What movies or TV series have you watched more than 5 times?
I remember one of the first televisions in the early 1960’s. Since then I’ve watched a great deal of TV, it’s a nice easy way to choose your company depending on your mood.
The one thing that sticks in my mind is Friends. I came to it a bit late, finally decided to watch one episode, bought the DVD set, wore it out, bought another, ditto. Now I watch it on streaming tv.
At one point they were literally my friends. I wrote my book to that laughter track.
When Matthew Perry died, a man I greatly admired, not only for his fight back but for the way he tried to help others in his position, I started at the beginning again and watched it right through.
My anti-Friends husband sat down one night when it was on, finally watched an episode, and then spent the rest of the series telling me what a great show it was. The actors are so good! The writing is brilliant. Every single cast member received a number of accolades regarding their comic timing, acting ability, basically for being born in the end.
Did he actually think I spent a decade watching rubbish?
I also love the way the entire cast thought someone else was the better actor, and the love they demonstrated to Matthew Perry.
He fought his addiction, always turned in a flawless performance, they realised the issue quite quickly, tackled him, helped him, stood by him. At the end of the retrospective they just pulled him into them and surrounded him.
To me that gave a great authenticity to the show.
More than that, and I’m sure I’m not alone, someone they will never know exists, was helped by them at a very difficult time in her life.
Thanks to the startlingly good writing, the brilliant production and acting, I could watch something clean, non-violent, where the realities of life were explored, always with that little touch of well-placed humour. Just like life.
I could watch something that didn’t depress me about people who did fall out but thought enough of each other to put it right, who overcame their challenges together, who accepted each other as human and loved each other anyway.
It’s a superb example of how to be. How we should all be. They translated that to their everyday life.
The only other thing that came close was the original Frasier. Equally brilliantly written and acted, not quite so relatable, but truly superb. Frasier without Niles though just does not work. Sadly.
I didn’t count because I lost count of how many times I’ve watched Friends and felt better for it.
Love will always bring with it everything good. As will good friends.
Lovely day
Deb xx
Deb Hawken - Amorah 