document_title: Killswitch Engage

question_text: why did the lead singer of killswitch engage leave

text: Killswitch Engage

text: History[edit]

text: Early years and debut album (1999–2001)[edit]

text: Killswitch Engage formed following the disbandment of metalcore bands Overcast and Aftershock in 1999.[4] After Overcast broke up in 1998, bassist Mike D'Antonio jammed with Aftershock guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz. Dutkiewicz, now playing drums, recruited guitarist Joel Stroetzel from Aftershock and vocalist Jesse Leach of the band Nothing Stays Gold (who were signed to a record label owned by Dutkiewicz's brother Tobias, who was also the vocalist in Aftershock) to form a new band, Killswitch Engage.[4] The band's name is derived from an episode of the television series The X-Files entitled "Kill Switch", written by William Gibson, who gave the episode this title after meeting the industrial band Kill Switch...Klick.[5]

text: In 1999, Killswitch Engage recorded a demo containing four tracks, including "Soilborn", the first song written by the band.[6] The demo was first released at the band's first show, opening for melodic death metal act In Flames, in November 1999.[4][6] They released their self-titled debut album the following year. Although initially the album was not a financial success and did not land on any charts, it attracted the interest of Carl Severson, who worked at Roadrunner Records at the time. Severson handed Killswitch Engage to several Roadrunner representatives. Mike Gitter, a talent agent of the company, contacted D'Antonio, attended several of the band's shows, and offered the band a recording contract with Roadrunner. Realizing that Roadrunner had the resources to promote and distribute Killswitch Engage releases, the band accepted his offer, declining several offers from smaller labels.[7]

text: Alive or Just Breathing (2001–2004)[edit]

text: For a brief time in 2000 and 2001, ex-Overcast guitarist Pete Cortese joined Killswitch Engage, but left when he became a father.[7] Killswitch Engage began writing new material for their second album in November 2001. Mixed in January at Backstage Studios by producer Andy Sneap,[8] the album was titled Alive or Just Breathing, after lyrics in the song "Just Barely Breathing". A music video for the single "My Last Serenade" increased the band's exposure, and the album peaked at number 37 on the Top Heatseekers chart.[9]

text: Following Alive or Just Breathing's release, the album having been written and recorded for two guitarists, the band decided to expand and become a fivesome; Dutkiewicz moved to guitar and former Aftershock drummer Tom Gomes filled in the vacant drummer position. After Leach was married on April 20, 2002 and began touring again he fell into a depression. Leach left the band a few days before the band was meant to play a show and sent the band members an e-mail telling them he had quit. D'Antonio said in an interview that "after three years of hanging out with the dude, and considering him a brother, to just get an email was a little bit harsh."[10]

text: The band immediately started to search for a replacement vocalist and found Howard Jones of Blood Has Been Shed. Jones disliked the band's sound when he first heard it. He commented, "I was like, 'Meh.' I come from hardcore and dirtier metal, and Killswitch sounded so clean. But the more I listened to it, I realized there's some really good songs here".[11] After hearing about Leach's vocal problems, Jones contacted the band and was accepted as the replacement. Philip Labonte of All That Remains tried out for lead vocals but lost to Jones, who had to quickly memorize seven songs for his debut at the 2002 Hellfest.[11]

text: The new lineup played on the Road Rage tour in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in 2002 with 36 Crazyfists and Five Pointe O. Touring continued through the New Year's Day, and in 2003 the first song to feature Jones, "When Darkness Falls", appeared on the soundtrack of the 2003 horror film Freddy vs. Jason.[12] Following the 2003 Ozzfest, drummer Gomes left the band because he wished to spend more time with his wife, to pursue his band Something of a Silhouette, and because he was tired of touring.[13] He was replaced by Justin Foley of Blood Has Been Shed, and Foley's first tour with the band was the MTV2 Headbangers Ball in 2003.[14][15]

text: The End of Heartache (2004–2006)[edit]

text: The End of Heartache was released on May 11, 2004, and peaked at number 21 on the Billboard 200 with 38,000 sales in its first week,[16] and it also peaked at number 39 on the Australian Albums Chart.[17] The album went on to sell more than 500,000 copies in the U.S and was certified gold on December 7, 2007.[18] The album received mostly positive reviews, with Jon Caramanica of Rolling Stone calling the album a "stunning collection, retaining much of their signature musical brutality".[19] Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic commented "riffs upon riffs are piled sky-high into each number that follows, it's the unpredictable rhythmic shifts used to build and then relieve internal pressure that fuel the Killswitch Engage power source".[20]

