Friends - Zoo scene
- Thread starter mjmorg89
- Start date
I never saw that episode (I was into Seinfeld, may have cost me girl admiration, they all love Friends 
but I saw the one in which he had to give up the monkey; I remember thinking on the mention of the San Diego Zoo how unlikely it would be that one of America's most famous zoos would 'adopt' a common pet! There's no doubt that San Diego (as well as most or all other zoos) are contacted every day by wierd people asking them to take their dogs, cats, frogs, hamsters and whatever else!
I wonder why the producers didn't use the Bronx Zoo or any of the other eastern zoos, some almost as famous as San Diego, as the series was shot on Manhattan? Instead they let the character fly the monkey across the country. But I guess viewers' demand for happy ending made them do it, San Diego is of course warmer than the Bronx.
I wonder if the San Diego Zoo was contacted by the producers prior to writing the script and asked to pay for the 'free advertisement'? Makers of alcohol, cigarettes, computers and other stuff pay all the time for having their productions featured in films and TV 'by coincidence'. The producers could have mentioned any zoo in the script.
but I saw the one in which he had to give up the monkey; I remember thinking on the mention of the San Diego Zoo how unlikely it would be that one of America's most famous zoos would 'adopt' a common pet! There's no doubt that San Diego (as well as most or all other zoos) are contacted every day by wierd people asking them to take their dogs, cats, frogs, hamsters and whatever else!I wonder why the producers didn't use the Bronx Zoo or any of the other eastern zoos, some almost as famous as San Diego, as the series was shot on Manhattan? Instead they let the character fly the monkey across the country. But I guess viewers' demand for happy ending made them do it, San Diego is of course warmer than the Bronx.
I wonder if the San Diego Zoo was contacted by the producers prior to writing the script and asked to pay for the 'free advertisement'? Makers of alcohol, cigarettes, computers and other stuff pay all the time for having their productions featured in films and TV 'by coincidence'. The producers could have mentioned any zoo in the script.
mjmorg89
Well-Known Member
It did cross my mind that it was a set, but having not seen San Diego I couldn't be sure. Also as the episode was filmed in the mid 90s, I figured the 'zoo' is different now. What does make me think it was filmed in an actual zoo is the nocturnal section. It seems a bit too much to create a set of nocturnal exhibits on a film set just for 60 seconds of footage.
I too wondered why they didn't mention any zoos closer to New York, but as the show was/is broadcast world wide I imagine they picked San Diego due to its world wide fame over the other American zoos.
As a curious side note, has anyone ever sent an animal to a zoo that they could no longer care for?
I too wondered why they didn't mention any zoos closer to New York, but as the show was/is broadcast world wide I imagine they picked San Diego due to its world wide fame over the other American zoos.
As a curious side note, has anyone ever sent an animal to a zoo that they could no longer care for?
The only filming locations listed on imdb.com is a filming studio and New York City, meaning either the site is inaccurate or it was filmed in a studio. The wikipedia site for the episode renders nothing, and I would have thought the hardcore friends fans would have added it to the trivia section, if there was anything to tell.
I remember reading once that it was meant to be San Diego Zoo but was actually shot in a different zoo, but whether I'm remembering right or not, I have no idea. I don't think they would have minded spending a fair bit of money on the scene. It was designed to be a ratings grabber episode and probably would have had a nice budget to work with. In the end it recieved 52.9 million viewers.
In the episode where Ross donates Marcel to the zoo, he actually contacts several, hoping to see which of the zoos would take him, and then he would pick the best from the bunch, perhaps explaining why they didn't use a more local zoo.
The scene itself is in Series 2, Episode 12 'The One After The Superbowl - Part One'.
And in answer to your last question, I contacted Blue Reef on my manager's behalf to see if we could rehome her Tiger Oscar, which they declined. I was about to contact Marwell about it before she found the fish a home herself.
I remember reading once that it was meant to be San Diego Zoo but was actually shot in a different zoo, but whether I'm remembering right or not, I have no idea. I don't think they would have minded spending a fair bit of money on the scene. It was designed to be a ratings grabber episode and probably would have had a nice budget to work with. In the end it recieved 52.9 million viewers.
In the episode where Ross donates Marcel to the zoo, he actually contacts several, hoping to see which of the zoos would take him, and then he would pick the best from the bunch, perhaps explaining why they didn't use a more local zoo.
The scene itself is in Series 2, Episode 12 'The One After The Superbowl - Part One'.
And in answer to your last question, I contacted Blue Reef on my manager's behalf to see if we could rehome her Tiger Oscar, which they declined. I was about to contact Marwell about it before she found the fish a home herself.