Test Pilot - Courtesy of The Smoking Gun comes a fascinating document from the research department at NBC, circa 1994, reporting on the focus group results from the pilot of Friends. The show got a failing grade of 41 (out of a possible 100), but really that's not so interesting or unexpected. Much more interesting are the recommendations, ranging from "add more humor" to "use Chandler's dreams as a running bit on the show" to "make the coffee house appear a little less funky." Regardless of how you feel about the show, I think you can agree that following the random and/or non-specific ideas generated by a focus group would not necessarily result in a better program. And clearly, in the long run, viewers agreed.