Monica Geller would eventually become popular staples of the show. Several months before "Friends" premiered, NBC had conducted a research report, the results of which determined that Monica was the only character to have been remotely well received by test audiences. When "Friends" first aired, critics initially perceived Monica – who was immediately established as the show's "mother hen" – and Cox as the series' main character and star, respectively. Critics have been largely receptive towards both Cox and her character; the "Los Angeles Times" holds Cox's acting responsible for disproving the stigma that attractive women are incapable of delivering comedic performances.
Bruce Geller "All in Love" (1961), but his efforts met with only modest success. Geller left New York for Los Angeles, where he was employed writing scripts for episodes of several television series, including "Zane Grey Theater", "Have Gun, Will Travel", "The Rebel", and "The Rifleman". He also worked as the co-executive producer of the "Rawhide" series for the 1964-1965 television season. While producing "Rawhide", he developed the idea for a new "cloak-and-dagger" series, "". In 1966, Geller created, wrote, produced, and directed "Mission: Impossible", the accomplishment for which he is best remembered. The show ran on CBS from 1966 to 1973