1994 Sitcom Ran for 10 Seasons and Became a Comfort Show That Defined a Generation

Could the show Friends be any more of a classic?

Over 30 years ago, the sitcom following the lives of six 20-somethings as they navigated life in New York City premiered, and still remains a favorite today. Launching actors Jennifer Aniston,David Schwimmer,Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Courteney Cox, and the late Matthew Perry into stardom, the character's quotes, style, and story lines are solidified into pop culture.



Premiering on September, 22, 1994 on NBC, the show quickly became "Must See TV" alongside shows like Seinfeld and Will & Grace. Viewers were invested in the trajectory of the lives of the characters, through ups and downs of their relationships, careers, and ultimately their dynamics with each other.

From Aniston's character, Rachel Green, and Schwimmer's character, Ross Gellar's on-again, off-again, relationship-in addition to Ross' own struggles with his love life-to Cox's character, Monica Gellar, with her Type-a tendencies, falling in love with Perry's character Chandler Bing, the narratives had fans glued for years. Viewers also found comic relief in LeBlanc's character, Joey Tribbiani, and Kudrow's character Phoebe Buffay.

Related: 1999 'Friends' Episode Ranked 'Best of All Time' Is Still Hilarious 27 Years Later

The show also saw tons of cameos from Reese Witherspoonand Christina Applegate playing sisters to Green, while Brad Pitt-whom Aniston was married to in real life at the time-played an old high school friend with a grudge. Jane Sibbet who had a longterm role playing Ross' first wife while Michael Rapaport andPaul Rudd both played love interests of Pheobe's.

Following its finale in 2004, where the phrase "I got off the plane" will forever live on as one of the most standout quotes in TV history, the show found a new life on Netflix on 2015 where a whole new group were able to discover it while longtime fans revisited it, creating what is now known as a "comfort watch."

While the show remains a go-to, it also strikes a bittersweet chord following the 2023 death of Perry. The actor, who openly struggled with substance addiction, died of "acute effects of ketamine." The investigation into his death, which has been since ongoing, just had a major update as his supplier, known as the "Ketamine Queen" was sentenced to 15 years in prison, a federal judge ruled earlier this month.

His loss was felt greatly among the cast, who regularly talk about him in interviews.

"He was a brilliant human being and an extraordinary talent, loved deeply, and wanted happiness more than anything," Aniston told Elle Magazine last year. "It makes me sad that he never really achieved that, because he deserved it."

"We miss him. He's missed," she added.

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This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 7:50 AM.