text: "The End of Heartache" became the main single for the movie Resident Evil: Apocalypse, and in 2005 the song was nominated for Best Metal Performance for the 47th Grammy Awards. In late 2004, The End of Heartache was re-released as a special edition album, with a second disc featuring various live performances, a Japanese bonus track, and a re-recorded version of "Irreversal". During the summer of 2005, the band returned for Ozzfest, and on November 1, 2005, Alive or Just Breathing was re-released as part of Roadrunner Records' 25th anniversary. On November 22, 2005, the live DVD (Set This) World Ablaze was released, which contained a live concert at the Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts, an hour-long documentary, and all the band's music videos. The DVD was certified gold in the US on April 8, 2006.[18]

text: As Daylight Dies (2006–2007)[edit]

text: Killswitch Engage played the Reading and Leeds Festivals in August 2006, having already played Australian dates without Dutkiewicz, who was suffering from back problems and needed corrective surgery. On May 23, 2006, the song "This Fire Burns" was released on the WWE Wreckless Intent album.[21] The track was intended to be the new theme song for WWE wrestler Randy Orton; however, it was scrapped and later became the theme song for the WWE Judgment Day 2006 pay-per-view. "This Fire Burns" was used as the entrance theme for WWE wrestler CM Punk (along with his stables the Straight Edge Society and The New Nexus) from 2006 until 2011 and was later re-released as "This Fire" on the As Daylight Dies Special Edition.[22]

text: Recorded in three months, As Daylight Dies was released on November 21, 2006 and peaked at number 32 on the Billboard 200 chart with 60,000 sales in its first week. "As Daylight Dies" proved to be one of their biggest albums yet.[23] It also entered the Australian Albums Chart at number 29.[17] Mixed by Dutkiewicz, the album received mostly positive reviews—Thom Jurek of Allmusic called it "a Top Five metal candidate for 2006 for sure".[24] Decibel Magazine contributor Nick Terry said "To call As Daylight Dies addictive would be an understatement. That it outdoes its already impressive enough predecessor could almost go without saying".[25] Cosmo Lee of Stylus Magazine commented "the album is astonishingly badly sequenced", though he praised the album as being "less emotionally heavy-handed, and a lot more fun".[26] As of November 27, 2007, As Daylight Dies has sold more than 500,000 units in the US.[27]

text: The album's first single, "My Curse", peaked at number 21 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and is featured in the video games Sleeping Dogs, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, Burnout Dominator and Burnout Paradise and is available as downloadable content for the Rock Band series. "The Arms of Sorrow" peaked at number 31 on the same chart. The band's cover of Dio's "Holy Diver", originally recorded for a Kerrang! compilation album titled High Voltage,[28] peaked at number 12 on the Mainstream Rock charts.[29] Early in 2007, the band had to cancel three of its European tour dates with The Haunted due to Dutkiewicz's back problems. He required emergency back surgery and was replaced on the tour by Soilwork guitarist Peter Wichers.[30]

text: Due to Dutkiewicz's back problems in early 2007, he was replaced by Damageplan and The Mercy Clinic frontman Patrick Lachman during the No Fear Tour.[31] Dutkiewicz recovered and was able to finish the No Fear tour, and the band began filming its video for As Daylight Dies's second single, "The Arms of Sorrow". On August 6, 2007, Dutkiewicz was forced to leave the Warped Tour so he could fully recover from his back surgery and continue daily physical therapy. He was replaced by Killswitch's guitar technician Josh Mihlek for select songs, until his return on August 14, 2007.[32]

text: Second self-titled album (2007–2011)[edit]

text: Killswitch Engage entered the studio in October 2008 to start recording their next album with Dutkiewicz and Brendan O'Brien co-producing the album.[33] In mid-February, bassist Mike D'Antonio confirmed in an interview with Metal Hammer that "drums were finished", and that he had "finished up the last few bass fixes". He also stated that Howard [Jones] was in Atlanta finishing vocals, and that "it shouldn't be too much longer now."[34] From March to May, Killswitch Engage was a part of Disturbed's Music as a Weapon IV festival along with Lacuna Coil, Chimaira, Suicide Silence, Bury Your Dead and more. On April 14, the band announced the name of their album as Killswitch Engage, the second time the band has self-titled an album. The album was released on June 30, 2009,[35] debuting at No. 7 on the Billboard 200, marking the band's highest chart position for an album.[36] In July and August, Killswitch Engage took part in Mayhem Festival with headliners Marilyn Manson, Slayer, Bullet for My Valentine and others. In February 2010, Killswitch Engage announced that vocalist Howard Jones would not be performing with Killswitch Engage during their winter tour with The Devil Wears Prada and Dark Tranquillity; during the time, All That Remains vocalist Philip Labonte was substituting for Jones until he could return.[37] At least one source speculated that Jones' hiatus was due to back pain.[38] On March 18, 2010, original vocalist Jesse Leach returned to the band for a series of songs. From then on, Leach and Labonte performed as substitute vocalists for the remainder of the tour.[39]

