There's nothing like a good pregnancy plotline to attract viewers by the millions.
Which is exactly what the creators of Friends did to kick off its eighth, and perhaps final season. Just when you thought those overly close six pals have worn out their welcome, they reinvent themselves with the announcement of Rachel being preggers by — gasp! —Ross (played by Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer, respectively).
How very predictable, yet entertaining.
This news, of course, came moments after Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Monica (Courteney Cox Arquette) tied the knot. The writers took the resurgence of the show as a good omen, and ran with the new plot, leaving all other storylines in the dust.
And why wouldn't they?
All signs point to Rachel's pregnancy being a good idea, despite it being the kiss of death for other shows in terms of quality. The premiere episode clocked in over 30 million viewers, according to Nielsen, and has dominated the ratings war this season for the first time against mega-hit Survivor, and continued its momentum while the reality show topped off at just over 26 million.
These are huge numbers for Friends, whose ratings haven't reached such high marks since 1996. But are ratings worth the exclusion of the other characters?
Not likely, especially when there's another factor to be considered — the fans who have loved and supported the show since it first premiered.
After all, Friends is an ensemble show, and for the past seven years the writers have been successful in some instances, and failing in others, to give each character their own storyline. But with the current season mostly focusing on Ross and Rachel, it leads to the question: What about Monica, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe?
Sure, Monica and Chandler just got married, but they are still a part of the show. And Joey's (Matt Le Blanc) storyline of getting yet another acting job can only go on for so long before it becomes repetitive.
Perhaps Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) is the only character not expecting a baby to receive her own storyline in the coming weeks. The Halloween episode to air November 1 (minor spoiler alert) signals the return of Ursula, Phoebe's twin sister, in which Phoebe finds out her sister is getting married.
As the season comes to an end, maybe the writers will decide on the day when Rachel gives birth, Monica announces she's pregnant and Phoebe and Joey reveal their secret love affair.
It may sound a little farfetched, but on television anything is possible.
