Image: Nicole Cammorata / Mashable
What: Friends
A show that defined a decade, Friends followed the lives of 20-something New Yorkers Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Monica (Courteney Cox), Ross (David Schwimmer), Chandler (Matthew Perry), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), and Joey (Matt LeBlanc) as they navigated life’s ups and downs in New York.
The beloved show earned its own Lego set, spawned the iconic “Rachel” haircut, and gave us one of the best TV friend groups of all time. Home furnishing retailer IKEA even let shoppers decorate their living room like Monica and Rachel’s apartment.
Thinking about tuning in? Here’s what you need to know.
How can I watch Friends?
Fans of Friends were quite upset when the show left streaming service Netflix. But fear not. You simply have to pivot (pivot!) your streaming efforts over to HBO Max, drop $100 to purchase all 10 seasons on Vudu, or be patient and catch reruns on networks such as TBS and Nickelodeon.
I heard there’s a Friends reunion happening. What’s the deal with that?
News of the reunion first dropped in February 2020, with the announcement it would air on HBO Max. Variety reported that the actors would each be paid “at least $2.5 million” for reprising their roles. Although filming has been delayed by the COIVD-19 pandemic, Lisa Kudrow gave Conan O’Brien an update on the special in July 2020.
Why do we love Friends so much?
Mashable editorial fellow Tricia Crimmins ranked the top 15 best Friends episodes in celebration of the show’s 25th anniversary in 2019, saying, “Although Friends was succeeded by plenty of lookalikes that shine in their own right, nothing has quite eclipsed the show.” Other reviews:
-
“Throughout 10 seasons, audiences experienced the love, heartache, and hilarity of the Central Perk gang amid changing cultural tides and countless A-list guest stars. It all ended with viewers at home saying goodbye to characters who felt like real-life friends.” — Tricia Crimmins, editorial fellow at Mashable
-
“Friends was easy TV at an elite level. So many jokes, so much body comedy, so many surprises and awwws, and squeals of live-studio audience excitement.” — Wesley Morris, critic at large at The New York Times
-
“You don’t enjoy the kind of long-lasting popularity of Friends without some semblance of quality, and throughout its ten seasons on NBC, the series certainly hit some iconic highs—and more than a couple lows. Even the most uneven of seasons still has its bright spots, which makes my task of ranking all ten seasons from worst to best slightly difficult.” — Adam Chitwood, Managing Editor at Collider
If you’re not yet signed up for HBO Max, hit the blue button below to snag a subscription for $14.99 a month.
