Friends

For friendship, 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 seasons	10
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 a US situation comedy about a group 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. 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 was watched by an estimated 51.1 million viewers.

Origins

Friends was created in 1994 by David Crane and Marta Kauffman as a followup to their cable series Dream On. Friends was aimed at young adults who, during the early 1990s, were identified by their café culture, dating scene and modern independence.

Originally to be named Across the Hall, Six of One, Insomnia Café, or 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 first broadcast on that network. 'Friends' debuted on September 22, 1994. The show was a huge success throughout its ten year run and was a staple of the NBC Thursday night line-up. The final episode aired on May 6, 2004. The finale was one of the most-watched series finales in television history, behind only M*A*S*H, Cheers, and Seinfeld.

Cast members

Primary characters

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

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 a postmodern twist, it was revealed in 'Friends' that Phoebe was Ursula's twin sister.) Kudrow was cast in the pilot of Frasier in the role of Roz, but the part was later re-cast with Peri Gilpin in the role. [1]. Courteney Cox was already an accomplished TV and film actress when she was cast in 'Friends', having appeared in the likes of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and with several minor roles on sitcoms such as Seinfeld and Family Ties. The character of Ross was written with David Schwimmer in mind; 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. Matt LeBlanc appeared as Vinnie Verducci 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 in the unrelated Vinnie & Bobby, but before that had mainly been focusing on advertising and modeling work when he was cast as Joey Tribbiani.

During the show's run, the cast all achieved household name celebrity status, and all pursued careers in the movies, with varied success. Aniston's movie career is predominantly populated with light rom-coms. Cox made several lightweight films, though achieved her greatest success with the Scream series. Kudrow fared best in low budget indie films - a far cry from the role of Phoebe, most notably The Opposite of Sex. The male cast fared less well in the movie world.

During the 1994-2004 run, four of the cast married. Kudrow was first to marry in 1995 to advertising executive Michel Stern. Cox married next in 1999, wedding Scream co-star David Arquette. Aniston married film star Brad Pitt in 2000 and Le Blanc married long-term girlfriend Melissa McKnight in 2003. Kudrow gave birth to son Julian in 1999 (her pregnancy was incorporated into the show, as explained in the 'Season 5' section). Le Blanc's wife, McKnight, gave birth not long before the end of the show, and Cox gave birth to her long-awaited first child within a month of the final episode of 'Friends' being screened. Since the end of 'Friends', both Aniston and Le Blanc's marriages have ended.

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 not allow one member 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. The cast remained good friends after the show's run, most notably Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston, with Aniston being godmother to Courtney's daughter, Coco.

Secondary characters

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

Role	Relationship	Portrayed By
Mike Hannigan	Phoebe's husband	Paul Rudd
Gunther	Central Perk Coffee shop manager	James Michael Tyler
Judy Geller	Ross & Monica's mother	Christina Pickles
Jack Geller	Ross & Monica's father	Elliott Gould
Ben Geller Willick Bunch	Ross' son	Cole Sprouse
Carol Willick	Ross' lesbian ex-wife	Anita Barone (1 episode) & Jane Sibbett
Susan Bunch	Carol Willick's lesbian life partner	Jessica Hecht
Sandra Green	Rachel's mother	Marlo Thomas
Dr. Leonard Green	Rachel's father	Ron Leibman
Amy Green	Rachel's sister	Christina Applegate
Jill Green	Rachel's youngest sister	Reese Witherspoon
Nora Bing	Chandler's mother	Morgan Fairchild
Charles Bing	Chandler's father	Kathleen Turner
Janice Litman Goralnik (née Hosenstein)	Chandler's annoying ex-girlfriend	Maggie Wheeler
Phoebe Abbott	Phoebe's mother	Teri Garr
Frank Buffay	Phoebe's father	Bob Balaban
Frank Buffay Jr.	Phoebe's brother	Giovanni Ribisi
Alice Knight	Phoebe's sister in law	Debra Jo Rupp

