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Friends is an American sitcom created by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions. The plot consists of an ensemble cast, starring six 20-30 year olds, played by Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer, living in Manhattan, New York City. It aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004.

When Crane and Kauffman were first writing Friends in 1993, they were originally writing under the name Insomnia Cafe. They presented the idea to Bright, and the three wrote a seven-page script to send to NBC. Several changes and rewrites were made to the script, and the name of the show was changed to Six of One, Friends Like Us, and finally Friends.

The show was filmed in Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. The series finale received 52.5 million American views alone, making the two-part episode the fourth most watched series finale in television history, and the most watched TV episode of the 2000s.

Friends almost instantaneously received critical acclaim, making it one of the most popular TV shows of all time. The show won Outstanding Comedy Series for its eighth season, and received 62 Primetime Emmy Award nominations. It further landed no. 28 on TV Guide's 60 Best Series of All Time.

Rachel Green
Rachel (played by Jennifer Aniston is first introduced in the pilot episode, having run away from her wedding. She first works at Central Perk as a waitress, but eventually quits for a job at Bloomingdale's, a popular New York department store. She eventually then becomes assistant buyer at Ralph Lauren. She pursues an on and off relationship with Ross Geller, another member of the main six. She first starts a relationship with Ross in the Season 2 episode The One with the Prom Video when she discovers that he would have went to her high school prom with her when he was in college. They split, however, in the season 3 episode The One Where Ross and Rachel Take a Break, when Ross sleeps with another woman when he thinks he and Rachel were broken up, starting the infamous "We were on a break!" running joke. In Season 10, she briefly dates Joey, but they break up due to them not being able to sleep together. She gets offered a job in Bloomingdale's again by her former colleague, Mark, but the job is in Paris.

Monica Geller
Monica (played by Courteney Cox) is seen in the first scene of the pilot episode. She is constantly portrayed as being extremely organized. She is not portrayed like this until the sixth episode of season one, The One with the Butt. It is a minor running joke that Monica used to be fat, and that her parents constantly forget about and criticise her. In the season four finale, The One with Ross's Wedding, it is revealed that she had slept with Chandler the night before Ross's second wedding in London. They agree that this will only continue during the wedding, but they still continue when they arrive back in Manhattan. This becomes the major plotline of the majority of season 5, as they try and keep their relationship secret. Producers originally cast Cox as Rachel and Aniston as Monica, but Aniston and Cox disagreed and the producers swapped the roles.

Phoebe Buffay
Phoebe (portrayed by Lisa Kudrow) is seen in the first scene of the pilot episode. She is instantly portrayed as unusual, most likely due to her mother committing suicide and her father abandoning her when she was young. Despite this, though, she is very peaceful when audiences see her, only sometimes revealing a tough side. Phoebe is a vegetarian and is a strong supporter of animal rights. She pursues various short-term relationships throughout the show, but starts a long-term relationship with Mike Hannigan, and eventually marries him. It is evident that Phoebe had a small "crush" on Joey in season 1.

Joey Tribbiani
Joey (played by Matt LeBlanc) is introduced in the first scene of the pilot episode, and is instantaneously portrayed as a womaniser and a struggling actor. It's not until later episodes in season one that he is portrayed as dim-witted. Producers said that LeBlanc made Joey dim, but also gave him heart, which they didn't know the character had. Joey's child-like nature and loyal attitude easily makes him the most trustworthy Friend out of the six. Joey is the only Friend who is single in the series finale, but he does date many women in the show's run, including Kathy (Paget Brewster) and Kate (Dina Meyer).

