Ross Geller from Friends is best ed as the quirky paleontology professor who never failed to make viewers laugh. He faked an English accent, ran all the way across town to teach a class, and later, rollerbladed to save time and money. All of his classroom antics have led him to have some of the funniest episodes in the series.
Ross earned a reputation for his eccentric and unconventional mannerisms at New York University. That said, without these antics, professor Geller's paleontology classes would have been rather dull and boring. Ross is the heart and soul of Friends, and these hilarious scenes from his classrooms are proof of why.
When He Puts On A Fake British Accent
One of the funniest Ross episodes of Friends ("The One Where Joey Loses His Insurance") features him teaching in a fake British accent at New York University. The real comedy begins when Monica and Rachel sneak into his class and are amused to see him use a fake voice.
Ross decides to phase out his accent and confuses his students to the point where one of them asks what's happening with his speech. The episode marks the beginning of Ross' teaching career and fans are convinced his stint at NYU is going to be full of amusing moments and hilarious scenes. Of course, he lives up to fans' expectations and proves them right.
When Rachel Storms Into His Classroom
Ross got off to a rocky start at NYU. Seconds after he itted he was not from England but Long Island, Rachel stormed in demanding to know why he hadn't annulled their marriage. This incident also took place in "The One Where Joey Loses His Insurance."
Ross responded to his public humiliation by switching back to his jolly British persona and replying with a "why 'ello, Rachel!" greeting. His first week at NYU was the cause of hilarity and a source of amusement for fans. His students were convinced he was an eccentric teacher and enjoyed every moment of it.
When He Makes Dinosaur Noises For His Class
Ross' classroom was a place of learning, and owing to his comic genius, hilarious incidents would occasionally ensue. One such incident lies in season 7's "The One With Joey's Award."
Ross is lecturing his class on Ernest Muhlbrat's hypothesis which states that the velociraptor, when threatened by a predator, would emit a high-pitched noise. When a student asks more questions about this noise, Ross decides to imitate a velociraptor for the class. Of course, Ross being Ross doesn't stop the first time, but repeats the dinosaur noise thrice, and then ends the lecture by saying, "Of course, this is just conjecture." It's clear Mr. Lewis is messing around. Nonetheless, the class is more than amused to hear him make some dinosaur noises.
When He Takes Credit For The Idea Of Jurassic Park
In one of the nerdiest Ross moments in Friends from the episode "The One With Rachel's Book," he concludes his lecture by saying, "And that should conclusively prove that I had the idea for Jurassic Park first..."
As it's seen, the classroom board is filled with texts and diagrams listing the stages that led him to the idea of Jurrasic Park. It's full of all sorts of outlandish claims, but what truly beats the hilarity of the situation is the conviction in Ross' voice. It's no wonder why fans think the actor (David Schwimmer) behind the character truly makes it great.
When Phoebe Disrupts His Class
In the same episode, Ross is panicked when Phoebe hurriedly enters his class and says something urgent has come up. Her words, "It's pretty urgent. It's about Monica and Chandler...," scares him. But it turns out, Phoebe only wants a place to crash since Monica and Chandler are engaged and would understandably require privacy.
Phoebe's bad-timing request is hardly surprising, considering she's the quirkiest of the bunch. The difference, however, is that she's not surrounded by her usual people, and Ross has a classroom full of strangers who know nothing about her quirky ways. They are all amused by her, and so are the viewers.
When Mr. Morse Tricks Him
Season 7's "The One With Joey's Award" is famous for the hilarious exchange between Ross and his student, Ned Morse. After learning he's scored a 7 percent in his mid-, Mr. Morse convinces Ross to cut him slack because he's in love with him.
Funnily, Ross thinks he's giving out some kind of a "sexy professor vibe," and after Rachel's insistence, agrees to show leniency. But as another student tries the same trick on Ross, Ned's act just falls apart. Many viewers think that the quick-witted Ned Morse is the funniest one-off Friends character. The rhythm between him and Ross is well-paced and their dialogue is laugh-out-loud hilarious.
When He Yells At A Crowd Of Students
In "The One Where Joey Dates Rachel," Ross finds himself in a sticky situation in Friends when he agrees to teach an advanced class in a building located far from the regular one.
With a period of fewer than 10 minutes between the two classes, Ross panics and makes way through a crowd of students by yelling at them. When his class refuses to pay heed, he reminds them he's the teacher and bolts out. Ross arrives 50 minutes late on the first day and the new cohort is instantly familiarized with his eccentric ways. Now, he could have tried talking to the heads, but instead, he wears sneakers and figures out a faster but busier route to the Freeman building. Ross' awful time management results in a hilarious episode which ends with him skating to class.
When He Skates Around Class
One of Ross' best physical comedy moments in Friends lies in the same storyline, wherein fans see him wearing rollerblades and holding a pointer stick in class. To Ross and even his fans, skating is clearly faster than walking or running. But the problem is that he is a beginner, and therefore his steering on rollerblades unfolds as a hilarious physical gag.
Nonetheless, Ross saves himself from crashing into classroom walls several times and in one of the saves, he breaks his pointer stick in half.