It was filmed in front of a live audience.....except for cliffhangers.
Shooting an episode of Friends was a lengthy process, typically lasting five hours, with multiple takes per scene and 20 minutes between scenes to change sets.
Still, the show was filmed in front of a live audience made up of 300 fans. And that's the way the cast preferred it. "It's kind of like a test to see if the material works, if the jokes work, if the story tracks," said Matt LeBlanc (Joey). Matthew Perry (Chandler) agreed, "Our energy just elevates every time there's an audience."
