They're Still There For You: FRIENDS 25 Anniversary

It’s been twenty-five years since the chilly September evening in 1994 when people around the country settled into their couches to witness for the first time, the show that would end up sweeping the nation for years to come. The popular sitcom Friends, which follows the lives of six twenty-somethings navigating 1990s Manhattan, paved the way for all television following it.

A quarter of a century later, and Friends is still the favorite show of America’s youth. Why? Because the viewers feel like they know the characters. While it may not take 10 years to watch anymore, the audience certainly grows with the characters as the seasons go by. The country changed literally when most young females changed their hair monthly to match that of Jennifer Aniston.

While no one can seem to agree on who might be the best character, everyone agrees that the six of them together are unparalleled by any other television cast. And so, for the 25th anniversary of this groundbreaking television show, the country is celebrating! Movie theaters around America are playing select episodes chosen by Warner Brothers themselves and playing them on September 22nd, the actual anniversary of the first episode.

In addition, companies are coming out with new Friends themed products, such as a Friends LEGO set, or a replica of the Central Perk coffee house furnished by IKEA, and Pottery Barn is doing something similar as well. There is also a pop-up in New York City created in part by Warner Brothers, where customers and fans alike can come and sit in Central Perk coffee house, lounge on the iconic orange sofa, and sip some coffee. 

So, I don’t know about all of you, but I’ll be tuning in to watch “The One Where the Fans Take Over TBS,” a fan-voted marathon of the best Friends episodes, and I couldn’t BE more excited.

By Alexa Freedman