Friends

For the use of the word in a general sense, see Friendship.

For other uses, see Friends (disambiguation).

Friends
File:FRIENDS.PNG Friends title card
Created by	David Crane Marta Kauffman
Starring	Jennifer Aniston Courteney Cox Arquette Lisa Kudrow Matt LeBlanc Matthew Perry David Schwimmer
Opening theme	"I'll Be There for You" by The Rembrandts
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	236 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time	approx. 22 minutes (per episode)
Original release
Network	NBC
Release	September 22 1994 – May 6 2004

Friends is an Emmy Award-winning American situation comedy about a group of six friends living in the New York City borough of Manhattan that was originally broadcast from 1994 to 2004. It was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, and produced by Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman and David Crane. One of the most popular television series of all time, the show has been broadcast in over one hundred countries and still continues to attract good ratings for its episodes in syndication. The final episode of the show remains one of the largest in terms of television audience numbers in the U.S.

Origins

File:Greenwitchwtc.jpg

Friends took place in the New York City neighborhood of Greenwich Village.

Friends was created in 1994 by David Crane, who wrote Friends in Burbank, California, and who got his start working with the legendary Norman Lear and Marta Kauffman, who served as writer and producer of Dream On. Friends was aimed at young adults who, during the early 1990s, were identified by their café culture, dating scene and modern independence.

Two of the series' stars, Matthew Perry and Jennifer Aniston, had already appeared in several unsuccessful sitcom pilots.

Another, Lisa Kudrow, was also familiar with working on sitcoms having played Ursula Buffay on Mad About You. In the series, it was revealed that Ursula was the twin sister of Kudrow's Friends character, Phoebe. Kudrow was fired during filming of the pilot of Frasier after being cast as Roz.[1]

Courteney Cox was already an accomplished TV and film actress when she was cast, having appeared in the likes of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and had had several minor roles on sitcoms such as Seinfeld and Family Ties.

David Schwimmer was wanted by the writers of Friends for the part of Ross Geller from the beginning; having auditioned for Crane and Kauffman in the past, Schwimmer was said to have a memorable voice and was most known for his Broadway work, but he also directed some Friends episodes.

Matt LeBlanc appeared as Vinnie Verducci, the boyfriend of Kelly Bundy in Married... with Children in the early 1990s and starred in that sitcom's short-lived spin-off, Top of the Heap as well as Vinnie & Bobby, but before that had mainly been focusing on advertising and modeling work when he was cast as Joey Tribbiani.

Cast members

Primary characters

File:TV The One After Ross Says Rachel.jpg

(episode: "The One After Ross Says Rachel")

Role	Full name	Actor or actress
Rachel Green	Rachel Karen Green	Jennifer Aniston
Monica Geller	Monica Emily Geller-Bing	Courteney Cox Arquette
Phoebe Buffay	Phoebe Buffay-Hannigan	Lisa Kudrow
Chandler Bing	Chandler Muriel Bing	Matthew Perry
Joey Tribbiani	Joseph Francis Tribbiani Jr.	Matt LeBlanc
Ross Geller	Ross Eustace Geller	David Schwimmer

Secondary characters

Further information: [[:List of recurring characters in Friends, List of significant others of Friends, and List of guest stars on Friends]]

Role	Relationship	Actor or actress
Jack Geller	Ross & Monica's father	Elliott Gould
Judy Geller	Ross & Monica's mother	Christina Pickles
Gunther	Coffee shop manager	James Michael Tyler
Janice	Chandler's annoying on/off girlfriend	Maggie Wheeler
Dr. Richard Burke	Monica's ex-boyfriend	Tom Selleck
Mike Hannigan	Phoebe's husband	Paul Rudd

Behind the scenes, the show was known for its unusually cohesive and unified cast. The six main actors made deliberate efforts, from early on, to keep the show's ensemble format and to not allow any one of them to dominate. This included requesting that all actors on the show be nominated either for the same category of award ("Supporting Actor" until 2001, then "Lead Actor" from 2002 onwards) or not at all, and entering collective instead of individual salary negotiations. The actors became such close friends that one guest star, Tom Selleck, reported sometimes feeling left out. This was a criticism later echoed by British actress Helen Baxendale, who guest starred as Ross's second wife, Emily.

The character of Ursula (Phoebe's twin sister) first appeared in the sitcom Mad About You as a waitress. Kudrow played Ursula on both Mad About You and Friends. The show's creators did not originally intend for Phoebe to have a twin, but they added the character to explain why Kudrow was appearing on two different shows on the same network, at one time as a part of the same Thursday night line-up.

