were premiered after recent Super Bowls and name one that's still around. What we decided to do this year was not to unveil a new show but give people an extra-special version of a show they already like a lot." Reception "The One After the Superbowl" is the most-watched episode in the history of Friends, with a total of 52.9 million viewers tuned in after the Super Bowl ended. The episode generated a 29.5 Nielsen rating and a 47 percent audience share, making it the highest-rated episode of any show ever (scripted or otherwise) to debut after the Super Bowl. The advertising rates for "The One After the Superbowl" averaged $600,000 for 30 seconds of commercial time. This was one of the largest advertising rates ever for a sitcom at the time. The episode's director, Michael Lembeck, won the 1996 Emmy Award in the "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing for a Comedy Series" category for this episode, the only Emmy won by Friends that year. "The One After the Superbowl" received mixed reviews from television critics. Lisa Davis of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram called the guest appearances "a blatant ploy to boost ratings." The Charlotte Observer's Tim Goodman said the episode's "pathetic infusion of 'star appeal'" made him "nauseous" and commented that the producers "should just make Bernie Kopell a regular and turn it into the Love Boat all over again." Diane Holloway of the Austin American-Statesman also noted the similarities with the television series Love Boat, known for its many guest stars: "[The episode] had a couple of chuckles, but came off like a young Love Boat." Entertainment Weekly called the episode "fragmented, poorly paced, and only sporadically funny. Cramming the already crowded ensemble with celebs may have been a ratings grabber ... but the results are forced sitcomedy and stilted acting," specifically citing Van Damme. Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide wrote that the episode "feels like nothing more than a big stunt to follow the big game." He went on to say that the cameos of Willard and Castellaneta "offers easily the best parts of the program." Shields was praised for her performance. Alan Pergament of The Buffalo News said she "showed a different side and was the best guest star" in the episode. Peter Marks of The New York Times commented that Shields' performance was "so edgy and unbridled" that she "stole the episode" from Roberts