“I’ll be there for you”: F.R.I.E.N.D.S.
The pilot episode starts with Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) fleeing from her wedding & found her childhood friend Monica Geller (Courtney Cox) in Central Perk Cafe and stays with her, where she meets her friends Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), Joey Tribbiani (Matt Le Blanc), Chandler Bing (Mathew Perry) and her older brother Ross Geller (David Schwimmer), who had a crush on her and rest is history.
From “Welcome to the real world ! It sucks” to “I got off the plane”, the journey of six friends who were in their early 20s in 90s Manhattan, New York, on their own, living with each other companionship had kept their audience hooked and entertained like no other. It was aired on NBC on September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, 10 seasons full of so many ups and downs of these characters’ lives but not a single episode that didn’t make its viewers laugh. The decade-long “was Ross on a break or not ”, and “will-they-won’t-they”, relationships of Ross and Rachel kept the viewers intrigued. It has been 25 years since they broadcasted their pilot episode. Friends has always been a favorite show for so many and has never lost its charm.
Not many know this, but the producers Kauffman and Crane began developing FRIENDS under the working title Insomnia Cafe between November and December 1993, then changing the title from Six of One and Friends like Us, it finally became FRIENDS.
Monica’s neurosis and urge for intensive cleaning, Rachel’s passion for Fashion and her journey from being a waitress to being a senior executive in Ralph Lauren, Joey’s stupidity, flirting, innocence & struggle in the journey of being a successful actor, Chandler’s sarcastic jokes, pursuing his dream career in marketing after dumping a job paying huge salary and care for Joey, Ross’s obsession for Dinosaur and bad luck in his love life, Phoebe’s optimistic view towards life and her crazy timeless songs like a smelly cat and last but not the least, Gunther’s unrequited love for Rachel connected the viewers emotionally to their favorite characters. Each character had their own struggle and journey to share. The epic lines like “I know”, “Hi”, “Joey Doesn’t Share Food”, “I don’t even have a Pla”, “I wish I could but I don’t want to”, especially “we were on a break !!!”, many more and with special guest star appearances made this show more happening.
This series portrayed ways of motherhood, women creating families, i. e, Monica adopting twins, Rachel being a single parent, Phoebe helping her brother through surrogacy, and Susan and Carol as lesbian parents, which was handled beautifully.
FRIENDS portrays a tight-knit – community where every leading character has each other as their family is something that everyone desires in their real life & maybe that’s why people are still obsessed with this show. It is one of those sitcoms that is just as funny as when I was watching it for the first time, which makes it all-time great !!
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