text: In 2010, the band contributed the track "My Obsession" to the God of War: Blood & Metal soundtrack.[40] The band was later added as late replacement to 2010's Download Festival in June, after original sub-headliner, Wolfmother could not attend as scheduled.[41] Afterward, Killswitch Engage took a break from the road, and its members pursued other interests. Adam Dutkiewicz formed the band Times of Grace with Leach and released the debut album "The Hymn of a Broken Man" on January 18, 2011.[42] Along with Dutkiewicz and Leach, Times of Grace added Joel Stroetzel to their tour lineup.[43] Justin Foley provided the drum tracking for the band Unearth on their album "Darkness in the Light", released on July 5, 2011. Foley also traveled with the band for their 2011 summer tour.[44] D'Antonio started the hardcore band Death Ray Vision, with Shadows Fall vocalist Brian Fair and former Killswitch Engage guitarist Pete Cortese.

text: Jones' departure and Disarm the Descent (2011–2015)[edit]

text: In an interview with FTC, Gun Shy Assassin, Mike D'Antonio had stated that the band was currently in the works for a sixth studio album. D'Antonio stated, "Currently, everyone is individually writing demos for the next Killswitch Engage record. There is no release date yet, but I would assume it will be out early 2012."[45] Adam Dutkiewicz followed that up with a statement on the Killswitch Engage Facebook, saying "YO! Its Adam D! We're about to begin writing our new record. Thanks to all of our fans for waiting so friggin' patiently...now let's turn on the "riff faucet" and RAGE!"[46] On December 1, 2011, Mike D'Antonio posted online that Killswitch Engage should be entering the studio around February/March 2012 to record their sixth album expected around summer 2012. He also stated that the band had eight demos finished for the new record.[47]

text: On January 4, 2012, the band announced via the band's official website, along with their other official sources, that Howard Jones had left the band after his nine-year membership with them.[48] In the statement, the band did not disclose the reason for this decision out of respect for Jones, but simply thanked him for his nine years with the band and wished him well, as well as thanking the fans for their support as they began the search for a new lead singer;[48][49] Jones later explained he departed the band to manage his type 2 diabetes which was worsened by a hectic touring lifestyle.[50] Soon after the announcement of Jones's departure, rumors began that Phil Labonte of All That Remains would officially take over lead vocals due to his previous history with the band, although Labonte quickly dispelled the rumor.[51] Many vocalists were considered in the search for a new one for the band. The band's search for a new singer concluded in February with the announcement that original lead vocalist Jesse Leach would return to the band, as the band felt that Leach's energy, as well as his overall comfort and command of both the old and new material, made him the clear choice during auditions.[52] Following Leach's return, the band continued to the process of recording their new album and touring. On April 22, 2012, the band performed Leach's first show since 2002 at the New England Metal and Hardcore Fest.

text: On June 20, 2012, the demo version of a new song titled "This Is Confrontation" was leaked on YouTube. Not long after the song was leaked, the videos were soon deleted. Later, the band took part in Metal Hammer's "Trespass America Festival" headlined by Five Finger Death Punch with additional support from God Forbid, Emmure, Pop Evil, Trivium and Battlecross.[53] The band performed this song live, confirming the song's title "No End in Sight". Not long after the album was confirmed, the song was streamed publicly again. In October 2012, with Jesse back at the helm, Killswitch Engage announced they would be celebrating the ten year anniversary of their seminal album Alive or Just Breathing with a US Tour through November/December 2012, in which the band played the album live in its entirety. Support on the tour came from fellow Massachusetts natives Shadows Fall and Acaro.[54]

