Friends is one of the most popular television comedies of all time. Beginning in 1994, it was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions and Warner Bros. until its series finale in 2004. During its ten years of airing, Friends gained tens of millions of viewers and placed in the top primetime rankings almost every week. Well over 50 million Americans tuned in for the series finale on May 6, 2004, making it the most watched television episode of the decade. Friends was also nominated for 63 Primetime Emmy awards.
Friends charted the lives and complicated personal histories of six close friends living in Manhattan. The original concept for the show was based on exploring how it feels to be young and uncertain about the future, something producers David Crane and Marta Kaufmann recognized from their own lives. In times like those, they felt, friends become as important as family when people need someone to lean on.
Whereas most TV shows concentrate on one or two main characters, Friends spread out its focus on all six of the main ensemble cast. Jennifer Aniston quickly rose to stardom as perky, upbeat Rachel, who moves in with her high school friend Monica (Courteney Cox) in the first episode. Matt LeBlanc also became a household name overnight for his portrayal of Joey, a dim aspiring actor who was given his own spinoff series from 2004-2006 after Friends ended.
Every episode title began with “The One…”, and most episodes focused on the characters’ romantic, sexual, and professional misadventures. An ongoing plotline concerning the on-again, off-again romance between Rachel and Ross (David Schwimmer) proved to be one of the series’ most popular storylines. Some of the show’s humor also comes from Matthew Perry‘s sarcastic humor as Chandler and Lisa Kudrow‘s ditsy eccentricism as Phoebe. Friends also featured a number of fan-favorite guest stars, including Paul Rudd, Elliott Gould, and Tom Selleck.
Cast
David Schwimmer
Jennifer Aniston
Courteney Cox
Matthew Perry
Matt LeBlanc
Lisa Kudrow
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Videos
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