What makes friends a sitcom

Through bad relationships, hook-ups, dodgy career moves, weddings, divorces, babies and parental fall-outs, the six characters on Friends were there for each other, even as some pairings moved from platonic to romantic — and back again but were they on a break?

Over the course of 10 seasons, its storylines covered same-sex marriage, infertility, adoption, surrogacy and single parenthood. Friends managed to be simultaneously progressive and regressive. The show famously lacked diversity — yet featured several interracial relationships matter-of-factly.

Too often homosexuality was played for laughs, yet it in its second season it was one of the first US sitcoms to show a same-sex wedding — and featured real-life gay rights activist Candace Gingrich officiating. It tackled things clumsily — but it did tackle them. Austerlitz argues that it was precisely because Friends never strayed too far from the middle-of-the-road that made these representations so important.

Yet, however much Friends pushed the boundaries of what family could look like it was, traditional values ultimately won out. Monica and Chandler get the babies they longed for and move to the suburbs. Phoebe has married Mike. Only Joey is still single — conveniently for the spin-off sitcom, Joey, that was to follow.

Even now, 15 years since the finale, it has found a new audience in millennials and teenagers. For the last two years, Friends has been the most streamed show in the UK.

The most important of which, of course, is to always count on your friends, and to not care so much about other people's opinions.

However, the most important life lesson came from Ross , who helped viewers learn that they should NEVER wear leather pants on a first date. The Friends series featured numerous cameos from some of today's biggest names in Hollywood. It's worth knowing that Rachel 's long bob haircut, worn during the first two seasons, was so beloved that it earned its own nickname "The Rachel" , and was subsequently adopted by a host of young women across the globe. Friends put s style on the map, a style which continues to inspire today's fashion trends.

From white tank tops with Levi 's jeans, slip-dresses, and starter jackets to good ol' dad shoes and platform flip flops, the series showcased the best. It's impossible to mention Friends without mentioning these iconic lyrics, which I'm sure we've all heard a few hundred times. There is no doubt that the writing in this show stands the test of time.

The series addresses important issues such as surrogacy, adoption, single-parenting, infertility, and same-sex marriage.

Many of these issues that were addressed were ahead of their time. Rachel Green is portrayed by Jennifer Aniston. Rachel takes on the spoiled stereotype in her first few appearances but goes through a lot of changes in later seasons. She is the most fashionable out of all the friends as she has a huge interest in the world of fashion. Monica Geller is portrayed by Courteney Cox. Monica has a strong personality which is what drew Cox to her. When she knows what she wants, she stops at nothing to get it.

She can be loud and an avid control freak. Monica announces several times throughout the show that she wants to have children. She has a passion for cooking and wants to be a chef. Phoebe Buffay is portrayed by Lisa Kudrow. Phoebe is the most eccentric out of the three women.

She has a unique sense of style. She has quite a few partners throughout the show as well. Phoebe is a masseuse and a musician. Joey Tribbiani is portrayed by Matt LeBlanc. The not-so-bright character is extremely lovable and does have moments where he comes up with great ideas. Joey is an actor who starts out in theater and eventually makes it to the small screen. Chandler Bing is portrayed by Matthew Perry.

Chandler uses sarcasm when he is in uncomfortable situations. He is sarcastic and likes to make jokes to make people feel uncomfortable.

He goes through many relationships but one that stands out is his relationship with Janice. Ross Geller is portrayed by David Schwimmer. Ross is a paleontologist. Yes, he studies dinosaur bones.

Schwimmer was the first to be cast in the show because the creators developed the character with his voice in mind. What makes these characters so beloved and interesting is how different they all are.