Friends featured many of its celebrity guest stars as secondary characters in the show. Most U.S. sitcoms use celebrities in cameo appearances to raise ratings during important sweeps weeks, but some celebrities appeared on Friends throughout each TV season. These stars included Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, George Clooney, Sean Penn, Danny DeVito, Robin Williams, Helen Hunt, Brooke Shields, Julia Roberts, Sarah Ferguson, Freddie Prinze, Jr., Ben Stiller, Alec Baldwin, Ralph Lauren, Hank Azaria, Anna Faris, Winona Ryder, and Isabella Rossellini. British business mogul Richard Branson made a guest appearance in a Season Four episode. Creator Of R'n'B Girl Group "Pussycat Dolls", Robin Antin made an appearance. One guest star who gained a recurring role was Tom Selleck as Monica’s older long-term boyfriend. The parents of the six were cast using celebrities: for example, Kathleen Turner played Chandler's drag-queen father, Elliott Gould played Ross and Monica's father, and Teri Garr played Phoebe's flaky birth mother.

Four CSI stars also played in Friends: Aisha Tyler from CSI: Las Vegas, Eddie Cahill from CSI: NY and Emily Procter & Sofia Milos from CSI: Miami. Child star Dakota Fanning played the role of Mackenzie in Season 10 of the series in the episode 'The One With Princess Consuela'.

Season synopses

Further information: List of Friends episodes

Season One (1994-1995)

Phoebe, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Ross meet up in Central Perk shortly after Ross's wife Carol realizes she is a lesbian and divorces him. Monica and Ross are both living alone, Chandler and Joey live together and Phoebe lives with her grandmother. Monica's old high school friend, Rachel, enters Central Perk wearing a wedding dress, having just run away from her wedding to Barry Farber. She moves in with Monica, gets a job as a waitress at Central Perk but struggles to work for a living, having previously lived a rich life. Ross discovers his ex-wife is pregnant and she gives birth to a boy, named Ben, who is subsequently raised by Carol and her lesbian partner, Susan.

Joey and Chandler have many flings with different women. Chandler gets involved with a woman named Janice who repeatedly shows up in every season through the series. She is most known for her catchphrase "oh...my...God!".

Ross reveals he had a crush on Rachel in high school and he still has feelings for her. Throughout the season, he fails to make his feelings known to her and Chandler and Joey eventually persuade him to move on. On Rachel's birthday, Ross leaves for a paleontological trip to China. While he is gone, Chandler accidentally reveals to Rachel that Ross is in love with her. Rachel decides she would like to start a romantic relationship with Ross and goes to meet him at the airport when he returns from China, unaware that he is getting off the plane with another woman named Julie.

Phoebe meets a scientist named David whom she falls in love with, but in the end he has to move to Minsk, to continue with his scientific research. They are left heart-broken by this move.

Season Two (1995-1996)

Unaware that Rachel is in fact interested in him, Ross has started a relationship with an old friend, Julie, whom he met in China. Rachel does not take a liking to Julie because she is involved with Ross. While drunk, Rachel leaves a message on Ross' answering machine telling him she's over him. Ross hears the message and becomes confused over his own feelings. He and Rachel soon meet and kiss. Ross is unable to choose between Rachel and Julie and decides to make a pro and con list of both women. He decides he loves Rachel and breaks up with Julie. Unfortunately, Rachel discovers the list, becomes angry and rejects Ross. However, the friends eventually watch a video from Rachel and Monica's prom where it seems Rachel's prom date, Chip, has stood her up. The teenage Ross decides he will take her. While Ross is coming down the stairs in a tuxedo, Rachel runs off with Chip, who has arrived late. Ross looks shattered. Back in the present day, Rachel kisses Ross when she sees how sincere he is and they start dating. They realise they are in love!

Joey gets an acting job as Dr. Drake Ramoray on the soap Days of our Lives and earns enough money to move into his own apartment (leaving Chandler behind). Left on his own, Chandler gets a new roommate, Eddie, who is insane. When Joey states in an interview that he writes his own lines, the show's writers kill off his character by making him fall down an elevator shaft. With no income, Joey moves back into Chandler's apartment helping Chandler finally to get rid of the psychotic Eddie. Phoebe finds she has a half brother named Frank Jr. and they start building a relationship. Monica dates Richard Burke, an ophthalmologist and a friend of her parents who is twenty-one years older than she is, but they break up when Richard tells her he does not want to have children. When Chandler meets the woman he's been talking to online he sees that it is his ex, Janice, and they kiss.