Chander Bing
Audiences first see Chandler (played by Matthew Perry) in the first scene of the pilot episode. Chandler is depicted as sarcastic, which is the form of humor he is known for. Chandler works for the majority of the series as an executive in statistical analysis. He hates his job, but he stays at it purely because it pays well. He attempts to quit in season 1, but he comes back due to the company bribing him with a bigger office and a payraise. He quits for good in season 9, and gets a job as junior copywriter for an advertising agency. His childhood is questionable, with a gay, crossdressing father and an erotic novelist mother. He mentions many times throughout the show that he uses his sarcastic humour as a defence mechanism since his parents got divorced. Chandler's parent's divorce caused him to start smoking cigarettes when he was just 9 years old. Chandler never eats Thanksgiving dinner because Thanksgiving is when his parents got divorced, and is only seen being involved with the holiday in the season 10 episode The One with the Late Thanksgiving when he makes cranberry sauce. Chandler is known for having extremely bad luck with relationships, such as his on-and-off relationship with Janice Hosenstein (Maggie Wheeler) and his brief relationship with Kathy (Paget Brewster), Joey's ex-girlfriend.

Ross Geller
Ross (portrayed by David Schwimmer) is first introduced in the pilot episode. In the first episode, he is downtrodden by his recent divorce with Carol Willick, his lesbian ex-wife. He wishes he was married again, and Rachel walks in the coffeehouse with a wedding dress on. Ross recognizes her, as he had a crush on her in high school and college. He still has a "crush" on her throughout season 1. He gets a girlfriend, Julie, which causes drama between the two. They do get together, however, in the season 2 episode, The One with the Prom Video. Ross is a palaeontologist, and numerous times his friends make fun of him for it. Ross was divorced three times during the show's run, causing the friends to make fun of him for this too.

In the first season, the cast were paid $22,500 per episode, but this was raised to $20,000 - $40,000 per episode in season 2 due to the show's success. The main six wanted to all be paid the same, so salary negotiations were made in season 3. The salary raised throughout the shows run, earning $75,000 in season 3, $85,000 in season 4, $100,000 in season 5, $125,000 in season six, $750,000 in seasons seven and $1 million in seasons 9 and 10, making Aniston, Cox and Kudrow the highest paid TV actresses of all time.

Seasons
Season 1

Season 1 introduces Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler and Ross. Ross is depressed about his recent divorce with Carol, his lesbian ex-wife. Rachel runs away from her wedding to her ex-fiance, Barry. She walks into Central Perk in search of Monica, and Monica and Ross recognize her. Monica reluctantly gives Rachel accommodation in her apartment, and Ross is revealed to have had a crush on her in high school, which he still has. Carol reveals to Ross that she is pregnant with his child, and plans to raise it with her current lover, Susan. Carol gives birth to a baby boy, and she, Susan and Ross all agree on 'Ben' for the baby's name. In the finale, Ross goes on a trip to China, and while he is there Chandler accidentally tells Rachel that Ross is in love with her. She decides to pursue him, so she waits for him at the airport. However, to her shock, Ross comes off the plane with a new girlfriend, Julie.

Season 2

The season 2 premiere begins with Rachel shocked to learn that Ross has a new girlfriend after learning he was in love with her. Rachel becomes increasingly irritated by Ross and Julie's relationship throughout half of the season. Ross finally breaks up with Julie in The One with the List in order to pursue Rachel, but she refuses to date him because he made a "Pros and Cons" list about her. Ross and Rachel do get together, however, in The One with the Prom Video. Monica starts dating Richard, despite a 21-year age difference. Joey gets a role on the fictitious version of TV soap opera Days Of Our Lives, giving him a lot more money. This causes Joey to move out of Chandler's apartment into a bigger one he decorated himself. Chandler almost immediately finds a new roommate, Eddie. After a while, Chandler becomes increasingly disturbed by Eddie, so he tells him to move out, but he refuses to. Eddie finally moves out in The One where Eddie Won't Go when Chandler convinces him Joey had lived in his apartment the entire time. Rachel's former fiance and best friend reveal that they are getting married, and want her to be their bridesmaid. She reluctantly accepts, but is forced to wear an obnoxious pink dress, which causes hilarity between the friends. Monica and Richard break up because they "don't want the same things". Chandler meets a girl online, but finds out she is married. He doesn't speak to her for a while until she suggests for them to meet in real life. They meet in the coffeehouse, and the mystery girl turns out to be Janice Hosenstein, his ex-girlfriend who formerly irritated him.

