Friends debuted on 22 September 1994 featuring a most unremarkable scenario – a group of six bright young twenty-something friends living in the same apartment building in New York.
The six friends included assistant chef Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), a young woman trying to find “Mr Right”, and a sort of den mother to the others, including her Paleontologist brother Ross (David Schwimmer), whose wife had left him. Monica’s room-mates were Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) and flakey Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow).
Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) and would-be actor Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) shared another apartment in the same building.
When they weren’t hanging out in their apartments, the friends usually congregated at the Central Perk coffeehouse in Greenwich Village, where they discussed dates and dating, work and working, and one another.
Also appearing on occasion were Christina Pickles and Elliott Gould as Ross and Monica’s parents, Judy and Jack; Tom Selleck as Monica’s much older boyfriend, Richard; Jane Sibbett as Carol, Ross’s lesbian ex-wife; and Jessica Hecht as Susan, Carol’s rather grim companion.
Episodes revolved around jobs, dating, parenthood, marriage, divorce, and just getting along in New York City.
Chandler and Monica were married on 17 May 2001 with Joey presiding over the marriage ceremony. They later adopted twins Jack and Erica. In 2004 they announced they were moving to Westchester, and the final episode showed them preparing to leave Manhattan.
After a one-night stand with Ross, Rachel discovered that she was pregnant. On 16 May 2002, she gave birth to a daughter who she and Ross name Emma. The final episode had Rachel giving up a job offer in Paris to stay in New York with Ross to raise Emma.
After dating numerous men, Phoebe married Mike Hannigan on 12 February 2004.
TRIVIA
The show was originally titled Insomnia Cafe. It was then renamed to Friends Like Us, and then Six of One before sticking with the title we all know and love.
Chandler Muriel Bing
Matthew Perry
Ross Geller
David Schwimmer
Rachel Karen Green
Jennifer Aniston
Monica Geller
Courteney Cox
Phoebe Buffay
Lisa Kudrow
Joseph (Joey) Francis Tribbiani
Matt LeBlanc Jack Geller
Elliott Gould Judy Geller
Christina Pickles Carol Willick
Jane Sibbett Susan Bunch
Jessica Hecht Dr Richard Burke Tom Selleck
