30 years of the series “Friends”: how the cult sitcom captivated a generation

In the late 90s, television viewers in the United States and around the world spent countless hours watching the cult sitcom Friends. This year it turns 30 years old, but you can still find those who, episode after episode, relive the lives of six young people who make friends, love and build careers in Manhattan.

The first episode of the sitcom "Friends" aired on September 22, 1994 on the American television channel NBC. In total, the world saw 10 seasons and 236 episodes - an entire generation grew up on them.

Friends became a pop culture phenomenon, an all-time favorite sitcom, and received 62 Emmy Award nominations. When Matthew Perry, who played the role of Chandler, died in October 2023, almost half the world took it as a personal loss.

What is the secret of the success of the series, what is the plot based on and how were six friends able to win the hearts of millions?

Features of the characters in the series

First it should be explained that sitcom is a situational comedy featuring several permanent characters in a virtually unchanged environment. A distinctive feature of this genre is off-screen laughter, which is recorded during filming or overlaid separately.

The sitcom "Friends" centers on three young men and three women. They live in Manhattan, share apartments with friends, gather on the sofa at the Central Perk cafe and learn to live as adults.

Rachel Green

Jennifer Aniston's character is a depraved daughter who didn't know where the money was coming from until she ran away from the wedding. She moved in with her school friend Monica and started working and looking for herself.

Monica Geller

Courteney Cox's character is Ross's younger sister, who was smooth growing up. She is very organized, has a keen eye for cleanliness and order, and loves gambling.

Phoebe Buffay

The heroine of Lisa Kudrov. A girl with a strange family and past. She works as a masseuse and performs extravagant songs, such as “Smelly Cat”.

Ross Geller

David Schwimmer's hero. A paleontologist with a Ph.D. He broke up with his wife, who left him for another woman. He likes to brag about his work, which irritates those around him:

“Last week you thought Ross was going to kill you.”

- Sorry, but it was impossible to believe that he was telling such a boring story just for the sake of telling it.

Chandler Bing

Hero Matthew Perry. Rosa's best friend from his student days, who "makes jokes when he's uncomfortable." For a long time he worked as a clerk in the statistics department, but then began to build a career in an advertising company.

Joey Tribiani

Hero Matt Le Blanco. A poor, poorly educated, naive actor in constant search of work. Joey "doesn't share his food" and is popular with women.

It took producers about six months to develop the characters. They were shuffled between the actors and each took the hero who felt closest to him. For example, the role of Monica was first prepared for Jennifer Aniston, and Rachel was to be played by Courteney Cox.

The first season was filmed at Warner Bros. in California. Interestingly, NBC executives were worried that the interior of the coffee shop depicted on screen was too “trendy” and asked that the series be set in a diner. And finally we agreed on the cafe concept.

Each 22-minute episode took six hours to film, twice as long as most sitcom recordings. The live audience was an integral part of the series.

Often the situations covered in the series may seem idiotic at first glance. This is understandable, only Ross could sparkle with intellect, moreover, that’s why he often became an object of ridicule.

However, upon detailed analysis, it becomes clear that the writers did a fair amount of work on human psychology. They updated the problems of the young generation of the 90s and presented them with humor and ease.

The sitcom became a hit almost immediately - the first season was watched by 30,2 million viewers, and the last, aired on September 22, 1994, was watched by 52 million people.

The secret to success is several factors

The producers identified “young-adults” as the target audience for the series “Friends” and they were right. The writers literally got into each of the problems that affected them: friendship, career, love, sex, marriage, relationships with parents, and even paying for utilities. Every episode of Friends ends with a life lesson.

In general, the cultural impact of sitcoms has been studied by many psychologists. They determined that, in general, there are several reasons for the insane popularity of the sitcom:

• Relevance of the problems - Americans learned to live with heroes and in everyday life faced similar, often petty, situations and problems;
• Emotional attachment to characters – viewers often associated themselves with one of the characters, found their traits in themselves, or considered them their friends;
• Fashion — the heroes were simply 90s fashion icons, most notably Rachel Green. For example, the haircut she wore in the first two seasons of the series was copied by girls in different countries of the world. Later she was even named after the character. Overall, when it comes to style, Friends showcased the best of the era: blazers, dresses, denim, turtlenecks, “parent” sneakers and platform flip-flops;
• A way to ignore stress – immersed in a 22-minute episode, viewers could escape reality and feel how the characters live their lives;
• Cult song I'll be there for you, written by The Rembrandts specifically for the sitcom. When you hear it, you can’t help but think of “Friends,” and then you can’t get it out of your head for a while.

Airtime also played a role. The sitcom's first episodes were broadcast at 20:30 p.m., between two NBC hits: Seinfeld and Crazy About You. Popular neighbors helped give the newcomer a good start.

Famous guests who periodically appeared in different episodes also left their mark on the sitcom’s laurels. In particular, Brad Pitt, Danny DeVito, Kristin Davis, Alec Baldwin, Winona Ryder and many others appeared there.

The influence of "Friends" could be seen in a number of issues that emerged after the show. For example, “How I Met Your Mother” and “The Big Bang Theory” used a similar format. But the Central Perk cafe, one of the main locations of the series, has inspired various imitations around the world.

Initial reviews of the series were mixed, but became increasingly positive as it progressed. Critics praised the series for its consistently sharp writing and the chemistry between the lead actors. The stories were called "original and innovative" and the jokes "made you laugh out loud several times every episode."

Income from the sitcom "Friends"

Forbes estimates the total earnings of “Friends” since its debut on television in 1994 at $1,4 billion. Of that sum, nearly $816 million was shared by the six stars—about $136 million each.

Sandwiched between the aforementioned series, the sitcom earned $25 million every night. Each episode attracted 23 million viewers.

The actors' earnings have gradually risen from a modest $22 per episode in the first season to $500 million per episode over the past two years. This made Aniston, Cox and Kudrow the highest paid actresses of the time.