Tom Selleck, Jon Lovitz, Ellen Pompeo, Charlton Heston, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Noah Wyle, Isabella Rossellini, Chrissy Hynde, Bruce Willis, David Arquette, Charlie Sheen, Denise Richards, Tate Donovan, Steve Zahn, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jeff Goldblum, Julia Roberts, Alec Baldwin, Brooke Shields, Freddie Prinze, Jr., Helen Hunt, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Anna Faris, Gary Oldman, Elle McPherson, Harry Shearer, Sean Penn, Michael Vartan, Dakota Fanning, Ben Stiller, Winona Ryder, Hank Azaria, John Stamos, Dermot Mulroney, Gabrielle Union, Dan Castellaneta, Chris Isaak, Aisha Tyler, and Jennifer Saunders have also guest starred.

The Friends' Fountain

The fountain seen in the opening title sequence can be found at the Warner Bros. Ranch at 411 N. Hollywood Way, in Burbank, California, about a half mile north of the main studio lot. The fountain was also used prominently in the finale of the Charlton Heston classic, The Omega Man, and in the film version of the Broadway musical, 1776. The opening scene was shot at about 4:00 one morning while it was extremely cold.

Season synopses

Further information: List of Friends episodes

Season One (1994-1995)

File:Phoebe Buffay 1.jpg

Phoebe, performing at the Central Perk.

The first episode opens with Phoebe, Monica, Chandler, Joey and Ross in Central Perk where we learn Ross's wife Carol has recently realized 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 would-be husband 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 pampered life with her parents. 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 throughout the first season. Most notable is Chandler's on-off girlfriend Janice who repeatedly shows up throughout the ten seasons. She is most known for her catchphrase "oh...my...God!".

Phoebe meets a scientist named David, with whom she falls in love, but the relationship ends with his move to Minsk, to continue with his scientific research. She is left heart-broken by this move.

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 palaeontology conference in China. While he is gone, Chandler accidentally reveals to Rachel that Ross is in love with her when Rachel is surprised about how precious the cameo Ross bought from an antique shop for her. At the time Rachel is not sure what to do exactly but she just wants to meet Ross immediately but fails. Soon after, 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.

Season Two (1995-1996)

Unaware that Rachel is interested in him, Ross dates Julie, with whom he studied together in Pen-Island and then met in China during the conference. Rachel does not like Julie because she is jealous of her involvement with Ross. After drinking too much one night, Rachel leaves a message on Ross' answering machine telling him that she's over him and she wants closure. Ross hears the message and becomes confused over Rachel's feelings, and in turn, his own. Not long after Rachel's revelation, the pair give in to their feelings 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 at the things from the negative column, 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 heartbroken. Back in the present day, Rachel, overwhelmed by the gesture, kisses Ross, while Phoebe says "See, he's her lobster," proving her theory she made earlier that lobsters mate for life. After the kiss, Ross and Rachel get together and become a couple until they face some issues and take a break in season 3.

Joey gets an acting job as Dr. Drake Ramoray on the soap opera 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 and easy-to-forget. 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 to get rid of the psychotic Eddie.

While trying to find her birth father, Phoebe finds out she has a half brother named Frank Jr.

Monica dates Richard Burke (guest star Tom Selleck), an ophthalmologist and friend of her parents, who is twenty-one years older than she, 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 discovers to his great surprise it is his ex, Janice. The season culminates in them engaging in a kiss.

Season Three (1996-1997)

Rachel quits her job at Central Perk to find a job in fashion, only to find that all she is doing is making coffee at her new job, so she takes a job at Bloomingdale's offered to her by a stranger, Mark. Ross becomes convinced that her new co-worker wants to date her, and becomes increasingly jealous. Tensions between Ross and Rachel culminate on their anniversary and Rachel suggests they take "a break". After hearing Rachel's co-worker in the background during a phone call, Ross assumes she is now with him. Depressed and under the influence of alcohol, he sleeps with another woman (Chloe, the "hot girl from the copy place"). 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 (throughout which the rest of the gang are stuck in Monica's room), they break up.