Season Three (1996-1997)

Rachel quits her job at Central Perk to find a job in fashion, when she does she ends up making coffee at the fashion label so she takes a job at Bloomingdales offered to her by stranger Mark. Ross becomes convinced her new co-worker wants to date her and becomes increasingly jealous. Tension between Ross and Rachel culminates on their anniversary and Rachel suggests they take a break. After hearing Rachel's co-worker Mark in the background during a phone call, Ross assumes she is seeing / interested in him. Depressed and under the influence of alcohol, he sleeps with another woman (Chloe the hot copy girl, occasionally referred to in earlier episodes of the season). When Rachel indicates that she still wants Ross, he tries to resume their relationship without telling her about his fling but she finds out from Gunther and, after a long emotional night, they break up. Monica, Phoebe, Chandler, and Joey are stuck in Monica's room and hear the whole fight.

Monica has to work at a fifties diner where she has to wear a blonde wig and flame retardant breasts. Soon a customer named Pete asks her out, but she says no without realizing that he is a millionaire. Eventually, she agrees to go on a date with him. Monica avoids kissing him for a while because she doesn't feel attracted to him but after they kiss she instantly finds him attractive. Eventually Pete becomes obsessed with becoming the Ultimate Fighting Champion, but gets severely injured in every fight and says he won't stop fighting until he wins. Monica can't stand to see him keep hurting himself, so they break up.

Chandler breaks up with Janice and Joey buys a chick as a pet. Joey and Chandler soon begin to fight over the chick. Chandler decides to take it back but the shop won't take it so he goes to a shelter where he learns that they kill the animals that can't find homes. He takes the chick back home along with a duck. Joey's acting career continues to go badly. Phoebe finds a woman, also named Phoebe, who knew her parents. She invites the group to go with her to the beach. Meanwhile Phoebe has set Ross up on a blind date with an old friend Bonnie whom Rachel thought was bald when she agreed it was ok for Ross to date her. Rachel becomes upset when Ross starts dating Bonnie, who unexpectedly comes with them to the beach. Rachel is unhappy and persuades Bonnie to shave her head again so Ross will be less attracted to her. Ross and Rachel argue about this and start to feel like they still love each other. Meanwhile it is revealed that the older Phoebe is Phoebe's birth mother. The season ends with Ross having to decide between Rachel and Bonnie.

Season Four (1997-1998)

Ross decides to get back together with Rachel and breaks up with Bonnie. However, Rachel wants him to take full responsibility for "cheating" on her, whereas Ross insists that they were on a break. Unable to agree on whether or not Ross cheated, they break up again. Since then, for almost the entire season, they don't get along very well and are not often seen in positive conversations with each other. After Phoebe learns the older Phoebe is her real mother, she tells her twin sister, Ursula, who knew all along because she had their "mother's" suicide note, which she had not shared with Phoebe. Phoebe agrees to be a surrogate mother for her half-brother Frank and his wife Alice(who was his Home Ec. teacher). Luckily, after having fertility treatments and talking to her sisters' embryos while they are still in the dish pre-implantation, she becomes pregnant with triplets.

Joey begins dating an actress, Kathy, but Chandler likes her too. Joey and Kathy break up after Kathy kisses Chandler. Joey is angry, but forgives Chandler when he sees that Chandler and Kathy love each other. Chandler suspects that Kathy is sleeping with a fellow cast member after watching one of her plays. He then proceeds to confront directly and accuse her. She is insulted and later she does sleep with the cast member, so she and Chandler break up. Monica and Rachel switch apartments with Joey and Chandler after losing a bet. The girls hate their new apartment, so they try to convince Joey and Chandler to switch apartments in exchange for season passes to the Knicks. Instead, they agree to an all-or-nothing bet. The guys win, but while they're at the game, the girls switch the apartments back. They appease the guys by offering them an opportunity to watch Monica and Rachel kiss for one minute.

Rachel's boss asks for her to take his British daughter Emily to the theatre; however, Ross ends up taking her, as Rachel is more interested in getting a date with a good looking customer. Ross and Emily hit it off and they become engaged. The group travels to London for the wedding, except Phoebe, who is in her last trimester, and Rachel, who doesn't want to see Ross get married. At the wedding rehearsal dinner, Monica becomes depressed because she is mistaken as "Ross's mum," and the fact that she wasn't married. Chandler comforts her and they unexpectedly end up sleeping together. Rachel realizes she still loves Ross and goes to London to tell him. When she gets there, she sees him with Emily and decides it would not be right to ruin the wedding. The wedding goes ahead, but comes to an abrupt halt when Ross says "I, Ross, take thee, Rachel." The season ends with the preacher asking whether to continue the ceremony.

