The classic sitcom Friends faced significant network pushback during its production in the 1990s.

Co-creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman had to defend the character Monica Geller against an NBC executive's concerns before the show even premiered.

The NBC executive argued that audiences would not like Monica because she slept with a guy on a first date, which sparked a debate about her character's portrayal.

In the pilot episode, which aired in 1994, Monica, played by Courteney Cox, goes on a date with 'Paul the Wine Guy' and sleeps with him after believing his sad story about his ex-wife.

To gauge audience reactions, NBC distributed a biased questionnaire during a dress rehearsal, asking leading questions that framed Monica negatively.

The questionnaire's options were skewed, asking if Monica was a 'slut' or 'harlot', but the audience chose an unlisted option that indicated acceptance of her actions.

Despite the biased questions, audience responses overwhelmingly supported Monica's actions, indicating it was acceptable for her to sleep with Paul on the first date.

Crane contended that Monica's actions would actually make her more sympathetic to viewers, countering the executive's concerns.

Kauffman noted that audience reactions also influenced the development of Monica and Chandler’s relationship, which was initially intended as a one-night stand.

Later in the show's run, fan reactions, particularly from audiences in London, significantly influenced the storyline of Monica and Chandler's relationship.

The audience's responses showed no support for the negative labels, with many writing in that they found Monica's actions acceptable.