The couch that travelled the world!

One of the countless reasons the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in Burbank checks so many boxes for fans of TV and movies comes down to a simple, orange couch sitting casually in front of an outdoor water fountain.

This may seem like just an ordinary couch, although one that looks strikingly familiar, but in reality, there’s a big story behind it.

This couch was carefully constructed by Warner Bros. Design Studio for the 25th anniversary of the mega-hit TV show Friends! Just like the one our favorite group of six reclined on as they chatted, complained, fretted and drank ridiculous amounts of coffee.

But when you sit on this couch, don’t expect it to be soft and cozy. It was sculpted out of foam, made into a mold and cast in fiberglass. Then duplicated 80 times!

The Warner Bros. tour guides will warn you not to plop down on it, because you'll end up with a sore bum!

The water fountain behind the couch is authentic. It's the same one used in the opening of the show, when the friends frolicked as if they were six young, attractive people living in New York City and spending all their time dealing with small job and dating problems. It was moved from Warner Bros.' Ranch Lot to its Back Lot to complete a perfect Friends experience for those who visit.

Friends premiered on Sept. 22, 1994 and ran for 10 seasons. For its 25th anniversary celebration in 2019, 80 couches identical to the one at Central Perk travelled around the globe, creating a cool photo opportunity.

It sat in front of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, the Tower Bridge in London, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the Empire State Building in New York, the Royal Palace in Madrid, Spain and Klyde Warren Park in Dallas.

The couches also made star-studded appearances at such huge film festivals as Toronto, Venice and Tribeca in New York.

Couches visited Mexico, Australia, the Philippines and many other countries, as well as

lots of movie theaters through Fathom Events.

Needless to say, Friends has fans all over the world!

After being driven around Warner Bros.' backlot during the studio tour and passing such landmarks as Midwest Street (see our earlier post), Hennesy Street, New York Street and the Jungle Lagoon, visitors get a chance to hop off the tram and pose for pictures on the specially crafted Friends couch.

What is it about this show that gives us a warm sense of nostalgia and at the same time a sense that these scenarios could be playing out in a super cool apartment in Greenwich Village right this minute? The creators somehow made a show that’s timeless, not dated by too much ‘90s slang or out-of-date outfits (although it obviously has its ‘90s and early 2000s elements).

The characters and friendships remain relatable across generations, and that’s the mark of a well-written, skillfully acted show.

By the way, if you want to sit on the real Friends couch that supported David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow, you can do that on the tour, too! The dismantled set was reconstructed in the Stage 48 exhibit called “Script to Screen.” The backstory says that the couch they first planned to use was beige, but after someone rummaged around in the basement of Warner Bros., they came upon this large, orange couch that would go on to become so iconic on the show.

There’s a cozy vibe to Central Perk, where every bit of wall and floor space is packed with the eclectic charm of an awesome New York coffee shop. We all long to be there holding one of those over-sized coffee mugs! The artwork in the actual show was changed every three episodes. Did you ever notice that?

As a side note, Central Perk was actually inspired by an LA coffee shop called Insomniac Cafe, which had the same unique personality.

Sitting on the simple orange couch in front of the fountain, you can imagine that you were one of those happy friends dancing around in the opening of the show, enjoying life in a beautiful apartment in Greenwich Village.

For those of us who still incessantly rewatch the show, Friends is our lobster, and we will always love it!