While working at a fifties diner, Monica is asked out by a customer named Pete, who, unknown to Monica, 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 continues seeing Janice, although Joey cannot stand her. He sees Janice kissing her husband (they are separated) and Chandler decided to let her go so she can make things right for her children. Joey buys a baby chick as a pet. Joey and Chandler soon begin to fight over the chick as if they were married. 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 place in 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 and meet her.

Joey lands a role in a play and is immediately taken aback by his co-star, Kate Miller, who portrays his wife in the play. Although he's attracted to her, she is condescending towards him and is dating the director, much to Joey's chagrin. To work on their roles, they end up sleeping together. She dismisses it as "just getting into the role" while he wanted it to be more. When her director-boyfriend dumps her following a bad review of the play, Joey is there to comfort her, having "the night," as Monica puts it. However, she lands a role on "General Hospital" and must leave Joey behind to move to Los Angeles.

Phoebe sets Ross up on a blind date with an old friend Bonnie, whom Rachel thought was bald when she agreed it was okay for Ross to date her. Turns out, Bonnie was NOT bald, and in fact very beautiful. In turn, Rachel becomes upset when Ross starts dating Bonnie, who unexpectedly comes with them to the beach house. Rachel persuades Bonnie to shave her head again with the aim of making Ross less attracted to her. It works, and Ross realizes that he still has feelings for Rachel, and that their “break” did not mean that either of them stopped loving 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, in an 18-page letter (front AND back), Rachel puts forth that she wants Ross to take full responsibility for all that went wrong in their relationship. Ross, having fallen asleep while reading this letter, unknowingly agreed to Rachel’s condition, and they made up and got back together. Later on, Ross finished the letter, and upon realizing what he “agreed” to, the couple argued about it, and they ended up really breaking up. Throughout most of the season the pair frequently bicker, snipe at one another and date other people to make the other jealous. 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 economics teacher). Luckily, after having fertility treatment she becomes pregnant, though to everybody's surprise, she is pregnant with triplets.

Joey begins dating an actress, Kathy, but Chandler likes her as well. Joey and Kathy break up after Kathy kisses Chandler. Joey is angry, but forgives Chandler when he sees that Chandler and Kathy genuinely 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 and accuse her. She is insulted and later does sleep with the cast member, so she and Chandler break up.

Monica and Rachel have to switch apartments with Joey and Chandler after losing a bet. The girls hate their new apartment, and 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 negotiate with the angry Joey and Chandler by offering them an opportunity to watch Monica and Rachel kiss for one minute, thus winning back their apartment.

After she's demoted to being a personal shopper at Bloomingdale's, Rachel meets Joshua, a recent divorcee who needs a whole new wardrobe. She is immediately attracted to him and tries to concoct ways to go on a date with him, including throwing Emily (see below) a bon voyage party and taking advice from Joey about hitting on people. (This would mark the first time Joey's "how you doin'?" catchphrase is used.) Although Joshua is attracted to her, he is reluctant to hasten the relationship because of his very recent divorce. He leaves her when he shows up to her apartment, and Rachel answers the door wearing a wedding dress.

Rachel's British boss asks her to take his niece 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 quickly get engaged. The group travels to London for the wedding, except Phoebe, who is in her last trimester of pregnancy, 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' mom, and bothered by the fact that she isn't married. Chandler comforts her, and they unexpectedly end up sleeping together. Rachel realizes that 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" instead of Emily. The season ends with the preacher asking whether to continue the ceremony.

Season Five (1998-1999)

Ross and Emily's wedding continues despite Ross' 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 is torn, but Rachel, who is unaware of what Emily wants of Ross, persuades Ross to agree to whatever Emily desires. However, Emily continues to make unreasonable demands, making him move out of his apartment, as Rachel had been there. She also makes him sell all of his things and purchase replacements, as Rachel had touched everything. Ross begins to see that she is asking too much of him and proceeds to have dinner with all of his friends. When Emily finds out he is in Rachel's company, 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 because he sold his apartment, but later moves into Ugly Naked Guy's apartment (after Ugly Naked Guy moves out), across the street from Monica and Rachel's apartment building.

