Friends scripts rescued from a studio bin to go under the hammer

Discarded Friends scripts from two episodes filmed in England were rescued from a bin in 1998, and are now set to be auctioned.

The discarded scripts of the show Friends, used for two episodes filmed in England, were rescued from a bin in 1998.

In 1998, a staff member at Fountain Studios, Wembley, where the Season Four finale of the popular TV show was filmed, discovered recovered drafts of the episodes. Amanda Butler from Hanson Ross auctioneers in Royston, Hertfordshire, expressed that these scripts, which were supposed to be destroyed to prevent leaks of the ending, are now expected to be auctioned for a price ranging between £600 and £800. The recovered scripts pertain to the two-part season finale titled “The One With Ross’s Wedding.”

Scenes in England were filmed by key cast members, including Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston, and David Schwimmer. The unidentified seller, who had previously worked at Fountain Studios until 1999, rediscovered the scripts during a recent decluttering. Reflecting on the find, the seller recalled speculating about which cast member the scripts might have belonged to and admitted to almost discarding them during a desk-clearing process. Stored in a bedside drawer since then, the scripts are now seeking a rightful owner among avid Friends fans.

On January 12, an auction will feature scripts from an unspecified source, a production hoodie, and a Friends DVD box set. Although it remains unclear who originally owned the scripts, they likely belonged to someone involved in the cast or crew of the TV show. Notably, a sticker for a set designer named John Lanzer was found on them. The head of operations, a devoted Friends fan, expressed the surreal experience of reading the scripts and seeing on paper what was once seen on screen. She cautioned that passionate fans might surpass the estimated auction value, emphasizing that the bidding could potentially reach limitless heights if there is enough interest.