Season Five (1998-1999)

Ross and Emily's wedding continues despite Ross's faux pas and they are married, but Emily is furious with Ross and she slips away during the reception. The group goes back to New York where Emily calls Ross and tells him that she will only stay married if he promises he will never see Rachel again. Ross agrees, but Emily continues to make unreasonable demands, like making him move out of his apartment, since Rachel had been there. She also made him sell all of his stuff and get new stuff since Rachel had touched everything. Ross begins to see that she is asking too much and proceeds to have dinner with his friends including Rachel. When Emily finds out she is angry but Ross assures her that nothing is going on between them and that they are just friends. He says she has to trust him and asks if she can do that but Emily feels too threatened and says no, and they decide to get a divorce. Ross moves in with Joey and Chandler since he sold his apartment, but eventually he moves into Ugly Naked Guy's apartment across the street from Monica and Rachel's apartment building (because Ugly Naked Guy is planning to move out).

Phoebe gives birth to triplets: Frank Jr. Jr., Leslie, and Chandler (Phoebe originally chose to name the baby after Chandler thinking the baby was going to be a boy, but even after the baby turned out to be a girl Frank and Alice still kept the name as Chandler). She tries to keep one after becoming attached to them, but finds out that Frank and Alice are unwilling to give up a child.

Chandler and Monica continue an intimate relationship in secret. They have this secret relationship for more than half of the season but each character eventually finds out about their relationship separately. Joey figures it out first but agrees to keep it a secret, followed by Rachel when she hears Chandler and Monica talking very naughtily on the phone. Soon Phoebe finds out when she sees Monica and Chandler doing it up against the window from Ugly Naked Guy's apartment, which Ross is thinking of buying. Chandler and Monica don't know that Rachel and Phoebe know and the girls decide to mess with them. To Joey's dismay they play a series of tricks on Monica and Chandler, who find out and respond with some tricks of their own (which leads to Chandler and Phoebe having a competition to see who will cave first, and reveal the secret). Finally after Chandler caves and admits he can't take the game any farther because he is in love with Monica, Monica and Chandler reveal their secret affair to everyone but Ross. Later that night Ross sees Monica and Chandler kissing through his window (while talking to his boss from the museum. Ross had been suspended from his job earlier owing to anger issues and his employers were finally considering having him come back but this new discovery didn't help matters) and is furious, but once he finds out they aren't just messing around he is ok with it. They all accept their relationship and the story moves on.

Rachel starts a new job at Ralph Lauren.

Joey gets the lead in a movie, but travels to Las Vegas to find production has shut down. Everyone goes to Vegas to see him act, but they all find out that he is working as a gladiator for the Caesar's Palace casino. On the plane ride over, Ross and Rachel play pranks on each other (Ross starts it to prove Rachel can be embarrassed) until it gets out of hand and Ross scribbles a goatee on Rachel's face (while she is asleep) with a permanent marker. Afterwards, Rachel finds out and becomes enraged. She and Ross then get drunk and run to the nearest chapel and get married. Monica and Chandler are there too, spontaneously planning to elope.

Season Six (1999-2000)

When Chandler and Monica see Ross and Rachel at the chapel they decide not to get married. After finding out that they are now married, Ross and Rachel agree to get an annulment so Ross doesn't have a third divorce, but he decides it is still a failed marriage. He lies to Rachel, telling her he has had the marriage annulled when he actually has not. Rachel finds out and forces Ross to go ahead with the annulment, but they are ineligible for one and file for divorce. Ross gets a new job teaching palaeontology at New York University. He eventually dates Rachel's sister Jill (Reese Witherspoon) and afterwards one of his students named Elizabeth.

Chandler and Monica didn't get married but move in together, and Rachel moves in with Phoebe. Joey gets a female roommate, Janine, and they start dating after a while. When Janine reveals she does not like Chandler and Monica, Joey breaks up with her. Out of a job and desperate for money, Joey gets a job at Central Perk and tries out other acting gigs until he lands the lead role in Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E., supposedly permanent, but actually short-lived. A fire (started by Rachel's hair straightener) ruins Phoebe and Rachel's apartment. Rachel moves in with Chandler and Monica, and Phoebe moves in with Joey. They eventually swap [because since they find out the fire was Rachel's fault, the two girls agree that Phoebe deserves the better apartment (Monica and Chandler's of course)], so Rachel lives with Joey instead. Bruce Willis makes a three episode cameo appearance as Elizabeth's father and eventually Rachel's new boyfriend. Towards the end of the season, Chandler decides to propose to Monica, but wants it to be a surprise. He worries that she suspects something so he creates a plan to throw her off by pretending he is against marriage and everything to do with it. He makes a weird analogy about how relationships ought to be and pig sex. It seems to be working and Chandler is about to propose but things don't go smoothly as her ex-boyfriend Richard turns up and announces to Monica that he is still in love with her during the finale to almost ruin Chandler's plan. Richard offers her marriage and children and everything she's ever wanted. In a dramatic climax, Monica is torn between wanting Chandler and wanting a more mature relationship than he is seemingly willing to give her and doesn't know what to do. When Chandler finds out he, gets angry and distressed and tries to confront Richard who finally sees how in love with her Chandler is and backs down. Meanwhile Joey tells Monica about Chandler's plan. When Chandler arrives, however, Joey tells him that Monica didn't believe it was all a plan and was so upset that she left and told him not to call her. Chandler is heartbroken and goes into his apartment, only to find the lights out, candles everywhere, and Monica in the middle of the floor waiting to propose. In a tearful but romantic encounter, Chandler and Monica finally become engaged.