Season 3

Season 3 begins with Chandler falling in love with Janice after talking to her online. The two date in season 3 until The One with the Metaphorical Tunnel. They date again, and in The One with the Flashback Janice asks the friends if any of them have almost slept together, and a series of flashbacks throughout the episode reveal that Monica had a crush on Joey, Ross and Phoebe kissed, Rachel thought about sleeping with Chandler while she was engaged and Joey wouldn't be Chandler's roommate if it wasn't for Mr. Heckles, the eccentric neighbour upstairs. Monica runs into Richard at the video store, and they decide to try just being friends, but they cannot handle the tension, so they decide to have sex with no strings attached. They stop in the same episode, however. Rachel proposes the idea of "going on a break" which Ross mistakes as breaking up, so he sleeps with Chloe, the "girl from the Xerox place", the following night. Rachel finds out the next morning, and the two have an emotional argument. To lighten the mood, the rest of the group are trapped in Monica's bedroom while the couple fight in the living room. Ross and Rachel break up, and this causes tension in the group, and Chandler starts smoking again because of the tension. Monica starts dating Pete, a millionaire who tried to pursue her while she was at work. She breaks up with him, however, in The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion when she mistakenly believes he's going to propose, but he actually enters the Ultimate Fighting Championship and gets severely injured in the process. The group go to the beach in the series finale so Phoebe can track down her father, and meets a family friend (Teri Garr) that links to her and her parents' past. Rachel reveals her feelings for Ross, and they kiss despite Ross already having a girlfriend. Phoebe discovers that her real mother is Phoebe, a friend of Lily, who she thought was her mother.

Season 4

Season 4 starts with Phoebe discovering that a family friend is actually her mother. Meanwhile, Ross and Rachel decide to try dating again, but Rachel only agrees to if Ross takes full responsibility for their breakup. Ross agrees to this, but, upon realising what he is agreeing to, takes it back, and the two break up again. Chandler spots a woman in the coffeehouse, and, with the help of the rest, he goes up to her to ask her out. When he does, however, it is revealed that the woman, Kathy, is waiting for Joey for a date. Chandler eventually kisses herin The One where Chandler Crosses the Line and tells Joey. He is instantaneously furious with him, and locks him in a box on Thanksgiving as a punishment. Joey lets Chandler out, though, when he realizes Chandler does love her, and Chandler receives Joey's blessing to pursue her. Chandler drives Kathy to cheat on him with a coworker in The One with Rachel's Crush and is depressed about it in the next episode, but gets over it eventually. Phoebe agrees to become a surrogate for her brother and his wife, Alice (Debra Jo Rupp). A bet gone out of hand causes Rachel and Monica to swap apartments with Joey and Chandler. In a fit of desperation for their apartment back, the girls kiss for one minute (off-screen) as a trade for their apartment. Thanks to Rachel, Ross starts dating Emily (Helen Baxendale), an English woman related to Rachel's boss. The season finale depicts their wedding in London, where Chandler and Monica sleep together, Rachel nearly ruins the wedding and Ross says the wrong name (he says "Rachel" instead of "Emily") at the altar.