Phoebe gives birth to triplets (incidentally in the show's one hundredth episode): Frank Jr. Jr. (a boy), Leslie (a girl) and Chandler (a girl). Phoebe originally chose to name a triplet after Chandler, assuming that the baby was going to be a boy, but after the baby turned out to be a girl, Frank and Alice still kept the name. She found giving the children up hard but ultimately realizes that Frank and Alice are happy parents.

Phoebe writes a threatening note to keep people away from Ross' lunch after someone eats his sandwich. However, the note is very threatening and people at work become scared of Ross. In addition, Ross (still messed up from his recent divorce) shouts at his boss, who ate the sandwich. This leads to Ross' sabbatical due to anger issues.

Chandler and Monica continue an intimate relationship in secret, a story arc that continues through the most of first half of the season. Joey figures out about their relationship first after Chandler and Monica go on a "secret" vacation, but he agrees to keep quiet. Rachel discovers the relationship when she hears Chandler and Monica talking suggestively on the phone. Phoebe finds out when she sees Monica and Chandler "doing it up against the window" from Ugly Naked Guy's for sale apartment, during a viewing with Ross. Chandler and Monica don't know that Rachel and Phoebe know about their relationship, and the girls decide to play around with them and confront 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 starting a "relationship" and 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 further because he is in love with Monica, as opposed to merely having sex with her, Monica and Chandler reveal their secret affair to everyone but Ross. Later that night, when Ross was showing his boss his new apartment, proving that he is getting back on his feet, and hoping that he will get his job back, he sees Monica and Chandler kissing from his window, and becomes furious. This further convinces his boss that he has not yet overcome his “anger problems.” However, once Ross finds out that Monica and Chandler are serious and not just fooling around, he becomes okay with it.

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 Las Vegas to visit him on set, but they 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 is easily embarrassed, until it gets out of hand and Ross scribbles a goatee on the sleeping Rachel's face with a pen. Afterwards, Rachel finds out and becomes enraged when the markings won't come off. She keeps Ross in the hotel room, refusing to go out in public. They get drunk together and leave the room after Ross agrees to let her write on his face. They stumble through the casino and end up at a wedding chapel. Monica and Chandler are there too, planning to marry. The season ends with Ross and Rachel leaving the chapel, having married, much to the shock of Chandler and Monica.

Season Six (1999-2000)

When Chandler and Monica see Ross and Rachel at the chapel they decide not to get married. After finding out about their drunken mistake, Ross and Rachel agree to get an annulment so Ross doesn't have to get 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. During season six Ross briefly dates Rachel's sister Jill (guest star Reese Witherspoon) and afterwards one of his students named Elizabeth (guest star Alexandra Holden).

Chandler and Monica move in together, and Rachel moves in with Phoebe. Joey gets a female roommate, a dancer named Janine (guest star Elle MacPherson), and they start dating, after a slow start. 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 that was thought to have been started by Phoebe's incense ruins Phoebe and Rachel's apartment. Rachel moves in to Chandler and Monica's beautiful guest bedroom, and Phoebe moves in with Joey. They eventually swap because they find out the fire was in fact due to Rachel's hair straightener, and the two girls agree that Phoebe deserves the better apartment (Monica and Chandler's), so Rachel moves in with Joey. However, Rachel ends up loving living with Joey and Monica is driving Phoebe crazy with her rules about cleanliness. When Phoebe offers to trade back, Rachel refuses. Bruce Willis makes a three episode cameo appearance as Elizabeth's father. He threatens to have Ross fired from his job at the university by revealing Ross' secret, and forbidden, relationship. Later he becomes Rachel's boyfriend but she dumps him after he is revealed to be much more emotional than she first thought.

