101 The Pilot

Rachel leaves Barry at the alter and moves in with Monica. Monica goes on a date with Paul the wine guy, who turns out to be less than sincere. Ross is depressed about his failed marriage. Joey compares women to ice cream. Everyone watches Spanish soaps. Ross reveals his high school crush on Rachel.

Original Airdate:
09/22/1994

Other Info:
• This is the only episode to feature opening credits only showing the cast at the fountain. Supposedly, Warner Bros. complained to the producers, and shots from the show were inserted for future episodes.
• According to the producers, a questionnaire regarding Monica's promiscuity was passed out at the taping at the behest of NBC. It seems NBC considered Monica a slut for sleeping with Paul the Wine Guy on their first date.
• The uncut version was 8 minutes longer and was aired 9/21/98. In the uncut version of the pilot Barry's last name is mentioned as Finkel. In subsequent episodes, it's Farber.
• Scott Baio and Erin Moran are seen in their roles from Joanie Loves Chachi.
• In this episode, Monica's apartment number is different than in all of the following episodes.
• This episode runs 29:35 on DVD (a typical sitcom runs about 22:00). It is also one of the only episodes to feature a scene deleted in its entirety: Phoebe singing in the subway. It was not aired with the original broadcast because it wasn't plot related. It was added back when the pilot was stretched to an hour for its first broadcast in syndication. Lisa Kudrow actually had to come in and reloop her song five years after the taping for that.

Credits:
Written by Marta Kauffman & David Crane
Directed by James Burrows
Anita Barone as Carol Willick
Jessica Hecht as Susan Bunch
Elliott Gould as Jack Geller
Christina Pickles as Judy Geller
Mitchell Whitfield as Barry Farber
Christopher Miranda as Robbie
Joan Pringle as Dr. Oberman
Merrill Merkoe as Marska