in Monica's apartment was stocked with drinks for the cast and crew.


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2. The Cast Didn't Film Cliffhangers In Front of a Live Audience

During the special Friends: Final Thoughts, Jennifer Aniston revealed the cast didn't film cliffhangers in front of a live studio audience.

"We always removed the audience for the cliffhangers because, you know, obvious reasons," she said. "You don't want to spoil it."


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3. The Fountain in the Opening Credits Isn’t Even in New York

Per Cosmopolitan, the cast actually filmed that scene in Burbank, Calif. on the Warner Brothers' Ranch.


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Gary Null/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

4. The Central Perk Set Was Transformed Into the Airport for the Finale

"They had to take it down to build another set—I think it was an airport they put in its place," actor James Michael Tyler, a.k.a Gunther, told BuzzFeed.


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5. The Orange Sofa Is From the Warner Bros. Studios

According to Cosmopolitan, the couch was found in the basement.


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6. Monica's Messy Closet Was Originally a Mystery Door

When John Shaffner designed the set of Friends, he placed a door at the end of an apartment hallway. However, he didn't initially reveal where the door led to. That was until the show aired "The One With the Secret Closet" episode. The door was then made into Monica's messy closet, Shaffner told Great Big Story.


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7. Apartment Addresses Changed

According to BuzzFeed, Monica's apartment number changed from 5 to 20. Chandler's apartment address was also changed from 4 to 19.


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8. Monica's Apartment Was Painted Purple to Be Memorable

Shaffner said people were "really anxious" about making Monica's apartment purple; however, he decided to do it to help create the show's identity.

"Color is really important in terms of establishing the show's identity," he told Great Big Story. "When you switched to Friends, you saw that it was purple and you stayed tuned."


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9. Crew Members Were in Charge of Updating the Magna Doodle

Ever notice that the Magna Doodle on Joey's door constantly changed? According to MentalFloss, a few crew members were in charge of updating it, particularly Paul Swain on the electric crew. 

"[Fans] were looking for hidden meanings being given through the Magna Doodle," he said, per the media outlet.


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10. Gunther Never Actually Made Coffee On Set

"The espresso machine wasn't plugged in because they can be kind of loud, but that was a real antique coffee machine," Tyler told BuzzFeed. "I never actually made one coffee!"

 


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