Behind the Greatness of 90's Favorite Sitcoms, Friends

Para pemeran Friends berpose untuk poster (Sumber: IMDB)

JAKARTA - I'll Be There For You and The Rembrandts are iconic music. In the mid-90s, the song was made by Phil Solem and Danny Wilde. It was deeply stuck in the minds of many people. The greatness was awakened from the legendary Friends. The sitcom is even called one of television's most influential shows. Debuting 26 years ago on NBC, September 22, 1994, Friends' fame has lived a long life until now.

Friends were bigger than any other television program. The Rembrandts wouldn't have gotten to this point without Friends. Even so, they are only famous for only one song, likewise with the players. Friends, back then, were dark horses. The sitcom featured a relatively unknown group of actors. However, the quality didn't lie. Friends are one of television's most successful products and have been broadcast for ten years.

Quoted from History, Tuesday, September 22, Friends told the story of six young adults who live in New York City. Together, they experienced the ups and downs of life. Friends performed well by winning six Emmy Awards, including for the Outstanding Comedy Series category. Not only that. Friends was also a cultural phenomenon. Friends influenced hairstyle trends, created interesting phrases, and changed the lives of the six main characters.

Along the way, Friends had experienced several title changes. Friends co-creator David Crane and Marta Kauffman wrote a seven-page sitcom called Insomnia Cafe. The title carried a plot that was very different from Friends. About Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) and Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), for example. In Insomnia Cafe, the relationship between the two was not the key to the story. Otherwise, Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) and Monica Geller (Courteney Cox Arquette) were supposed to be lovers.

The Insomnia Cafe pilot project was later purchased by NBC and changed its title to Friends Like Us. Back then, NBC President, Warren Littlefield, also had another title to consider: Across the Hall. By the time it started filming, the title had shifted again to Six of One. Finally, when the sitcom premiered on September 22, 1994, the story of the six best friends was shown under the title Friends.

The Success of the Actors/Actresses

Para pemeran Friends (Sumber: IMDB)

Friends helped encourage the cast; Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer to various levels of fame and success in Hollywood. Of all the names, Aniston emerged as the most successful.

Her role as Rachel is memorable. Aniston displayed Rachel - who loves fashion - displayed charmingly. Her blonde hairstyle, during the first season, was later referred to as 'The Rachel'. It was copied by women all over the world.

Off-screen, Aniston played in various Hollywood projects, such as The Good Girl (2002), Bruce Almighty (2003), Rumor Has It (2005), The Break-Up (2006), Horrible Bosses (2011), We're the Millers (2013), Cake (2014), and Dumplin '(2018), appeared in various magazines during her relationship with actor Brad Pitt. The couple married in a lavish ceremony in Malibu, California, in 2000. The two then announced their separation in early 2005.

Scene ikonik Jennifer Aniston bersama Courtney Cox (Sumber: IMDB)

Meanwhile, another famous actor, Courteney Cox, played as Monica Geller. She's a neurotic and highly organized chef. Cox first gained attention in her 1984 appearance on Bruce Springsteen's video: Dancing in the Dark. She had also been on the popular sitcom Family Ties.

Cox even co-starred with Jim Carrey in the hit comedy, Ace Ventura, Pet Detective (1994). She then appeared in the film Scream and television series, Dirt and Cougar Town.

The third female actor, Lisa Kudrow, played as Phoebe Buffay. Kudrow played in Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion (1997), The Opposite of Sex (1998), Analyze This (1999) and its sequels, Analyze That (2002), and P.S. I Love You (2007). In 2005 and 2015, she starred in the HBO comedy series The Comeback.

Matt LeBlanc, who played Joey Tribbiani is a handsome stupid actor. That persona awakens great in LeBlanc. From 2004 to 2006, LeBlanc starred in the spin-off television series, Joey. David Schwimmer played as Ross Geller. He is a sensitive paleontologist and Monica's brother. One of the main storylines of Friends is Ross's ongoing relationship with Rachel. Schwimmer's other acts include the 2001 television mini-series, Band of Brothers.

Then, there is Matthew Perry, who played as Chandler Bing. Apart from Friends, Perry also acted in Fools Rush In (1997), The Whole Nine Yards (2000), and The Whole Ten Yards (2004). Perry also co-starred in NBC's short-lived comedy-drama series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

The Last and Best Selling Episode

May 6, 2004, is the day of the final episode of Friends. Preceded by a whirl of high publicity, Friends' last episode drew an estimated 50 million viewers. Other old sitcoms with the highest number of views for episodes were Cheers (80.4 million) in 1993 and Seinfeld (76.2 million) in 1998, according to a Fox News report.

The most-watched last television series, M * A * S * H, was viewed by an estimated 105 million people when it aired in 1983. According to the New York Times, NBC charges advertisers an average of USD 2 million for every 30 seconds time ad during the last episode of Friends.

Besides, the six main casts of Friends keep their cohesiveness. They made sure that none of them were too dominant on the screen. They even negotiate a salary together.

In the spring of 2000, each actor signed a two-year contract worth USD 40 million, which gave them each USD 1 million per episode. Broadcasting in over a hundred countries, Friends continues to rank well for reruns.

In February 2020, there was an announcement that the cast of Friends would be gathering for a special-unscripted reunion broadcast on HBO Max in the spring. However, the filming was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.