Towards the end of the season, Chandler decides to propose to Monica, but wants it to be a surprise. After he buys a ring, 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. It seems to be working but things don't go smoothly as Monica's ex-boyfriend Richard turns up and announces to her that he is still in love with her. Richard offers her marriage and children and everything she's ever wanted. In a dramatic climax, Monica is torn between Chandler and Richard – a more mature relationship than Chandler is seemingly willing to give her – and doesn't know what to do. When Chandler finds out, he gets angry and distressed and confronts Richard, telling him he had intended to propose. Richard, who finally sees that Chandler had, in fact, been willing to give Monica everything all along, 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 packed her things 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 is promoted at her job at Ralph Lauren and hires a young and inexperienced but attractive assistant, Tag, whom she begins dating after she tells him her true feelings at Thanksgiving at Monica's. Rachel and Tag later break up when Rachel turns 30 and she feels she should be in a more serious relationship.

Phoebe's apartment is repaired, but is converted back into a one bedroom apartment after a wall that Phoebe's grandmother put up to divide it into a two bedroom apartment is torn down. Rachel continues to live with Joey.

Joey's new show Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E. is canceled 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 (guest star Susan Sarandon).

The night before his wedding, Chandler gets cold feet and runs away. While he is gone, Phoebe and Rachel find a pregnancy test, reading positive, in Monica's bathroom and Phoebe assumes Monica is pregnant. Rachel makes Phoebe promise to not tell anyone what they have found. Meanwhile, Joey is in the middle of filming a World War I film. 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, returning shortly with a gift for the baby, to show support for Monica and the pregnancy. Chandler and Monica get married with Joey as the minister, courtesy of an internet church, though Joey is still in his costume from the film. 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. As Phoebe tells Rachel how excited she is about Monica's pregnancy, Rachel slowly agrees and the audience is left with the question of whether Rachel could 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!," revealing to the audience that the father of Rachel’s baby is Ross. After Rachel tells Ross he is the father, they tell everyone that they secretly slept together about a month before Chandler and Monica's wedding. After Ross meets Mona, a guest at Monica and Chandler's 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. However, sensing 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 is 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, Chandler's ex girlfriend, who all have their babies before her. Rachel eventually gives birth to their daughter, Emma. Joey finds the engagement ring after it falls out of Ross' coat, and bends down to pick it up. Rachel, seeing Joey on one knee with an engagement ring, presumes that he is proposing to her, and says "okay". Monica and Chandler decide to have a baby. Incidentally, this is the season that won Friends a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series.

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 in a relationship is too complicated and Rachel decides therefore 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 go after she is offered her 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 lied to Phoebe about knowing someone called Mike, leaving him with no other option but to find a random 'Mike' in Central Perk. Phoebe and Mike date and eventually 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 met in Season One and with whom she has been in love since their first meeting, and Joey takes his girlfriend, Charlie, Ross' new colleague and a person for whom Ross has feelings. Chandler accidentally gives David some bad advice about dating 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 realising they have little in common. 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 in the final scene of the season.

Season Ten (2003-2004)

Joey and Rachel's relationship lasts only three episodes. Having been platonic for so long, they feel uncomfortable taking their relationship further, and because of that, they never have sex. Charlie goes back to an old boyfriend and Mike and Phoebe get married on the street right outside Central Perk on a cold, snowy day, after facing delays and cancellations from various people crucial to their wedding.

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, something not known to the rest of the friends, until Rachel and Phoebe see Chandler with another woman, and decide to confront the couple about it. The woman that Chandler was with turned out to be their real estate agent. Erica gives birth to twins, a boy and a girl, who are named Jack (after Monica's dad) and Erica (after the mother). The twins were a surprise to Erica (who thought - when told there were two heartbeats - that it was the baby's and her own), Monica and Chandler, who are happy with the outcome.

Rachel is offered a job in Paris with Louis Vuitton, with help from a previous colleague, Mark (from Season Three). Rachel is torn between staying in New York when Ralph Lauren offers her her job back with a pay raise and moving to France. She decides to accept the job offer in Paris and take Emma with her. The group holds a farewell 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. The dramatic confrontation culminates in them sleeping together.

