A 'Friends' script found in the trash is auctioned for $28,000

On May 7, 1998, the world held its breath when Ross Geller said “I do” to his girlfriend Emily… while calling her Rachel. That confusion went on to become one of the most iconic scenes of the series. Friends, already a milestone of the nineties and two thousand. That was the closing of the fourth season, with a double episode of a chaotic wedding in London that gave a twist to the entire plot, because it was just there when Monica and Chandler, played by Courteney Cox and the recently deceased Matthew Perry, happened their first and clandestine night together to end up becoming a famous couple, one of the most famous on television. With so many great television moments and with an episode that almost 32 million people saw live, it was assumed that this script was well kept and kept under lock and key. But not. The script appeared in a trash can. Its final destination has been more dignified: it has been auctioned and sold for 22,000 pounds sterling (about 28,000 dollars or 25,500 euros).

It was a worker at Fountain studios, located in Wembley, on the outskirts of London, who discovered in a container the four final drafts that later shaped the first and second parts of The one at Ross's wedding. It was precisely in those studios where the episode was filmed, where the wedding chapel was recreated. And that was where that worker rescued them, who decided to put the scripts up for sale through a British auction house called Hanson Ross.

The estimated sale price was between 600 and 800 pounds, that is, just over 1,000 euros or dollars. But the auction quickly broke out and the bidding began, incessantly. It is unknown who bought it, but it is known that it was “an international online buyer,” as the company has announced. BBC. Up to 219 people from all over the world bid to get the scripts, and it was finally awarded for 22,000 pounds, 28,864 with taxes and charges (33,500 euros, 36,700 dollars). As the head of operations at Hanson Ross explained to the British media, “the global interest was impressive.” “I can't believe that result and the impact that this discovery has had. Buyers go crazy for these types of scripts.” The originals are a strong point for Hanson Ross, who has sold a multitude of letters and Christmas cards autographed by Princess Diana of Wales (some for more than 2,000 euros), photographs signed by Queen Elizabeth II, Frank Sinatra or Charles Chaplin, and one of the first 500 printed copies of the first Harry Potter book for 60,000 pounds (70,000 euros-76,000 dollars).

It is unknown who the buyer of the scripts is, but also who was their first owner, and whether it was that person who threw them in the trash or they ended up there by accident, but the auction house assumes that it would be a member of the cast or one of the workers of the series. The Fountains have been around for almost a century, when they were the best and most equipped sound studios in the UK. Since then they have had a lot of activity, constant, because in addition to series and movies (the Beatles passed through there and filming The engaged princess either The elephant Man by David Lynch) many of the British editions of Masterchef, X Factor and Got Talent. The identity of the person who found them is not known either, but he had had them for some time (Hanson Ross does not specify if since 1998 or if they were found later) forgotten in a drawer and now, upon finding them again, has decided to put them up for sale.

Friends, which became one of the most important and well-known series of the end of the 21st century, continues to attract millions of fans around the world 20 years after its end. In Los Angeles, where most of it was filmed, its name baptizes the Warner sound studio where the protagonists' apartments and the Central Perk cafe were located. During the usual visit, tourists cannot enter, only see it from the outside, but within their route there are the famous fountain and the sofa from the series (which is not a sofa as such, but is made of fiberglass) where the headline took place, the set that imitates the cafeteria and even a real cafeteria with glasses and cups like those in Central Perk. And of course many stores where you can stock up on all kinds of souvenirs, books and clothing.

The death of Matthew Perry last October has increased interest in everything related to the series and, as reported by the specialized media Varietyin November the series became not only the most viewed in the HBO Max catalog in the United States, but also the most viewed in streaming from the country. At the Critics Choice Awards, held Sunday night in California, Jennifer Aniston encouraged fans to “celebrate” Perry's legacy and life. This Monday, when the Emmys are held, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences will also pay tribute to the five-time nominee for this award.

You can follow EL PAÍS Television on x or sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.