Season Seven (2000-2001)

Monica and Chandler begin planning their wedding. Rachel gets a promotion in Ralph Lauren and hires an assistant, Tag, whom she begins dating after she tells him her true feelings at Thanksgiving at Monica's. Rachel asks Monica and Phoebe how long you wait before you ask someone out whose just broke up with his girlfriend, Phoebe and Monica give reasonable responses, but Joey says half an hour then gets to saying: "Alright Rachel, the big question is does he like you? Because if he doesn't like you its all a moo point." He then tells us what a moo point is, quote "It's like a cow's opinion, doesn't matter... it's moo." Rachel and Tag later break up when Rachel turns 30 and she feels she should be in a more serious relationship since Tag is significantly younger (he says he is afraid to turn twenty-six).

Phoebe's apartment is repaired, but has been converted back into a one bedroom (Phoebe's grandmother had put up a wall to make it a two bedroom apartment) so Rachel continues to live with Joey.

Joey's new show Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E. is cancelled but he is able to return to Days of Our Lives when his character, Dr. Drake Ramoray, gets a new brain from a character named Jessica Lockheart (Susan Sarandon) whom he ends up sleeping with throughout the episode. She is taken off the show by falling off a horse into an electric fence. Joey's character then wakes from his coma.

The night before his wedding, Chandler gets scared and disappears. While he is gone, Phoebe and Rachel find a positive pregnancy test in Monica's bathroom, and Phoebe assumes Monica is pregnant. Rachel makes Phoebe promise to not tell anyone what they have found. Phoebe and Ross find Chandler at his office (while Rachel keeps Monica distracted) and persuade him to come back, but Chandler overhears Phoebe and Rachel talking about Monica's "pregnancy" and disappears again. He quickly returns on his own, however, and decides that a baby would not be so bad. Chandler and Monica get married, but when Chandler tells Monica he knows about the baby, she says she is not pregnant, and it was not her pregnancy test that they found. Meanwhile Phoebe tells Rachel how excited she is about Monica's pregnancy, Rachel slowly agrees looking very emotional. The camera then zooms in on her and she takes a deep breath. The audience is left with the question: "Could Rachel be pregnant?".

Season Eight (2001-2002)

Rachel confirms she is pregnant but doesn't tell anyone who the father is. Unfortunately for her, Joey finds a sweater that the baby's father left at his apartment. Phoebe suspects that it is Tag's sweater but Ross finds it and says,"Hey, my sweater!", with the audience whooping in response. After Rachel tells Ross he is the father (and Ross learns the hard way that condoms are only 97% effective) they tell everyone that they secretly slept together about a month before Chandler and Monica's wedding. After Ross meets Mona at the wedding he goes out with her for a few months but they break up because of complications arising from his impending fatherhood of Rachel's child. As Rachel and Joey continue living together, Joey starts to develop feelings for her. Feeling that Ross is missing out on his fatherly duties, Joey reluctantly suggests that Rachel move in with Ross, and she does so. Joey later reveals his feelings to Rachel, who gently lets him down.

After a passionate kiss with Ross (to try to induce labor because she becomes overdue), Rachel goes into labor, and while in the hospital, Ross' mother approaches him with a ring to give to Rachel. Ross keeps the ring in his coat pocket, even though he does not want to propose to Rachel. Rachel remains in labor for about 21 hours and shares her room with five different women (including Janice) that all have their babies before her. Rachel gives birth to their daughter, Emma. Joey finds the engagement ring after it falls out of Ross' coat. He bends down to pick it up. Rachel, seeing Joey on one knee with an engagement ring, thinks that he is proposing to her, and says "okay". Monica and Chandler decide to have a baby.

