'Friends: The One in 4K' Box Set Includes New Bonus Content for 30th Anniversary (Review)
The new HD box set will be one of the most coveted gifts of this holiday season.
It's going to be a great holiday season for Friends fans, as the entire series was just re-released in 4K Ultra HD for the very first time. Friends: The One in 4K is a Blu-ray box set featuring all 10 seasons of the sitcom, as well as bonus content including some brand new behind-the-scenes featurettes. The collection went on sale wherever media is sold on Sept. 24 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Friends series premiere.
The One in 4K is a box set featuring 12 discs – one for each season of the sitcom and two for all the special features. That includes many of the most popular features of previous releases such as audio commentary, deleted or extended scenes, featurettes, and media appearances by the cast and crew. There are also about two hours of new content, including a virtual tour of the props and set pieces preserved after the show's finale and three documentary-style retrospectives with the cast and crew.
Friends was one of the most popular shows of its time, dominating the sitcom slot from its premiere in 1994 to its finale in 2004. In more recent years, it is arguably the definitive "comfort-watch" in the age of streaming. That means fans will binge-watch it, re-watch it, and play it almost constantly in some cases while they do chores, work or even sleep. For those viewers, a hard copy like this could be a godsend, saving them money on their internet bill and saving them the trouble of chasing their favorite show from platform to platform as the rights change hands over the years.
Die-hard fans will also want to get a look at these featurettes, both new and old. The box set includes two talk show appearances with the six main cast members – one on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and one on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. It also includes an extended cut of the episode "The One Where Rachel Tells Ross" and the original broadcast super-sized cut of episodes from Season 7. There is a special feature titled "The One with the Never Before Seen Gags," and a trivia game called "How Well Do You Know Your Friends."
For fans of Friends, physical media collectors and those who prefer high-definition viewing, The One in 4K is a great purchase or a great holiday gift. The box set is available to purchase or order now wherever Blu-rays are sold. At the time of this writing, the retail price is $249.99.