Exactly 30 years ago today—on September 22, 1994—the very first episode of the American TV series Friends aired. The show, which would go on to become one of the most popular of all time, drew in billions of viewers around the world. Friends was much more than just a sitcom; it introduced a new way of life and culture to its massive audience.

In the opening scene of the pilot episode The One Where Monica Gets a Roommate, Rachel Green (played by Jennifer Aniston) bursts into the iconic Central Perk café wearing a wedding dress, having left her orthodontist fiancé Barry at the altar. At just 24 years old, Rachel is searching for a new direction, one that involves escaping an unfulfilling marriage and starting fresh in the big city.

Later in the episode, Rachel sits at the kitchen table of her high school friend Monica Geller (Courteney Cox) as the rest of the group encourages her to cut ties with her past. This marks the beginning of a new chapter, as Rachel embarks on life in the city with Monica, Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), Chandler (Matthew Perry), Joey (Matt LeBlanc), and Ross (David Schwimmer). As Monica says, “Welcome to the real world. It sucks. You’re gonna love it.”

That first episode gave audiences a glimpse of what was to come in the 236 episodes across 10 seasons—a story not about marriage or parents but about a group of friends navigating life together. They were six inexperienced twenty-somethings figuring out relationships, careers, and themselves. While they didn’t know where life was taking them, they leaned on each other through it all.

Friends

The idea for Friends was pitched to NBC in 1993 by Marta Kauffman and David Crane, who wanted to create a show centered around a group of young friends. At the time, NBC was searching for a fresh series that would appeal to a younger urban audience.

In his book Still Friends, Saul Austerlitz writes that NBC wanted to replicate the success of Seinfeld, another New York-based show about friends. Most sitcoms of the early 90s, like Roseanne, Full House, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Mad About You, focused on family life, while Seinfeld was one of the first to break away from that mold. Similarly, Living Single, which aired around the same time, focused on a group of Black friends sharing a home in Brooklyn, showing that a new generation spent more time with friends than family. This resonated with viewers, as Friends embraced the idea that, in your twenties, your friends are your family.

Kauffman and Crane drew inspiration from their own lives. Having recently moved to Los Angeles from New York, they left behind their close-knit group of friends, which formed the core of Friends‘ central theme: “When you’re single and living in the city, your friends become your family.”

A New Family Dynamic

Throughout the series, Friends emphasized the idea of creating a family of friends rather than relying on traditional family structures. From its very first season, the show explored topics like divorce, family estrangement, and building strong bonds with friends instead. Throughout 10 seasons, Friends also delved into complex issues like same-sex marriage, infertility, surrogacy, adoption, and single parenthood. While the show was not always perfect in its portrayal of these topics, it broke ground for its time.

Although some jokes haven’t aged well—particularly regarding LGBTQ+ topics—Friends was progressive in its approach to relationships and family. One notable moment was its portrayal of one of TV’s first same-sex weddings, officiated by real-life LGBTQ+ activist Candace Gingrich.

Lasting Impact

While Friends was forward-thinking in some respects, it ultimately embraced traditional values by its conclusion. In the 2004 series finale, Rachel sacrifices her career to be with Ross and raise their daughter, Monica and Chandler start a family and move to the suburbs, and Phoebe marries Mike. Only Joey remains single.

The series’ influence can still be seen in shows like How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, New Girl, and Happy Endings, all of which borrowed elements from Friends. But none have reached the same level of success. Even 20 years after its finale, Friends continues to captivate new audiences.

It was the most-streamed show in the UK in 2018 and 2019. It once again topped the U.S. streaming charts after the passing of actor Matthew Perry in October 2023.

For many viewers today, Friends represents an era when friendship was at the center of life. As Marta Kauffman noted at the 2019 Tribeca TV Festival: “Friends is about a time in your life when your friends are your family. And when you have your own family, that changes.”