When the first episode of the timeless television series ofFriends aired on ABC on September 22, 1994, the sitcom industry was changed forever. The American television show was originally written by Marta Kauffman and David Crane, directed by James Burrow, and executively produced by Marta Kauffman, David Crane, and Kevin S. Bright. These genius minds created a storyline that is timeless, about six best friends making their way in the great New York City.  For  ten seasons, these characters welcomed the audience through their collective journey of life in the big city filled with laughs, love, smiles and tears. The mass appeal of the show was far-reaching, from Emmys and Golden Globe awards to the “Rachel,” a trendsetting hairstyle that transcended all ages and cultures. Although the show is no longer on the air, younger generations stream the series today and still identify with the cast that all of America fell in love with.
            Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer do an astounding job fitting the roles of Rachel Green, Monica Geller, Phoebe Buffay, Joey Tribbiani, Chandler Bing, and Ross Geller. These characters are so relatable and unique in all different types of ways. Rachel Green is a fashion icon who was constantly setting trends for the viewers. She is a character that everyone adores, Ross Geller specifically. Ross, a paleontologist and professor who is noted for both his intelligence and goofiness, and Rachel, have a relationship that spans the ten seasons in an on and off nature. Ross’ sister and Rachel’s best friend, Monica Geller is best known for her competitive spirit and obsessive cleaning habits. Monica and Rachel were roommates for several years until Monica fell in love with comical Chandler Bing, who always cracks a joke. Chandler’s best friend Joey Tribbiani, is your stereotypical Italian who loves his mom and food. Last but certainly not least, Phoebe Buffay never fails to make the audience laugh with her dark past and creative yet hilarious songs.                

              The show Friends is a great demonstration of how young adults develop into professional and independent grown ups in the real world. For example, the first season started out with Rachel Greene never living on her own and very dependent on her father’s money. However, the rest of the group taught her how to live on her own and helped her get her first job as a waitress in the famous Central Perk coffee house. She then moves on from the coffee house to pursue her fashion dreams and after job hopping in the industry, the show ends with her getting a high level position with Louis Vuitton. Her career on the show was an inspiration for the audience to follow their dreams and to work hard.

           In terms of working hard, this sitcom was a huge start for all of the actors and actresses, but Jennifer Aniston in particular. In June 2018, Jennifer Aniston was ranked third overall on Forbes’ list of top paid actresses in Hollywood, which couldn’t have been achievable without her great debut on Friends. More than a decade after the show ended, the actors and actresses are still receiving paychecks of around 20 million dollars a year. This just demonstrates how the show Friends is arguably the most popular and timeless American sitcom, because channel TBS is re-running the show all day long in addition to the whole series being available on Netflix.

            Friends will never get old because it appeals to all age groups and the mostly comedic show has moments of both romance and sad times to satisfy everyone. There is at least one character for everyone to relate to, which makes the show even more enjoyable. Friends is also a great guide to living in the adult world for the audience. It was one of the most popular sitcoms in America while it was airing and is still one of the best shows. Plus, who could get tired of the most catchy theme song ever? So if you’re ever in the mood to binge watch the best series ever, I strongly suggest Friendsbecause they will always be there for you.