Season 5

Season 5 starts with Ross saying the wrong name at the altar, causing Emily to run away from the wedding. Rachel struggles with her feelings for Ross as he grieves over a possible second divorce. Chandler and Monica decide they only continue having sex in London, and stop when they arrive back in Manhattan. They do continue in Manhattan, however, and try to keep their relationship secret. Phoebe gives birth to her brother's triplets; a boy, Frank Jr. Jr. and two girls; Leslie and Chandler. Joey finds out about Monica and Chandler's relationship, and they force him to keep quiet about it. Rachel pursues Danny, her and Monica's neighbour, but breaks up with him due to his relationship with his sister. Rachel finds out about Monica and Chandler, but does not tell anyone purely because of her New Year's resolution of gossiping less. Phoebe eventually finds out, and decides to try and get them to say that they are dating by pretending she is attracted to Chandler. After enough pressure, Chandler confesses that he loves Monica. Ross finds out in the same episode, and in the next episode is furious of their relationship, but his mood quickly changes after he realizes it is serious. Phoebe starts dating Gary (Michael Rapaport), an undercover police officer. She breaks up with him in The One with the Ball after he shoots a bird. Joey believes he has his big break when he is the star of a new movie shot in Las Vegas. Chandler and Monica decide to go there too for their one-year anniversary to see Joey, and Phoebe goes with them, but are unaware he works at a hotel instead of the movie. Ross and Rachel decide to go too on a separate plane. Chandler and Monica decide to get married in Vegas, and go to a chapel immediately. The couple still getting married reveals to be Ross and Rachel, after getting severely drunk.

Season 6

Season 6 premieres with Ross and Rachel's drunken wedding in Las Vegas. The two plan to get a divorce, but Ross doesn't go on with it because he doesn't want 3 divorces. Phoebe suspects Ross to be in love with Rachel again, but he constantly denies it. Chandler asks Monica if they can move in together, and she instantly agrees. They eventually tell Joey and Rachel, and they both have mixed responses. On their last night as roommates, Rachel and Monica are first emotional about the move, but they end up arguing about their qualities they won't miss. Phoebe proposes the idea of Rachel moving in with her, and Rachel agrees. Rachel is moved into Phoebe's apartment by the next episode. Joey gets a role on a cable series, Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E. Ross gets a job lecturing at New York University, and dates a student, Elizabeth, briefly. Rachel and Phoebe's apartment catches on fire, so Rachel moves with Joey and Phoebe with Monica and Chandler. It is revealed that Chandler plans to ask Monica to marry him, and Phoebe helps him pick out the perfect ring. Monica finds out, and decides to propose herself, but can't get through her speech, so Chandler proposes, and she agrees happily. The rest of the group all celebrate at the end of the episode (excluding Ross).

Season 7

Season 7 starts with the announcement of Chandler and Monica's engagement. The majority of season 7 contains antics involving Monica and Chandler, at first about financial situations, but that is quickly resolved because of Chandler's funds, which he kept secret for six years. Ross tries to teach Ben about Hanukkah with the help of an armadillo costume. Phoebe and Rachel's apartment is fixed, but it has one bedroom instead of two, so only Phoebe moves in whilst Rachel stays with Joey. Joey's show, Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E, is cancelled, but he is offered a job back on Days of Our Lives. The series finale is just prior to Monica and Chandler's wedding, wherein Phoebe and Rachel find a positive pregnancy test in the trash in Monica and Chandler's bathroom, and assume it's Monica's.

Season 8

In the eighth season premiere, it is revealed that the positive pregnancy test found at Monica and Chandler's apartment is Rachel's. She takes it again, and originally Phoebe says it is negative, but after Rachel expresses sadness about it, she reveals it's positive. Both audiences and characters find out that Ross is the father in the next episode. Ross and Rachel decide to have the baby, but do not enter a romantic relationship. Joey falls in love with Rachel, and confesses to her on a "date" with her. Everyone else (excluding Ross) find out in the next episode. Joey eventually does tell Ross, and he professes feelings of shock and annoyance. Rachel gives birth to a girl after over 20 hours of labour, and Monica convinces her to name the baby her favourite name: Emma. Whilst Rachel is in recovery, Ross and Monica's mother gives Ross a ring to propose to Rachel. He refuses to, but keeps it anyway. Later, whilst Joey is getting a tissue for Rachel, the ring box falls out of his jacket and, as he goes to pick it up, Rachel assumes he is proposing, and accepts.

Season 9

Season 9 starts with Rachel and baby Emma living with Ross. Mid-season, they move back in with Joey, and Rachel develops feelings for him. Chandler and Monica continue to try conceiving a child, but find out they can't, due to health restrictions. They first decide on a sperm donor, but agree upon adoption.