Friends’ Episode ‘The One After the Super Bowl’ Made TV History With 2 Records

by

Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, Friends is widely considered one of the greatest sitcoms and TV shows ever made. The show premiered on NBC in 1994 and ran for ten seasons, concluding in 2004. One particular episode achieved a rare double record, cementing its place in TV history.

The sitcom Friends centers on the lives of six friends – Monica, Chandler, Phoebe, Joey, Rachel, and Ross – as they experience the ups and downs of adult life in New York City. During its ten seasons, Friends achieved several milestones, including one particular episode that set a unique double record.

“The One After the Super Bowl” Is Friends’ Most-Watched Episode

During its second season in 1996, the TV show Friends aired a special, extra-long episode called “The One After the Super Bowl.” This episode, which aired immediately following the Super Bowl, revealed what happened to Ross’s old pet monkey, Marcel – he had become a working actor and was filming a movie in New York City.

Joey finds himself troubled by a fan who’s become obsessive, believing Joey is his character, Dr. Drake Ramoray, from Days of Our Lives. At the same time, Phoebe starts dating a man who asks her to sing at a library for children, but her usual songs aren’t appropriate for a young audience.

While filming Marcel’s movie, Chandler reconnects with a childhood friend named Susie, who’s become an actress, and they begin dating. However, Susie is secretly using him as part of a revenge plan. Meanwhile, Rachel and Monica both find themselves vying for the attention of Jean-Claude Van Damme after meeting him on set.

The Friends episode called “The One After the Super Bowl” is the most-watched episode ever, and it also drew the largest audience of any show immediately following the Super Bowl.

“The One After the Super Bowl” Is The Friends Episode With The Most Guest Stars

Given its massive popularity throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, it’s no surprise that Friends featured many famous guest stars over its ten seasons. From Robin Williams to Bruce Willis and Winona Ryder, the show consistently found creative ways to incorporate well-known actors into the lives of its characters.

The Friends episode titled “The One After the Super Bowl” featured the most guest stars of any episode, with each character (except Ross, and possibly if you include Marcel the monkey) having their own storyline with a guest star. Brooke Shields played Joey’s stalker and received a lot of critical acclaim for her performance, and Chris Isaak played Phoebe’s date.

Julia Roberts guest-starred as Susie, and Jean-Claude Van Damme played a version of himself on Friends. In a memorable scene, Van Damme even mentioned Drew Barrymore while jokingly suggesting a threesome with Monica and Rachel. Plus, Fred Willard appeared as the zoo administrator, and Dan Castellaneta played the janitor who reveals the truth about Marcel to Ross.

The episode of Friends immediately following the Super Bowl, titled “The One After the Super Bowl,” featured more guest stars than any other, with a total of six.

Despite Its Success, Friends’ “The One After the Super Bowl” Has 1 Major Flaw

Despite being one of the most popular episodes of Friends – and a ratings success thanks to its Super Bowl placement and celebrity guests – “The One After the Super Bowl” suffers from a weak storyline. While the episode offers amusing moments – like Chandler being pranked, Phoebe sticking up for her songs, and Rachel and Monica competing for a guy’s attention – it doesn’t really contribute to the show’s overall narrative.

Okay, so as a huge Friends fan, I always saw “The One After the Super Bowl” as kind of…standalone. Honestly, nothing that happens in that episode really affects the rest of the series, except it finally lets Ross get over Marcel the monkey, which was good for him! It definitely felt like a fun, lighter episode – one that really relied on its guest stars and the fact that it aired right after the Super Bowl to get people watching. It was a great spectacle, but not essential viewing if you’re tracking the overall story.

Just because “The One After the Super Bowl” is enjoyable doesn’t mean it adds anything significant to the overall story of Friends, and it’s certainly not an episode you’d want to miss. However, it remains a memorable part of the show’s history and a notable moment in television history.

Read More

2026-02-21 17:38