Friends fans have a unique opportunity to own a piece of the show’s history with original scripts from the Season 4 finale up for auction. Discovered in a trash can at Fountain Studios in London in 1998, where The One with Ross’ Wedding was filmed. The recovered scripts, featuring the memorable wedding of Ross Geller and Emily Waltham, were initially saved from destruction by a staff member. Stored in a bedside drawer for years, the anonymous seller recently unearthed them while clearing the mess. Amanda Butler, overseeing the auction, revealed that the cast and crew were instructed to destroy their copies to prevent spoilers. Now, the anonymous seller offered this unexpected find for auction, expecting bids between £600 and £800 (approximately Rs 63,000-Rs 84,000).
Amanda told Hanson Auctioneers, “Bidders went crazy for these scripts. We’ve all been flabbergasted, including the seller. She brought the scripts along to our salesroom for valuation. I’m a huge Friends fan so I was really excited to see them. They were found at a TV studio which is no longer there. Apparently, the cast and crew were ordered to destroy their copies so the ending wouldn’t be leaked. However, these two slipped through the net. Friends’ final show aired 20 years ago in 2004 but it’s still watched and enjoyed by millions.”
The retired Londoner recalled the time when she found the scripts while she worked as admin support at the Fountain Studios during the filming of Friends. Although she didn’t directly meet the cast, the atmosphere was bustling and energetic. The person helped in distributing tickets to a London radio station competition winners who attended the filming as the studio audience. Recently, while going through a pile, she found a ticket inside one of the scripts from the bin and claimed she came across the scripts a couple of weeks after filming ended. Unsure about their origin, the scripts ended up in her office drawer.
Upon leaving Fountain Studios in 1999, the woman packed belongings in a hurry, unaware of the forgotten scripts. However, she came across the scripts while checking the box a few months later. Placed in a bedside drawer, they remained there until a recent house clearing ahead of a move. During a visit to family in Hertfordshire, the owner decided to have them valued at Hanson Ross. Despite not being a Friends fan, she acknowledged the cultural significance of the scripts and felt they deserved a place in the collection of a passionate Friends enthusiast.
Friends, created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, enjoyed a successful run on NBC from 1994 to 2004, for 10 seasons. The sitcom featured a talented cast including Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer. Meanwhile, the series finale aired on May 6, 2004, which drew a massive audience of 52.5 million viewers. With 62 Emmy Award nominations, Friends secured the Outstanding Comedy Series award in 2002 for its eighth season.
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