Season Nine (2002-2003)

Rachel finds out that Joey was not proposing to her, but neither was Ross. After Ross doesn't pass on a message to Rachel from a potential date, the two realize that having a child and living together while not actually being together is too complicated, therefore Rachel decides to move back in with Joey and takes Emma with her. Chandler's job requires him to be in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Monica decides not to come after she is offered a dream job in New York. He puts up with this for a while, but he begins to consider quitting when he finds he has to work in Tulsa over Christmas. When a female associate, Wendy (Selma Blair), a runner up Ms. Oklahoma, comes on to him over Christmas in Tulsa, he quits and starts a new job in advertising. After trying all season to get pregnant to no avail, fertility tests prove that Chandler and Monica cannot conceive a baby, so they decide to adopt. Phoebe starts dating Mike Hannigan (Paul Rudd) after being set up on a double date by Joey (who originally lied to Phoebe about knowing someone called 'Mike', so he goes to Central Perk and yells 'Mike', he then successfully persuades Mike Hannigan to go on the date). They move in together, but when he tells Phoebe he does not want to get married, they break up. Rachel has a dream about Joey and develops a crush on him.

The group goes to Barbados because Ross is giving a key-note speech there. Phoebe takes her old boyfriend David (Hank Azaria), whom she first met in Season One and has been in love all this time (but hasn't dated because he has been in Minsk doing experiments as a scientist), and Joey takes his girlfriend Charlie (who is Ross' new colleague and for whom Ross has feelings). Chandler accidentally gives David some bad advice and David decides to propose to Phoebe. Monica finds out, and calls Mike to tell him to get back together with Phoebe. Mike comes to Barbados and proposes to Phoebe. She turns him down, but - knowing their relationship has a future - agrees to take him back, leaving David. Joey and Charlie break up. Joey learns Rachel likes him, but refuses her advances because he feels he would be betraying Ross. However, when Joey sees Charlie and Ross kissing he changes his mind and kisses Rachel.

Season Ten (2003-2004)

File:Friends.PNG

Promotional shot of Friends' cast during its tenth and final season.

Joey and Rachel's relationship only lasts three episodes: having been platonic for so long, they feel uncomfortable taking their relationship further. Charlie goes back to an old boyfriend. Mike and Phoebe get married on the street right outside Central Perk on a cold, snowy day. Chandler and Monica apply to adopt the baby of a pregnant young woman named Erica and decide to move out of their apartment to a house in the suburbs of New York. Erica gives birth to twins, a boy and a girl, who are named Jack (after Monica's dad) and Erica (after Erica). Chandler and Monica agree that having two may be a good thing; Chandler had mentioned in an earlier season that he wanted (female) twins. Rachel is offered a job in Paris with Louis Vuitton (which Mark from season 3 helped get for her) she is tied between staying in New York when Ralph Lauren offers her her job back with a pay raise (after being fired from it earlier on in the season). Finally she decides to accept the job offer in Paris and take Emma with her. The group holds a going-away party for her and she says goodbye to each of them in turn, except Ross. He is upset about this until Rachel tells him it was too hard to say goodbye to him. They then sleep together.

In the final episode, Ross realizes he still loves Rachel and, after she leaves for Paris, goes after her, driven by Phoebe on a ride with many obstacles before he can get to Rachel. Meanwhile, Joey bought Chandler a new chick and duck since the other two had died (Joey doesn't know this; the gang told him they were moved to a special farm) but they get stuck in the foosball table (bought in an earlier season after their proper table broke; unable to decide upon a new one, they bought the foosball table instead). They know they have to break it open but neither of them have the heart to do it. Finally, Monica destroys it and the chick and duck are recovered. However, they decide to keep the birds at Joey's since animals aren't the greatest things to have around newborn babies. Ross finds Rachel and tells her he is in love with her and begs her not to go; however, she is overwhelmed by this new information on top of everything else and leaves. Ross was sure she would stay and is crushed. When he gets back to his apartment, he finds a message from Rachel on his answering machine, telling him she does still love him and is trying to get off the plane but not allowed to leave. Ross listens intently as Rachel tries to explain to the flight attendant that she needs to get off the plane but the message ends before he can tell whether or not she got off. Ross frantically runs to the answering machine pressing buttons and screaming "Did she get off the plane?" Suddenly a voice from behind Ross says "I got off the plane" and he turns to see Rachel at the door of his apartment. They kiss and assure each other that this is the real thing and they want to be together.

The series finale ends with Chandler and Monica moving out of their apartment with their new twins, Mike and Phoebe deciding to have kids and Ross and Rachel becoming a family with Emma. As they look around their apartment one last time, Chandler and Monica realize they need to leave their key on the desk. One by one, each friend follows with his or her own key to the apartment. Rachel then suggests that they all go for one last cup of coffee before Monica and Chandler move and Chandler responds with the sarcastic last word of the show: "Where?"

Running gags

File:Phoebe Buffay 1.jpg

Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay in Friends. She often played the guitar in a fictional New York coffee shop named Central Perk.

