With so many shows getting a reboot or sequel: Gossip Girl (HBO Max), That '90s Show (Netflix), Bel-Air (Peacock), and many others, fans of the hit sitcom Friends are hoping the TV show will follow suit. But there is a lot of content for Friends—bloopers, extended episodes, and deleted scenes out in the world.
One deleted scene mainly centered around Matthew Perry and Courtney Cox was ultimately removed due to the subject. It was pulled from the episode after 9/11.
The scene was scheduled to air in the season eight episode "The One Where Rachel Tells Ross."
Other Television Shows That Removed Scenes After 9/11
Many television shows, which took place in New York, altered their opening credits. For example, Sex and the City, which had the World Trade Center Towers shown twice, replaced the images with the Empire State Building.
Furthermore, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit permanently removed the World Trade Center from its opening sequence. The Sopranos also removed footage of the World Trade Center from the opening credits.
Third Watch (2001) was a drama about New York City's first responders. They dedicated an entire episode in remembrance of 9/11. The non-fiction episode, followed by two episodes, put the main characters in the line of fire and dealing with the aftermath.
In the "Law & Order: SVU" season following the attacks, they included a voiceover in tribute to the 9/11 victims.
What Movies Removed Scenes Following The 9/11 Attacks?
Many films had to re-shoot, edit, and pivot away from previous scenes or ideas after the tragic event. In the 2002 movie Monsters Inc., animators had to alter a scene in which a building was blown up.
The movie shows Mike and Sulley escaping the sushi restaurant with Boo to avoid the child detection agency (CDA). We see the CDA place a giant blue dome over the restaurant to signify the place is contaminated. But, in earlier versions, the CDA blows the building up.
The Men in Black II climax featured the World Trade Center. We see Agents K and J battling aliens over the New York skyline. The World Trade Center was prominently shown, but they switched it to the Statue of Liberty after the attacks.
In the 2001 film Spy Game, filmmakers changed a scene that showcased a plume of smoke rising over a bombed building. They were worried it too closely resembled the attacks. They scaled down the smoke in an effort to be more sensitive.
Disney's 2002 film Lilo and Stitch originally ended with Stitch hijacking a plane and crashing it into buildings. The scene follows Stich and friends in a spaceship chase through mountains to rescue Lilo. But the original script had Stitch taking a 747 commercial airline (like 9/11) and had him crashing into buildings during the chase.
Many things changed after the horrific attacks, but one thing prevailed. Societies love and support of each other.
Why Was The Scene Pulled From The Friends Episode?
This episode was to air shortly after the tragic events of 9/11. But, it was ultimately pulled because the episode deals with a bomb in an airport.
The scene was released, and the opening slide reads, "As part of the history of the show, we hope that the scenes can now be viewed in the spirit which they were originally intended."
The scene opens with Monica (Courtney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry), newly married and at the airport en route to their honeymoon. It starts out well; they get bumped to first class because they are newlyweds.
But, while going through TSA, Chandler sees a sign that says: "Federal law prohibits any joking regarding aircraft hijacking or bombing." Chandler then turns to the TSA agent and says, "You don't have to worry about me, ma'am; I take my bombs very seriously."
Chandler is then risked away by airport security, and the next scene shows him and Monica in an interrogation room, where Chandler says:
"The sign says, 'no jokes about bombs,' but shouldn't the sign really say 'no bombs'?" Chandler asks. "I mean, isn't that the guy we really have to worry about here? The guy with the bombs? Not the guy who jokes about his bombs. Not that I have bombs, but if I did, I probably wouldn't joke about them. I'd probably want to keep that rather quiet."
After a few more ill-timed jokes Chandler makes, the couple is free to go. But, while walking out of the room, Monica gets a call from Joey, who tells Monica he smells gas coming from her apartment.
He then says he doesn't have a key to get it and asks if he can break down the door. After getting Monica to confirm if he can break her door down multiple times. She finally snaps and sarcastically says, "No, I want you to stand there and wait for the whole place to blow up."
Airport security steps out of the room and says, "step back inside, please." And that's the end of the deleted scene.
When the original episode, "The One Where Rachel Tells Ross," aired, the television show projected a screen that said, "Dedicated to the People of New York City."
