The Pilot (Friends)

] Matthew Perry had previously worked with Kauffman and Crane in an episode of "Dream On", and requested an audition after identifying with Chandler. He was denied the audition because he was "off the market" after appearing in a pilot called "LAX 2194".Wild, p.144] Jon Cryer auditioned for Chandler while appearing on stage in London. He read for a British casting director who sent a video tape of his audition to the casting executives in Los Angeles, though the tape did not arrive in time. []

Reception

"Entertainment Weekly" rates the episode B+ and states that "After 22 minutes, these six people are believably set up as lifelong buddies". Ross's line, "Do the words 'Billy, Don't Be a Hero' mean anything to you?" is singled out as the best line of the episode. [
*cite news|first= Elizabeth|last= Kolbert|title= The Conception and Delivery of a Sitcom: Everyone's a Critic|url= http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9405EEDF1239F93AA35756C0A962958260|work= The New York Times|date= 1994-05-09|accessdate= 2008-01-19
*cite news|first= Elizabeth|last= Kolbert|title= A Sitcom Is Born: Only Time Will Tell The Road To Prime Time|url= http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A01E5DF1E38F930A15756C0A962958260|work= The New York Times|date= 1994-05-23|accessdate= 2008-01-19

References

*cite book |last= Stallings|first= Penny|title= The Ultimate Friends Companion|year= 2000|publisher= Channel 4 Books|location= London|isbn= 0-7522-7231-4
*cite book |last= Wild|first= David|title= Friends ...'Til the End|year= 2004|publisher= Headline|location= London|isbn= 0-7553-1321-6

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0583459/ "The Pilot"] at the Internet Movie Database