Main article: Running gags in Friends

Friends included many running gags throughout the span of the show, some of which are recognized in general culture in their own right, such as Chandler's "Could this be any more..." or Janice's "Oh my God". Each character has his or her own set of running gags, including Fat Monica, Gay Chandler, Phoebe's fictional character, Regina Phelange, Ross's tendency to get divorced, Joey's use of the phrase "How you Doin'", and Rachel's nose job.

Cultural impact

Friends has made a notable contribution to some areas of popular culture - in particular, language and fashion. The use of "so" to mean "very" or "really" was not invented by any Friends writer, but it is arguable that the extensive use of the phrase in the series encouraged its use in everyday life. Also commonly said by the characters, particularly Monica, was the loud "I know!" and her obsessive compulsive order to clean and keep everything tidy and in the right place The series has also been noted for its impact on everyday fashion and hairstyles. Jennifer Aniston's hairstyle was nicknamed "The Rachel" and copied around the world. Joey Tribbiani's catchphrase "How you doin'?" has become a popular part of American slang, often used as a pick-up line or when greeting friends. The show also popularized the idea of the laminated list of celebrities that a person's sexual partner will permit them to sleep with.

The phrase "Ross and Rachel" is used to describe an on/off relationship with a 'history', or in a situation like "Are you on a real break, or a Ross and Rachel break?" This is played as a joke in Scrubs: the janitor describes J.D.'s relationship with Elliot as "not exactly Ross and Rachel". After a pause, they are revealed to be two other employees in the hospital, "Dr. Ross and Rachel from book-keeping". The show then went even further and in one of the final episodes of Series six Carla referes to JD and Elliot as "like Ross and Rachel from Friends."

In the TV show "What I Like About You", the character Lauren talks about how there will be pictures of famous couples at all the tables at Val's wedding reception, such as Cleopatra & Marc Antony, Romeo & Juliet, and Ross & Rachel at the head table.

In the TV show "Ellen", Ellen tells her friends "Have you ever seen the show friends, they are supportive of each other" after a failed attampt to reunify her parents by recreating their honeymoon.

Show background

Originally to be named Across the Hall, Six of One, Insomnia Cafe, and Friends Like Us, Friends was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television, for NBC in the U.S., and was the first broadcast on that network. It debuted on NBC on September 22, 1994, which was also one of its must-see comedies throughout the show's run. For most of the run, the series was also a Thursday night staple, competing with several other shows, including Survivor, which dropped slightly in the ratings in 2001. It was followed by daily syndication, cable network TBS, among many other networks in numerous countries throughout the world. The final episode aired on May 6, 2004, which was one of the most watched series finale ever, only behind M*A*S*H, Cheers, Home Improvement, Mad About You and Seinfeld. "The Last One" however was higher rated than the series finales of other notable shows, including Frasier, Everybody Loves Raymond, Will & Grace, The King of Queens and Sex and the City.

Nielsen ratings

Season	Ratings Rank	Viewership (in millions)
1994-1995	#8	24.3
1995-1996	#3	29.4
1996-1997	#4	25.0
1997-1998	#4	24.1
1998-1999	#2	23.5
1999-2000	#5	20.7
2000-2001	#5	20.2
2001-2002	#1	24.5
2002-2003	#2	21.6
2003-2004	#3	22.8

US ratings

The 66-minute series finale was named by Entertainment Tonight as the biggest TV moment of the year 2004, and was the second highest rated show in 2004, beaten only by the Super Bowl. However, it did not surpass the ratings received by series finales for M*A*S*H (106m), Cheers (80.4m) or Seinfeld (76.3m), nor was it the most watched episode of Friends—that accolade remains with the Season Two episode "The One After the Superbowl", which aired on January 28, 1996 and drew 52.9 m viewers. During the 2001–2002 season, Friends was the highest rated show in the United States, boasting 7 million dollars per actor on the finale.

Australian ratings

After originally airing in a late-night timeslot with poor ratings on Channel Seven in 1994, Friends moved to the Nine Network with its second season in 1995, and became the number 1 show on Australian television five times, in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002.

In its first year on the Nine Network (1995), Friends ranked as the second most watched program, behind the drama Blue Heelers. In the show's final two years, 2003 and 2004, Friends ranked as the third most watched scripted Television show, behind CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Kath & Kim.

The final episode, broadcast on the Nine Network, received 2.27 million viewers. As was the case in the United States, this was not the highest rated episode of Friends. Several times in 1998, Friends received over 2.5 million viewers in Australia. Friends still holds the record for the highest rated scripted episode of television of the 21st century, with the honor going to the 2001 season finale. Cable TV channel Arena (a Foxtel and Optus channel) airs Friends repeats daily.

UK ratings

Friends was first aired on Channel 4, but was soon taken over by Sky One while the latter was still a minor player in the television market. Friends quickly established a cult status in the UK. The series achieved a more mainstream audience through repeat showings on Channel 4. By the time episodes were filmed in London in Season Four (The One With Ross's Wedding), the show had become a must-see programme in teenage circles, and a staple in British culture.

