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"The One With the Routine" (also known as "The One with the Rockin' New Year") is the sixth Christmas episode of the NBC sitcom Friends, aired as the tenth episode of the show's sixth season (though it is actually the season's eleventh episode in production order).

Synopsis[]

Janine is going to be a party person on the annual ABC special Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve and asks Joey, Monica, and Ross to come along for the taping. Joey decides to kiss Janine at the end of the midnight countdown on set in order to find out whether she likes him or not. Rachel and Phoebe look for the gifts Monica got for them while the others are at the taping, and convince Chandler to help them look for them by using the presents to know what to get Monica. After searching the apartment for gifts and unable to find them, Rachel ends up knocking on the bench in the apartment, realizing it is hollow and thus discovering where Monica hid the presents. Chandler, however, stops Rachel and Phoebe from opening the gifts by telling them that it isn't what Christmas is about, and that he wants to see Monica's look on her face when she opens his present and believes she will appreciate the look on his face when he opens her present. He persuades the girls to put them back by promising to get them better gifts in return. However, Monica happens to walk in and sees them before they can put them back, revealing to a bemused Chandler that she bought him a water purifier for Christmas.

Monica and Ross really want to be on TV but they would have to dance on the platform, which only the selected people are allowed to do. They put on the "routine" - a ridiculous looking dance they haven't done since 8th Grade - for the selection guy, who claims to be impressed and tells them to do the same dance on the platform where they will be filmed and lets them believe they will be on TV, but when they are out of earshot tells his cameraman that he really just wants them filmed "for the bloopers roll".

Joey and Janine are split up by the selection guy and paired with different dancing partners, as the guy claims not to see them come to the set together. In the bathroom, he tries to persuade Janine's partner to switch with him, but he doesn't budge. Joey retaliates by spilling water on the man's pants and embarrassing him on set. He prepares to kiss Janine on fake midnight but the crew ruins their moment by yelling "Cut!"

When they get back home, Janine kisses Joey, admitting she likes him and wanted to kiss him as well. Neither can wait until New Year's to kiss again and do so marking the start of a new relationship. In the final scene in Monica's apartment, Monica and Chandler try to show Rachel and Chandler the end of the routine but Monica backs out of catching Ross.

Songs[]

Uncredited, aside from its signature theme song, performed by The Rembrandts.

  • "Trouble with Boys" - Loreta
  • "Every Word Means No" - Smash Mouth
  • "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" - Robbie Williams
  • "Next Year" - Kevin Henry

Notes[]

  • In the original, uncut version on the home media releases, Rachel, Phoebe and Chandler go to Central Perk in search of the presents Monica had hidden from them. Rachel flirts with Gunther to try and find out where they are and he faints. Also, after the countdown to New Year's on set, Ross and Monica continue to dance on the platform after everyone leaves.
  • Because of the coming of the year 2000, ABC pre-empted the annual NYRE airing in favor of a special broadcast entitled ABC 2000 Today, although Dick Clark did conduct the New Year's Eve countdown as usual.

Cast[]

Actor/actress Character
Jennifer Aniston Rachel Green
Courteney Cox Arquette Monica Geller
Lisa Kudrow Phoebe Buffay
Matt Le Blanc Joey Tribbiani
Matthew Perry Chandler Bing
David Schwimmer Dr. Ross Geller
Elle Macpherson Janine Lecroix
Patrick Bristow The Stage Manager
Lex Medlin The Tall Guy
James Michael Tyler Gunther
Sandra Plazinic Dancer on Platform
Sybil Azur The Dancing Girl
Uncredited
Alex Kalognomos Dancer on Screen
Paul Sinacore Party Goer

See also[]

External links[]