In the final episode, Ross realizes that he still loves Rachel and, after she leaves for Paris, goes after her, driven by a reckless Phoebe to get to the airport before her flight leaves. Meanwhile, Joey buys Chandler a new chick and duck; (the other two are revealed to have died earlier in the series, unbeknownst to Joey, who thinks they went to live on a farm). The chick and duck get stuck in the foosball table, purchased by Joey and Chandler after their dining table broke in a very first season (which was replaced in episode 606 when Joey broke it after losing a $1000 bet to Chandler, the colour of the table is different). They know they have to break it open but neither of them have the heart to do it – it was the first item that Chandler and Joey had bought together. Finally, Monica destroys it and the chick and duck are recovered. They decide to keep the birds at Joey's since animals aren't the most hygienic things to have around newborn babies.

Ross finds Rachel in the airport and tells her that 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 still loves him. She tries to get off the plane but is 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 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 remember that they need to leave their keys on the desk. One by one, each friend follows with his or her own key. 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

Main article: Running gags in Friends

Friends included many running gags throughout the span of the show such as:

• Chandler's unusual inflection (particularly "Could this be any more..."), "secret" middle name Murial, implied homosexuality, third nipple (his "nubbin"), resentment of all "Pilgrim Holidays", and how he used to smoke.
• Janice's nasal voice and catchphrase, "Oh my God"
• Joey's regular unemployment and use of the catchphrase, "How you doin'?"
• Gunther's secret love for Rachel
• Monica's childhood obesity, obsessive cleaning, competitiveness, freakish strength and use of the catchphrase, "I know!"
• Phoebe's alter ego Regina Phalange, ability to speak fluent French and Italian (the latter sometimes unconsciously), her often bizarre songs (particularly "Smelly Cat") and her twin sister Ursula's constant surprise when Phoebe shows up at her door, and semi-catchphrase "ohh noo"
• Ross's multiple failed marriages, favored status in the Geller family, hitting the sides of his fists together (a substitute for more commonly used rude gestures, specifically rising the middle digit), constant stuttering, passion for science (particularly dinosaurs, gravity and evolution) and depressing greetings.
• Ross and Rachel being "on a break...."

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 (others assert that the use of "so" on Friends as an "unconditional" in the sense of "absolutely" ["You are so moving"; "You are so dead"], supplanting its 80s counterpart "totally," was much more influential than "so" in the sense of "very," which was firmly established in the vernacular long before Friends). Friends was and still is considered the most successful sitcom of the 1990s and 2000s

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 partner will permit them to sleep with if they were to ever meet them. Ross and Rachel discuss celebrities they have crushes on and Ross, taking the matter very seriously, laminates his list.

The phrase "Ross and Rachel" has appeared as a joke in Scrubs: the janitor describes J.D.'s relationship with Elliot as "not exactly Ross and Rachel." After a pause, the "Ross and Rachel" in question is revealed to be two other employees in the hospital, "Dr. Ross, and Rachel from the book keeping department," and the offscreen shots. Friends has been referenced again in the Scrubs episode, "My Cold Shower"; Carla describes J.D and Elliot's relationship as being, "On and off more than Ross and Rachel, from Friends", J.D then explains how he is nothing like Ross and in Doctor Cox's tradition of calling J.D girl's names, he tells J.D he's more like Rachel.

Parodies

• An episode of Murder She Wrote takes Jessica Fletcher to Los Angeles where she gets involved with a murder involving cast members of a show called Buds. This was because Murder She Wrote was moved to be opposite Friends
• A 1997 episode of Animaniacs featured a spoof titled "Acquaintances" featuring a parody of the title theme "I'll Be There For You" which went:

Don't ever make them think that this could be a show! Six deadbeats on a couch just drinking cups of joe! They lead such boring lives, but never fear/ Because we're moving in for a month/maybe a year! O, we wont ever leave, No you can't throw us out! We wont ever leave, You can scream you can shout! We wont ever leave- all new "Acquaintances"

• Chums, a sketch on British Saturday morning television show SMTV, was a direct parody of Friends.

