For Bob D –
http://croz.fm/files/category-theme-time-radio-hour.php

david schwimmer was way the weakest link in it, poor guy—he always seems to be faking his sense of timing, and stayed way over-broad throughout the run, long after the others had learnt to keep stuff less telegraphed

i like friends despite lots of lame things about it*; it was probably at its best in the middle of its run, it’s over-pleased with itself in the first series definitely, with cutways signalling its gags like crazy

*this doesn’t signify much, i like everything

The characters did have some serious downs (failed marriages, relationships). One episode centered around the divide between Monica, Chandler, and Ross, who had well-paying jobs, and Phoebe, Rachael, and Joey, who did not. As the series explained, Monica, the chef, was living illegally in her grandmother’s rent-controlled apartment; Racheal, the waitress, joins her. (It is also made clear that Rachel and Monica & Ross come from wealthy families).

It is also worth noting that three of the characters were identifiably Jewish, not something that TV shows do often (in Seinfield, only Seinfield was Jewish; one episode bizarrely revolved around Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s character being goy).

I don’t know. I know it used to be terribly cool to like it. Now it’s not, it seems that fewer people do. But I always hated it.

Does that go right back to the sandwich quiz on Number 73?

I’ve actually tried to like Friends (I love Frasier) but can’t (maybe Lindsey’s episode will turn me). To show that I’m not a bigot, I should add that I have liked everything I’ve seen the constituent actors in (not that much, I admit, but I saw something that Schwimmer was in, in which he seemed very good indeed, Jennifer Aniston in several things, all of which she has been excellent in, and that ditzy one whose name I forget but who I think is brilliant, especially in The Comeback, which is agonising to watch but one of the great moments of American television).

(And the thing about Rachel’s magical ability to pay her rent – yawn – that’s the least original (and most refuted) criticism of the lot.)

I recommend to tourists that they plan to go to a BBC recording sometime during their visit. I’ve only done it a few times (in fact the first was not a recording, but a live broadcast of In One Ear, back in 84 or 5) but its fantastic. And free.

One of these days I must try to get down to a recording – there’s a lot of banter that just gets edited out, apparently (they should produce a New Quiz Uncut podcast!)

Isn’t she a Lib Dem or something? I think for her Mark Steel may be the Wrong Sort of Trot, particularly as compared with Jeremy Hardy – he’s certainly a bit more shouty/snotty/hectoring than JH, and it may add up to pressing the wrong buttons. On the other hand, she may just not have got to know him. When Julian Clary first appeared on Just a Minute, Nicholas Parsons was very chilly with him – a definite “you dishonour the memory of dear Kenny with your flaunted outrageousness” vibe. I’m sure it was mostly in NP’s head – certainly he’s perfectly pleasant with him now.

(This is the time that I’d set aside for writing exam questions, and here I am writing blog comments about celebrities… aargh!)

Maybe so, but they have an awful lot of writers on the show given the premise.