Warner Bros.
Movies
Warner Bros. Pictures Christmas in ConnecticutGremlinsLethal WeaponNational Lampoon's Christmas VacationBatman ReturnsJack FrostThe Polar ExpressKiss Kiss Bang BangFred Claus
New Line Cinema The Long Kiss GoodnightElfThe Nativity StoryFour ChristmasesA Very Harold & Kumar 3D ChristmasThe Conjuring 2Collateral BeautyShazam!8-Bit Christmas
Blue Ribbon Content A Christmas Story 2A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish
Warner Bros. Television National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island AdventureThe Year Without a Santa ClausChristmas on the Square
Live-action television episodes
Friends and Joey "The One With the Monkey" • "The One With Phoebe's Dad" • "The One Where Rachel Quits" • "The One With the Girl from Poughkeepsie" • "The One With the Inappropriate Sister" • "The One With the Routine" • "The One With All the Candy" • "The One With the Holiday Armadillo" • "The One With Monica's Boots" • "The One with Ross's Step Forward" • "The One With the Creepy Holiday Card" • "The One With Christmas in Tulsa" • "Joey and the Plot Twist" • "Joey and the Christmas Party"
DC Comics "Season's Greedings" • "Home is Where the Hurt Is" • "Twas the Night Before Mxymas" • "Lexmas" • "Gemini" • "Year's End" • "Three Ghosts"
Other shows "A Semi-Merry Christmas" • "Mel, the Magi" • "Mel's Christmas Carol" • "'Tis the Season to Be Jealous" • "A Christmas Story" (Growing Pains) • "The Kid" • "It's Not Easy Being Green" • "A Christmas Story" (Just the Ten of Us) • "Santa Goes Downtown" • "Let It Snow" • "The Night Court Before Christmas" • "Santa on the Lam" • "Have Yourself a Merry Winslow Christmas" • "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Urkel" • "Christmas is Where the Heart is" • "Miracle on Elm Street" • "Fa La La La Laagghh!" • "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" • "Deck the Malls" • "The Christmas Show" • "The Man Who Canceled Christmas" • "Christmas Day-Ja Vu" • "A Country Christmas" • "The Gift" • "A Miracle Happens Here" • "Homeless for the Holidays" • "Do You See What I See" • "The Miracle Worker" • "How the Finch Stole Christmas" • "The Greatest of Gifts" • "I'll Be Home For Christmas" • "Hindsight" • "Twas the Night" • "All About Christmas Eve" • "City of Mercy" • "Meet the Cuban Parents" • "Christmas Punch" • "A Clear and Presentless Danger" • "George is Being Elfish and Christ-Misses His Family" • "Santa's Secret Stuff" • "A Very Supernatural Christmas" • "The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis" • "The Maternal Congruence" • "The Santa Simulation" • "The Cooper Extraction" • "The Clean Room Infiltration" • "Christmas" (The Middle) • "A Simple Christmas" • "A Christmas Gift" • "Christmas Help" • "The Christmas Tree" • "The Christmas Wall" • "Not So Silent Night" • "A Very Marry Christmas" • "The Christmas Miracle" • "It's Beginning to Stink a Lot Like Christmas" • "Jolly Red Elf" • "The World Ain't Over 'Till It's Over" • "Santa's Village of the Damned" • "Walnuts and Demerol" • "Warning, It's Dirty" • "One False Move, Zimbabwe!" • "Give Santa a Tail-Hole" • "On Vodka, On Soda, On Blender, On Mixer" • "Family, Bublé, Deep-Fried Turkey" • "Home for Christmas" • "Jingle Bell Glock" • "The Walk-Out" • "Yule Never Know" • "Merry Ex-Mas" • "A Very Carrie Christmas" • "Veronica's Christmas Song" • "Veronica's Secret Santa" • "An Echolls Family Christmas" • "One Angry Veronica"
Animated productions
Looney Tunes and related shows The Shanty Where Santy Claus LivesBedtime for SnifflesGift WrappedBugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales • "It's a Wonderful Tiny Toons Christmas Special" • "'Twas the Day Before Christmas" • "Jingle Boo" • "The Great Wakkorotti: The Holiday Concert" • "A Christmas Plotz" • "Little Drummer Warners" • "No Time for Christmas" • "A Pinky and the Brain Christmas" • "It Happened One Night Before Christmas" • "In Arms Way" • "The Twelve Days of Christmas" • Christmas Eve with Yakko, Wakko & Dot • "Noel" • "The Christmas Tree" • "The Banks of the Delaware River" • "Feather Christmas" • "Yule Be Sorry" • "Christmas in July" • Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas • "A Christmas Carol" • "Tis the Seasoning" • "Winter Blunderland" • "The Legend of Burrito Monday" • Bugs Bunny's 24-Carrot Holiday Special • "Looneyburg Lights" • "How the Brain Thieved Christmas" • "Santamaniacs"
DC Comics "Christmas With the Joker" • "Holiday Knights" • "Frozen Out" • "Comfort and Joy" • "Storybook Holiday" • "Invasion of the Secret Santas!" • "Second Christmas" • "The True Meaning of Christmas" • "Halloween v Christmas" • "Teen Titans Save Christmas" • "Party Animal" • "Beast Boy on a Shelf" / "Christmas Crusaders" • "A Holiday Story"
Hanna-Barbera co-productions "A Dickens of a Christmas" • A Scooby-Doo! Christmas • "Ho Ho Horrors" • Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker TaleScooby-Doo! Haunted HolidaysTom and Jerry: Santa's Little Helpers • "The Plight Before Christmas" • "Scary Christmas" • "Scroogey Doo" • "It's a Wacky Life" • "Dashing Thru the Snow" • "Signed, Sealed and Wacky" • "The Spirit of Frostnos" • Tom and Jerry: Snowman's Land
Other cartoons "Yuletide and Redtide" • A Cool Like That Christmas • "Santa Mask" • The Polar Express • "The Match Before Xmas" • A Miser Brothers' Christmas • "Da Grinchy Code / Duck" • "FROST / Undercover Claus" • "Fantastic Four Christmases / Red and White Collar" • Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas • "Christmas in Oz" • "Top of the Naughty List" • "Mandora Saves Christmas" • Beebo Saves Christmas
Albums
Have Yourself a Looney Tunes ChristmasA Hip-Hopera ChristmasMerry Christmas: Animaniacs & Looney TunesThe Looney Tunes Kwazy ChristmasA Looney Tunes Sing-A-Long Christmas
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