• American sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live has parodied the show twice. The first being in fall 1997 when Matthew Perry was the host. Perry played the character of Joey instead of his usual one, Chandler. The other five people were played by SNL castmembers. During the sketch, Matthew Perry breaks character (this was of course planned ahead of time by the writers, not just a mistake) and criticizes the person playing Chandler (Colin Quinn) for portraying him as a homosexual. The second time was in Spring 2004 when Jenifer Aniston was the host. Aniston played Rachel, and castmembers played the others. During this sketch they acted out alternate Series Finales for the show, one in which Joey kills himself.

Ratings

U.S. 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, bringing in 52.5 million viewers (43% of all viewers that night), 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.

Nielsen ratings

Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of Friends on NBC:

Note: Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, or occasionally early June, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.

Season	Timeslot (EDT)	Season Premiere	Season Finale	TV Season	Rank	Viewers (in millions)
1	Thursday 8:30 P.M. (September 22, 1994 - February 23, 1995) Thursday 9:30 P.M.(February 23, 1995 - May 18, 1995)	September 22, 1994	May 18, 1995	1994-1995	#8	24.3
2	Thursday 8:00 P.M. (September 21, 1995 - January 18, 1996) Thursday 10:13 P.M.(January 28, 1996) Thursday 8:00 P.M. (February 1, 1996 - May 16, 1996)	September 21, 1995	May 16, 1996	1995-1996	#3	29.4
3	Thursday 8:00 P.M. (September 19, 1996 - May 15, 1997)	September 19, 1996	May 15, 1997	1996-1997	#4	25.0
4	Thursday 8:00 P.M. (September 25, 1997 - May 7, 1998)	September 25, 1997	May 7, 1998	1997-1998	#4	24.1
5	Thursday 8:00 P.M. (September 24, 1998 - May 20, 1999)	September 24, 1998	May 20, 1999	1998-1999	#2	23.5
6	Thursday 8:00 P.M. (September 23, 1999 - May 18, 2000)	September 23, 1999	May 18, 2000	1999-2000	#5	20.7
7	Thursday 8:00 P.M. (October 12, 2000 - May 17, 2001)	October 12, 2000	May 17, 2001	2000-2001	#5	20.2
8	Thursday 8:00 P.M. (September 27, 2001 - October 4, 2001) Thursday 8:50 P.M. (October 11, 2001) Thursday 8:00 P.M. (October 18, 2001 - May 16, 2002)	September 27, 2001	May 16, 2002	2001-2002	#1	24.5
9	Thursday 8:00 P.M. (September 26, 2002 - May 15, 2003)	September 26, 2002	May 15, 2003	2002-2003	#2	21.6
10	Thursday 8:00 P.M. (September 25, 2003 - April 29, 2004) Thursday 9:00 P.M. (May 6, 2004)	September 25, 2003	May 6, 2004	2003-2004	#3	22.8

Australian ratings

Friends debuted on Australian television in 1996 on Channel Seven, and averaged 1,788,000 viewers. It ranked as the 8th most watched regular program that year. The second season of Friends aired on the Nine Network the following year, taking the number 2 position and avereraged 2,291,000 viewers. The next year saw an increase in its position and viewers, taking the top position and averaging 2,543,000 viewers, with repeats averaging 1,918,000 viewers coming in at number 6. In 1999, the series continued to increase its ratings, averaging 2,586,000 viewers. The year 2000 saw a slight drop in viewers, averaging 2,340,000, but it retained its number one position.

2001 is a contentious year for TV ratings in Australia, with Oztam taking over. Oztam showed slight differences in ratings for most shows broadcast on Nine Network, and saw a signifiacnt drop in total viewers across all networks. Oztam has Friends averaging 1,816,000 viewers nationally, and ranking as the 3rd most watched program. However, Nielsen Media Research Australia has Friends averaging 2,340 000 viewers and continuing to rank as number 1. In 2002, Friends dropped to number 2, behind National Nine News, and averaged 1,850,000 viewers.