By Season Five, Friends was still only bringing in mixed ratings. While still achieving good ratings in satellite and cable showings, terrestrial showings declined, receiving only around 1.5 million viewers.

Until 2000, Sky One aired Friends for its first run and Channel 4 provided the first terrestrial screenings several months later. In 2000, Channel 4 set up the satellite and cable channel E4, and set about purchasing non-terrestrial rights to programming. It targeted programs that were already shown on Channel 4 to provide coherence between the two platforms, therefore rights to first runs of programs such as ER and Friends were aggressively sought and obtained. E4 launched with this line-up in place and brought episodes of Friends to a new audience, with endless repeats integrated with first runs.

The show's terrestrial popularity grew in line with the launch of E4, and in the ninth season it frequently received 3 to 4 million viewers. By its final season, despite achieving similar figures (until the penultimate episode), it climbed the channel's rankings from top 20 (9th season) to top 5 (10th season) each week. The show's finale performed to its high expectations, receiving 9.64 million viewers. This was the highest figure for the series, one of the highest rated ever (excluding movies and special events) for Channel 4, and the channel's most watched programme of 2004.

The program continues to be repeated daily on E4, Channel 4 and S4C in Wales.

Irish ratings

In the Republic of Ireland (and also Northern Ireland, which can receive the Republic's channels) the show achieved exceptionally high ratings. The show continues to run daily on RTÉ Two Ireland. Channel 6 have purchased the series and are currently running it from start until it finishes.

The program also continues to be repeated daily on E4

Awards and nominations

Emmy Awards

• 2003 - Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series - Christina Applegate
• 2002 - Outstanding Comedy Series (nominated 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2003)
• 2002 - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - Jennifer Aniston
• 2000 - Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series - Bruce Willis
• 1998 - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series - Lisa Kudrow
• 1996 - Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series - Michael Lembeck (for "The One After the Superbowl")

Golden Globe Awards

• 2003 - Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy - Jennifer Aniston
• Best TV-Series - Comedy/Musical - (nominated 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003)

People's Choice Awards

• 2004 - Favorite Television Comedy Series
• 2004 - Favorite Female Television Performer - Jennifer Aniston
• 2003 - Favorite Television Comedy Series
• 2003 - Favorite Female Television Performer - Jennifer Aniston
• 2002 - Favorite Television Comedy Series
• 2002 - Favorite Female Television Performer - Jennifer Aniston
• 2001 - Favorite Television Comedy Series
• 2001 - Favorite Female Television Performer - Jennifer Aniston
• 2000 - Favorite Television Comedy Series
• 2000 - Favorite Female Television Performer - Jennifer Aniston
• 1999 - Favorite Television Comedy Series
• 1995 - Favorite New Television Comedy

Screen Actors Guild Awards

• 2000 - Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series - Lisa Kudrow
• 1996 - Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (nominated 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004)

Merchandise

A wide range of Friends merchandise has been produced by various companies. One of the most recent additions is a Friends version of the DVD game "Scene It?", which features clips from the show, trivia questions from all seasons, and other on-screen puzzles. A PS2, PC and Xbox game, Friends: The One with All the Trivia, has also been released; it includes the voices of characters Janice, Gunther and Jack and Judy Geller as hosts.

Soundtracks

In 1995, WEA Records released the Friends Original TV Soundtrack, featuring music used in or inspired by the show. In between some of the songs, there was spoken dialogue from scenes from the show's first season. In 1999, a second soundtrack album entitled Friends Again was released.

DVDs

Main article: Friends DVD releases

All ten seasons of Friends have been released on DVD in various countries. Some of the DVDs also have special features, including:

• Cast & Crew (biographical text blurbs).
• Audio commentaries by the creators. (Warning: these commentaries contain future episode spoilers!)
• Gag reels
• Trivia
• Interactive games (i.e., "Let's Play Bamboozled!)
• Special production notes (i.e., set design, special location shoots, flashback episodes development)

Spinoff

After the series finale in 2004, the spinoff show Joey was created. Ratings decreased significantly between the first and second season. 46 episodes were filmed however only 38 episodes aired. The show was cancelled on May 15, 2006. Only the first season has since been released on DVD.

NBC broadcast history

All times listed are North American Eastern Time Zone.

• September 1994-February 1995 - Thursday 8:30pm

• February-May 1995 - Thursday 9:30pm

• September 1995-May 2004 - Thursday 8:00pm

External links

• Official Friends site
• Template:Tv.com show
• Friends at IMDb
• Template:Dmoz
• Friends Trivia Questions