A fan’s guide to 'The Friends Experience: The One in Manila'

Created by Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences, Original X Productions, and Warner Bros. Television Group, “The Friends Experience” has had successful runs in over 30 place,s including its flagship locations in New York City, London, and Las Vegas.

It makes its Asian debut in the Philippines, thanks to OGX, Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences and GMG Productions.

“It’s something we have really wanted to do for a long time,” said GMG Productions executive producer Sam Sewell.

Finally here

In fact, they had been trying to bring it to the country even before the pandemic.

And now, it’s finally here. Sam said, “Friends is so beloved and when it started going on to streaming platforms, it developed a new younger audience, a fan base who wasn’t around for the original but can now watch it on demand. It had this second wave and it convinced us even more that we had to bring it here.”

Friends, which aired from 1994 to 2004, continues to be one of the most popular shows of all time.

I was in high school when it came out and my brother, cousins and I were quickly hooked. It became our favorite show to watch and rewatch. We never got sick of it—and even until now, it’s still one of my comfort shows. I remember spending multiple summers with my brother, the two of us constantly playing Friends VCDs—and later, DVDs—in the background. At one point, my mother, sick of hearing the cast’s voices, said, “Ano ba yan, I feel like I’m living with these people.”

At “The Friends Experience: The One in Manila,” you could pretend to live with them—heck, you could even pretend to be them. It’s the perfect chance to channel your inner Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Ross, Joey and Phoebe. (I’m mostly a Phoebe with a little bit of Joey—except I like to share food.)

Sam said, “When we unpacked the orange couch, it was like, ‘Oh my gosh, there it is, the orange couch.’ Also, one of the first things that went up was the purple door and the yellow frame, seeing those come go up, that was super kilig.”

She continued, “Everything you see here had to be approved and vetted by Warner Brothers. This is all highly curated. We were saying, ‘If the Friends set designers only knew that 30 years from then, somewhere in the Philippines, someone would be trying to decide if this fabric for the curtain in the boys’ apartment is appropriate...”

There’s a real emphasis on authenticity and attention to detail. The team approached the project with a deep respect for what the series means to people. Sam said, “You want to get it right. I’m a huge Friends fan, too. I grew up watching it. The people who are buying tickets, they’re fans. They know it. Some of them probably know it better than we do. So it’s upholding that and making sure that we’re doing right by Warner Brothers and our partners at OGX to make sure that we’re delivering ‘The Friends Experience.’”

And that they do.

Purple door

Upon walking in, I was greeted by familiar lines from the show. I grinned when I spotted one from one of my all-time favorite episodes, “The One Where Everybody Finds Out”: “They don’t know that we know they know we know.”

I kept walking until I reached that familiar purple door, the door in Monica’s apartment—the one with the yellow frame around the peephole. “You’ll be seeing this door a lot,” said the staff member who welcomed me and the strangers I happened to walk in with.

The staff member was wearing a “How You Doin’?” shirt—a nod to Joey’s catchphrase. “Are you big Friends fans?” he asked.

We all nodded.

He said, “On a scale of 1 to…”

“Twenty-five!” I said, perhaps too enthusiastically.

“Okay,” he said, challenging me. “What was Emma’s first word?”

Crap. I didn’t know.

“Gleba!” he said.

I facepalmed. Of course it was “gleba”!

We turned our attention to the screen—a video narrated by Maggie Wheeler, the woman who played Janice, Chandler’s on-again, off-again girlfriend with the nasal voice and haunting laugh (To quote Chandler, “Why is she here?”), started playing. It included a quick Friends recap (like we needed it) and some reminders (no drinking or eating inside the exhibit). 

Then I was tasked to slide open the purple door, revealing the orange couch in front of the fountain—a photo point where you can recreate the show’s opening credits.

Behind-the-scenes look

Next came a display of costumes and some scripts, including a signed copy of the pilot. “Six of One,” it read—that was the original name of the show.

The exhibit gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at Friends, from set designs and wardrobe sketches to notes from the creators and creatives who worked on it.

Here’s an excerpt from a message from Friends executive producers Marta Kauffman and David Crane: “We were always very critical of our work. After we shot each episode, as we were heading home, we’d turn to each other and say, ‘Well, that’s another one that didn’t suck.’ That’s the most we’d give ourselves.

We never could have imagined the show succeeding on this level. We just wanted to do good work and hoped people would watch. It never, ever occurred to us that we would still be talking about it 26 years later!”

One of the things people still talk about now is Ross and Rachel’s relationship. Was it really a break? And if you ever wanted to read the 18-page (front and back!) letter Rachel wrote to him, you’ll get the chance at “The Friends Experience: The One in Manila.” I tried to finish reading it, I really did, but Ross was right: Rachel did ramble on and on. (Sorry, Rachel!) I was quickly distracted by the display showing her hairstyle evolution.

At the next photo point, we got the chance to recreate the iconic “Pivot!” couch scene from “The One with the Cop.”

Geek out

Sam said, “I think this is the time to nerd out and geek out. Don’t waste it by saying, ‘I’m dyahe to take my picture.’ Do it.”

I say bring your friends so you can enjoy it together. It’s fun to geek out in groups.

But even if you go solo, don’t worry, the staff will take care of you—and yes, they will gladly take your pictures.

Joey and Chandler’s apartment was one of my favorite stops. So many details—the foosball table, the Magna Doodle boards, the hand-crafted entertainment center that’s way too big, and the boys’ recliners which visitors can sit in. I squealed when I saw Hugsy, Joey’s bedtime penguin pal, and laughed when I saw Pat the ceramic dog.

Remember the moment Joey taunts Chandler by wearing all his clothes from “The One Where No One’s Ready”? Relive this moment and, if you’re tall enough, pose and pretend to be Joey and ask, “Could I be wearing any more clothes?”

Monica and Rachel’s apartment is definitely another favorite stop. It was so cool to walk through that door and into the kitchen where so many memorable scenes played out.

Surprisingly, it was the hallway connecting Apartment 20 (Monica and Rachele’s) and Apartment 19 (Joey and Chandler’s) that had me feeling the most emotional. I swear, I almost cried. It felt surreal to be standing in a place that had become so familiar because I had seen it so many times on so many screens. It’s testament to how realistic the sets are—and also how personal the show feels to so many of us.

Then I saw the turkey head on display and laughed.

Central perk

On my way to Central Perk, I saw Ross’s keyboard and Phoebe’s guitar—a good spot to shoot a Smelly Cat video. Make sure you stop by the graffiti wall, there are lots of Easter eggs there.

So many great photo spots at Central Perk as well. Hang out at the gang’s favorite hangout. Grab a cup and pose on the famous orange couch or the many other seats. Go behind the bar, put on an apron and pretend to be Gunther as you serve some coffee. Recreate your favorite scenes.

I love a good gift shop and “The Friends Experience” Store does not disappoint. So many good finds—from a Marcel plushie, “You’re My Lobster” oven mitts and a necklace with a yellow frame pendant to Central Perk coffee cups, Friends joggers and “The Friends Experience” hoodies. 

I ended up bringing home Hugsy. Just like Joey, I needed my own bedtime penguin pal.

“The Friends Experience: The One in Manila” isn’t just a nostalgia trip. It’s a celebration of friendship, laughter and the special moments that bring people together—just like the show itself. I enjoyed it so much I might even go again.

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“The Friends Experience: The One in Manila” runs at The Space at Solaire (Level 3, Solaire Resort
Entertainment City, 1 Aseana Avenue Parañaque) until Nov. 30. Tickets are available at Ticketworld.com.ph. There are general admission, VIP tickets, and special bundles available.