2003 saw erratic scheduling of Friends on the Nine Network, and as a result saw a major drop in viewers. It ranked as the 10th most watched regular program that year, averaging 1,629,000 viewers, but was the third most watched scripted show that year. 2004 saw a good start to Friends, with ratings averaging around 1.7-2 million viewers each week. However, after a long hiatis of around 4 months, and delaying the final episode by 7 months, Friends saw a decrease in its ratings. The tenth season averaged 1,716,000 viewers and ranked as the 6th most watched program, and again ranked as the third most watched scripted program. The final episode averaged 2,273,000 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.

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 (2,541,000). 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.. Incidentally, The One with Ross's Wedding got almost 7 million viewers when it first aired on Channel 4, making it the most watched episode on that channel that month. This was despite the episode having been shown earlier on Sky One.

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 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 final ever episode of the show was heavily promoted for channel 4. The episode was part of the "Black Friday" line-up (Playing on the sad nature of the shows finale), which consisted of the final ever episode, followed by the series premiere of Big Brother in which Big Brother "Got Evil". The show's finale performed to its high expectations, receiving a massive 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. E4 cuts adult content and language on the earlier viewings. Friends episodes frequently get into the top 10 most watched programs on E4 every week.

Irish ratings

In the Republic of Ireland the show achieved exceptionally high ratings. The show continues to run twice weekly on RTÉ Two Ireland. Channel 6 have purchased the series and are currently running it from start to finish.

The program also continues to be repeated daily on E4.

New Zealand ratings

The show continues to receive high numbers of viewers and hasn't gone off the air since the show ended fully. It has aired at 6:30pm on TV2 (New Zealand) in constant repeats.

Awards and nominations

Emmy Awards

• 2003 - Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series - Christina Applegate
• 2002 - Outstanding Comedy Series (nominated also in 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.

Friends: The One with All the Trivia was released for Xbox, PS2 and PC on November 15 2005, but has since been discontinued by the publisher. It is a quiz game that has over 3,000 questions and 700 clips, in varying difficulties ("light", "medium" and "dark roast"). Hosts of the game include Gunther, Jack and Judy Geller, and Janice. The game can be single or multiplayer (up to 4 players), with the aim being to light up all the windows in your row on the Friends apartment block before your adversaries, a window per correct answer. The questions are categorized. There are two further modes: it can either be played so all players answer and get windows if they get them right, or it can be played so the first player to buzz in gets to answer the question and get the window. Once all the windows are lit for one player all the players have to answer a final question in Central Perk, and if the person with all their windows lit up answers it correctly then that player wins, if not then they go back to the windows with one less than before. The hosts (see above) read the questions and answers, and give their own comments on players who are particularly clever, getting hard questions correct, and players giving stupid answers. There are what happens next questions where a clip is shown and the player has to choose the closest answer from the four possible answers given, which is followed by the correct clip.

Friends fans can also purchase Friends cookbooks, trivia books, and the original Friends soundtrack. The French vintage poster that hangs in Monica's apartment throughout the series is also available for purchase.

Soundtracks

Main article: Friends discography

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.
• 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 spin-off show Joey was created. Many fans heavily criticized NBC's decision to give the one-dimensional Joey character his own show and ratings decreased significantly between the first and second season. 46 episodes were filmed, however only 38 episodes aired in the US. The show was canceled on May 15, 2006. Only the first season has been released on DVD.

Broadcast history

All times listed are North American Eastern Time Zone. The series aired on NBC for all ten seasons.

• September 1994-February 1995 - Thursday 8:30pm
• February-May 1995 - Thursday 9:30pm
• September 1995-May 2004 - Thursday 8:00pm

External links

• Template:Dmoz
• Friends at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com show
• Official Friends' site
• Episodes of Friends

Preceded by Extreme 1995

Super Bowl lead-out program 1996

Succeeded by X-Files 1997