Friends (1994)
Friends is a 1994 comedy series created by Marta Kauffman and David Crane. It stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow.
Six friends in their twenties share coffee, apartments, and every romantic misstep available in 1990s Manhattan. Ross pines, Rachel figures out who she wants to be, Monica organizes, Chandler jokes to keep from feeling anything, Joey chases work and women, and Phoebe stays gloriously her own person. The comedy comes from the group as a unit, a found family that treats the couch at Central Perk as home base. Across ten seasons the show balances quick jokes with real romantic stakes, and its warmth is the reason people still put it on for comfort decades after it aired.
Quick answers
What is Friends about?
Six friends in their twenties share coffee, apartments, and every romantic misstep available in 1990s Manhattan. Ross pines, Rachel figures out who she wants to be, Monica organizes, Chandler jokes to keep from feeling anything, Joey chases work and women, and Phoebe stays gloriously her own person. The comedy comes from the group as a unit, a found family that treats the couch at Central Perk as home base. Across ten seasons the show balances quick jokes with real romantic stakes, and its warmth is the reason people still put it on for comfort decades after it aired.
When was Friends released?
Friends was released on 22 September 1994.
How many episodes does Friends have?
Friends has 228 episodes across 10 seasons.
Who made Friends?
Friends was created by Marta Kauffman, David Crane and Shana Goldberg-Meehan.
Where can I watch Friends?
Friends is available on DirecTV On Demand, HBO (Via Hulu), HBO Max, MAX (Via Amazon Prime), TBS and YouTube TV.
Where to watch Friends
Stream: DirecTV On Demand, HBO (Via Hulu), HBO Max, MAX (Via Amazon Prime), TBS, YouTube TV
Rent: Google Play
Buy: Amazon, AppleTV, Fandango at Home, Google Play
Official site
Cast
- Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green
- Courteney Cox as Monica Geller
- Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay
- Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani
- Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing
- David Schwimmer as Ross Geller
- James Michael Tyler as Gunther
- Elliott Gould as Jack Geller
- Maggie Wheeler as Janice
- Christina Pickles as Judy Geller
- Paul Rudd as Mike Hannigan
- Jane Sibbett as Carol Willick
Similar series
Explore Friends guides
A few thoughts on Friends
For more sharp, affectionate comedy about finding your people, Tina Fey's Bossypants carries the same voice off the screen, a memoir about writers' rooms and improbable friendships. The Rembrandts recorded I'll Be There for You, the theme song that became inseparable from the show, if you want the sound of that era on repeat.
Sitcoms about a friend group who becomes a real family
Friends works because the six of them treat Central Perk and each other's apartments as home, not because the jokes need a plot. How I Met Your Mother, Cheers, That '70s Show, Will & Grace and Seinfeld all build a whole world around one tight friend group, letting the hangout itself carry the show.
Classic multi-camera sitcoms built on family and workplace laughs
Friends still runs on the old multi-camera rhythm, a live audience laughing along with the same six sets every week. Night Court, The King of Queens, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Growing Pains and Archie Bunker's Place all share that studio-bound setup, built around one household or workplace instead of constant new locations.
Books from the people who make us laugh for a living
Chandler's one-liners and Joey's malaprops feel like they were written by people who study comedy for a living, which is exactly what these books are. Bossypants, Born a Crime, How to Be Really Funny and Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe all come from performers explaining, in prose, how their jokes actually get built.
Ensemble stage comedies where the group carries the whole show
Friends earns its laughs from an ensemble bouncing off each other in real time, closer to a stage comedy than a sitcom with a laugh track. Much Ado About Nothing, The School for Scandal, The Real Thing, Biloxi Blues and Our Lady of 121st Street all trust a group of sharp talkers to carry the whole evening.