A blog about television by TIME’s TV critic James Poniewozik.

TV Poll: I'll Be There For You

 

Nicole Rivelli

NBC Photo: Nicole Rivelli

Not one of my favorite episodes of 30 Rock last night, though like all of them it had its moments. The Night Court closure storyline was over the top of the top but I was willing to suspend disbelief more than usual for Harry and Markie's sake. ("Court? At night? I'm laughing already!") Jennifer Aniston's Crazy-Putty character seemed more like the kind of loony outsider who might have crashed an episode of, well, Friends. It's not Aniston's fault, but since she was there, and since I don't have much more comment to make on the episode other than to quote funny lines ("She's like the Macarena: Something everyone did at parties in 1996"), I'm going to turn this post into a TV Poll: Which Friends actor do you think has done the best work since the show ended, and why? "Paul Rudd" is cheating.

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  • 1

    I haven't watched much of the other actors, but Matt Perry's work on the short-lived Studio 60 was really good.

  • 2

    Definitely Matt Perry. I enjoyed his work on both Studio 60 and West Wing, in addition to a movie he made about a teacher. Lisa Kudrow has also done some good work. Never cared for David Schwimmer, even when he was on the show.

  • 3

    Courtney Cox' Dirt was/is one of the most despised shows that I never even watched. For some reason, the idea of a show about a sleazy tabloid magazine on F/X was a little too much for me.
    .
    I'll go ahead and fight for my boy, Ross. David Schwimmer impressed me with his direction of Run, Fat Boy, Run. Also, he voiced the sick, nervous giraffe in Madagascar, which turned out to be a huge success for Dreamworks, and the sequel (I'm sure) will be a hit. I applaud actors who know they've sort of dried up and decide to turn to other facets of the industry instead of doing reunion shows or Friends conventions.

  • 4

    Lisa kudrow was really the only one I could stand on Friends, and she's the only one I could stand since then. ALthough, Aniston has the most interesting off-screen, on-tabloid-cover life, and is probably the most VISIBLE and successful one of the bunch (although I'm not crazy about a lot of her roles, at least there have been some I can remember).

  • 5

    I actually thought Aniston was pretty good last night--she seems like she doesn't take herself too seriously, and I think she has good comic timing.

    But my vote is for Kudrow, who's done good roles in some indy films, not to mention her great HBO show. Either her or Gunther.

  • 6

    Although far from my favorite Friend, Schwimmer's work on Curb Your Enthusiasm was pretty good.

  • 7

    I just watched the episode of West Wing where Matt Perry starts his new White House job - he's so good in it, and you can't see Chandler at all. Ditto for his work on Studio 60, so he has my vote. Aniston's defnitely done the most high-profile stuff, but it's rare that I can watch her and not get a least a glimpse of Rachel.

  • 8

    I know the show was pretty bad and the character very unlikeable, but there wasn't a shred of Monica in Courteney Cox's Lucy on Damages. Schwimmer always has some Ross to him. LeBlanc has only done Joey. I agree with Molly about Matt Perry--he really managed to shed his Chandler.

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