The One With The Nostalgia
The late nineties and early aughts ushered in another Golden Age of Television, changing the way we talk about small-screen storytelling with the likes of serious, dramatic fare like The Sopranos, Six Feet Under and The Wire.
While those more elevated series scooped awards and critical acclaim, at the same time that era gifted us arguably the last great sitcom: Friends. Its ongoing popularity since being added to the best streaming services is only more testament to that. Why is Friends still such a go-to for many of us?
At the time of its release in 1994, I was a mere 12 years old, not exactly the target demographic, and yet I was hooked from the moment of its UK television premiere on Channel. I rushed home from band practice every Friday to catch the latest episode even though its premise wasn’t designed to lure me in.
A series about six pals making their way in Manhattan, Friends emerged the brainchild of showrunners David Crane and Marta Kauffman and as a risky addition to the NBC slate. With the then-unknown Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer cast as the titular sextet, their anonymity gave the series a fresh slate to reflect youthful ’90s attitudes.
“There’s nothing to tell! It’s just some guy I work with,” says Cox’s Monica Geller, a twenty-something chef excited about an upcoming date. The show’s first line of dialogue hints at some of its initial pull; Monica’s date with “Paul the wine guy” results in him spending the night. Granted, it’s hardly a wild, out there storyline. In the context of the 1990s it certainly betrays typically-safe, family-oriented sitcom themes right out of the gate.
That pilot storyline – much like Ross’ divorce – set the show apart at time of release, lending it a bit of edge. Through a 2024 lens? It feels a tad vanilla. But those story choices, once so risque, now form part of its lasting appeal, cementing the tone for what’s now a comfort watch for many. Settling down for a few episodes of Friends – check out our roundup of the best Friends episodes – is like hunkering down in a buttery-soft oversized sweatshirt.
