Life After ‘Friends’: Marta Kauffman & David Crane

For ten years, a situation comedy about six twenty-somethings making their way in the big city made its way into millions of living rooms across the world.

The show defined the term “must see TV” by making us laugh and keeping us glued to the will-they-or-won’t-they plotlines. With an attractive, talented cast, celebrity guest-stars and truly hilarious writing, the show was a ratings juggernaut, trendsetter, and 63-time Emmy Award nominee.

Of course, the aforementioned show is “Friends.” Perhaps you’ve heard of it? From 1994-2004, it was hard to imagine television without it.

As other programs came and went, devoted and casual fans alike grew with the show, tuning in to watch what the well-defined cast of characters would do and say next. While those characters may be off our primetime screens these days, Access Hollywood provides you with a current account of what the creators are doing and saying nowadays.

Marta Kauffman, the show’s co-creator, writer and executive producer, is writing her first pilot script since “Friends,” The Hollywood Reporter reports. The CW has given a pilot commitment to a one-hour project from Kauffman and Warner Bros. Television. Tentatively titled “Steps,” it is set at a family-run dance studio.

“Dance is very close to my heart,” she said, and described the new show’s genre as “comedrama” or “dancedy,” a one-hour drama with comedic elements and a lot of dancing.

Kauffman decided to go with the CW for her new project after several meetings with the network’s entertainment president, Dawn Ostroff.

“I adore her,” Kauffman said to the Hollywood Reporter. “I think she is the kind of people I want to work with.”

This will be Kauffman’s first writing gig since “Friends” wrapped (she’ll also be serving as executive producer), although she was also EP of the WB’s short-lived dramedy “Related,” in 2005.

Friends’ other co-creator, writer and executive producer David Crane has already found sitcom success post-”Friends,” as the co-creator and executive producer of 2006 CBS fall entry, ?The Class.” “The Class,” like “Friends,” is an ensemble comedy about young adults sharing life and laughs, and has its share of quirky characters played by dynamic actors – but this time Crane is juggling eight characters instead of six. Cast chemistry is obviously important for an ensemble show to be a hit, and Crane is confident he can repeat “Friends”’ success in that department.

“For six months we saw just a huge range and diversity of actors,” he told The Washington Post, “and at the end of the day these were absolutely the eight actors who were absolutely right for the parts.?

“The Class” is an early ratings hit for CBS, improving on its lead-in of established hit “How I Met Your Mother” on Mondays.

Before “Friends,” the team of Kaufman & Crane co-created HBO’s critically acclaimed series “Dream On” in 1990, and were both executive producers of Kirstie Alley vehicle “Veronica’s Closet” from 1997 -2000 as well as “Jesse” starring Christina Applegate, from 1998-2000. Besides writing two episodes of “Friends” spin-off “Joey” together, they did not have a producer’s stake in that short-lived NBC series.

Look for Part Two of our “Life After Friends” story next week when we look at the six “Friends” themselves and see what the actors are up to these days.