On May 7, 1998, the world held its breath when Ross Geller said “yes” to his girlfriend Emily… while calling her Rachel. This confusion became one of the most iconic scenes of the series Friends, already a milestone of the 90s and 2000s. That was the conclusion of the fourth season with a double episode of a chaotic wedding in London, which gave the whole plot a twist, because it was there that Monica and Chandler, played by Courteney Cox and the recently deceased Matthew Perry, had their first and secret night together ending up becoming a famous couple, one of the most famous on television. With so many great television moments and an episode watched live by nearly 32 million people, it was assumed that this script was well guarded and kept under wraps. But not. The script ended up in a trash can. Its final destination was more worthy: it was auctioned off and sold for 22,000 pounds sterling (about 28,000 dollars or 25,500 euros).
It was an employee at Fountain Studios at Wembley Stadium on the outskirts of London who discovered the four final designs in a shipping container that would later form the first and second parts of Ross' Wedding. The wedding chapel was recreated in the very studios where the episode was filmed. And that's where they were rescued by this worker who decided to put the scripts up for sale through a British auction house called Hanson Ross.
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The estimated selling price was between 600 and 800 pounds, just over 1,000 euros or dollars. But the auction broke out quickly and the bidding began non-stop. It is not known who bought it, but it is known that it was “an international online buyer,” according to the BBC. Up to 219 people from all over the world applied for the scripts and ultimately the contract was awarded for 22,000 pounds, of which 28,864 included taxes and fees (33,500 euros, 36,700 dollars). “The global interest has been impressive,” Hanson Ross operations manager told British media. “I cannot believe this result and the impact this discovery has had. Buyers go crazy for scripts like this.” The originals are a strength for Hanson Ross, who has numerous letters and Christmas cards signed by Princess Diana of Wales (some for more than 2,000 euros), photographs signed by Queen Elizabeth II, Frank Sinatra and Charles Chaplin and sold one of the first 500 printed copies of the first Harry Potter book for 60,000 pounds (70,000 euros – 76,000 dollars).
The cast of “Friends” – from left: Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Helen Baxendale as Emily Waltham, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller and Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani – during the episode “The One with Ross's Wedding,” the fourth season finale, aired in May 1998. NBC (via Getty Images)
It is not known who the buyer of the scripts is, nor who their first owner was and whether that person threw them in the trash or whether they ended up there by chance, but the auction house assumes that it is a member is the cast or one of the employees of the series. The Fountains have been around for almost a century, when they were the best and best equipped recording studios in the UK. Since then, there has been a lot of activity, as in addition to series and films (The Beatles came through there and David Lynch's The Princess Bride and The Elephant Man were also filmed there, many of the British editions of Masterchef and X Factor were filmed there. and Got Talent. The identity of the person who found them is also unknown, but he had forgotten them in a drawer for some time (Hanson Ross does not specify whether since 1998 or if they were found later) and now has them , after finding it again, decided to put it up for sale.
Friends, which became one of the most important and well-known series of the late 21st century, continues to attract millions of fans around the world even 20 years after its end. In Los Angeles, where most of the filming was made, the name comes from the Warner recording studio, which housed the protagonists' apartments and the Central Perk café. During the usual visit, tourists cannot go inside, but only see it from the outside, but on their way there is the famous fountain and the sofa from the series (which is not a sofa as such, but is made of fiberglass) from which the headline comes Location, the set that imitates the cafeteria, and even a real cafeteria with glasses and cups like in Central Perk. And of course many shops where you can stock up on all sorts of souvenirs, books and clothing.
The death of Matthew Perry last October has increased interest in everything related to the series, and as trade publication Variety reports, the series not only became the most-watched series in the HBO Max catalog in the US in November, but even the most watched streaming in the country. At the Critics Choice Awards held in California on Sunday night, Jennifer Aniston encouraged fans to “celebrate” Perry's legacy and life. At the Emmys ceremony this Monday, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences will also recognize the five-time nominee for this award.
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