text: The album Disarm the Descent was released April 1, 2013 in the UK. The album debuted at #15 in the UK charts while debuting at #7 in the Billboard top 200[55] April 2 in the US. The first single "In Due Time" was released on February 5, 2013.[56] The album has received critical acclaim from reviewers, and has been labeled as a "true standout" and "nothing short of amazing". It was announced in December 2013 that "In Due Time" was nominated for "Best Metal Performance" at the 2014 Grammy Awards,[57] but lost to "God Is Dead?" by Black Sabbath.[58] A tour in May 2013 was done to promote the new album. With Miss May I, Darkest Hour, The Word Alive and Affiance as support. As I Lay Dying was originally supposed to be on the tour but dropped due to criminal charges from frontman Tim Lambesis. The band also did a co-headliner with fellow Heavy Metal act Lamb of God in the October 2013 with Testament and Huntress as support for both bands. The band did a small headliner on the east coast for Halloween 2014. With All That Remains, Death Ray Vision and City of Homes supporting.

text: Incarnate (2015–2017)[edit]

text: In an interview with Wikimetal, Jesse Leach announced that the band will start demoing new material "in the coming months".[59]

text: On February 25, 2015 the band released a 40 second snippet of a new single titled "Loyalty". The track appears on the Catch The Throne: The Mixtape Volume 2 to promote the HBO TV series Game of Thrones. The mixtape also features appearances from various other metal and rap acts such as Anthrax and Snoop Dogg.[60]

text: On March 30, 2015, Mike D'Antonio stated that the band had completed demoing material for its next studio album.[61]

text: Killswitch Engage took part in a summer tour in July 2015, opening up for Rise Against with support from letlive.

text: On December 10, 2015 the band premiered a new song entitled "Strength of the Mind" on Revolver.[62] The band also did a small Christmas 2015 tour on the East Coast with Unearth, Act of Defiance and '68.

text: On December 16, 2015 it was revealed that the band's upcoming seventh album, released on March 11, 2016, would be titled Incarnate, with a tour being took part in March of that year with Memphis May Fire and 36 Crazyfists as supporters.

text: On September 27, 2016 Leach revealed on his Instagram page that the band would be releasing a documentary compiled of live footage since 2012.[63]

text: On November 25, 2016 the band released a Blu-ray/CD called Beyond The Flames: Home Video Vol.2. The Blu-ray contains live performances that were recorded around the world from 2012 to 2016 and an hour long documentary taking place right after the band's (Set This) World Ablaze had left off, as well as music videos, personal band profiles and more, plus a bonus live CD containing live tracks from the band's legendary 2014 Monster Mosh show. The two disc set had a one day exclusive sale in record stores everywhere on Black Friday. The set is now available for online purchase and digital download on the Killswitch Engage store.

text: Upcoming studio album (2017–present)[edit]

text: On August 30, 2017, the band announced on their Instagram page that they were in the process of demoing material for their upcoming 8th studio album, expected to be released sometime in 2018.[64]

text: Musical style and lyrical themes[edit]

text:
"My Last Serenade"

Sample of "My Last Serenade" from Alive or Just Breathing (2002). "My Last Serenade" includes screaming, growls and clean vocals and shows examples of their riffs and sounds from extreme metal and hardcore.

"My Curse"

Sample of "My Curse" from As Daylight Dies (2006). Songs by Killswitch Engage such as "My Curse" has sounds from hardcore such as breakdowns.

Problems playing these files? See media help.

text: Killswitch Engage primarily play heavy metal and metalcore,[65][66] combining sounds from extreme metal and hardcore.[14] Like some modern metalcore bands, Killswitch Engage vocally combine singing, screaming vocals, and growls in their music.[14]

text: Killswitch Engage's music mixes "crushing" riffs, double bass drum patterns, power chords, dual-guitar harmonies, often punctuated with pinch harmonic squeals in their music[67] and breakdowns that one can expect from the metalcore genre. Their music is influenced by Swedish melodic death metal, New York hardcore and thrash metal.

text: In 2009, MTV, while naming "The Greatest Metal Bands of All Time", said that Killswitch Engage have been "called one of the founders of metalcore".[68] Jason D. Taylor of Allmusic said Alive or Just Breathing is "a pure metal album that seemingly has ignored any fashionable trend and instead relies solely on skill and expertise to sculpt some of the meatiest heavy metal since the glory days of Metallica and Slayer."[69]

text: Both current vocalist Jesse Leach and former vocalist Howard Jones write lyrics that are considered positive.[7] Jesse Leach stated on (Set This) World Ablaze, that the lyrics contain "unity, positivity, [and] love."[7] On the lyrical themes of Killswitch Engage, Ultimate Guitar reviewer Amy Sciarretto notes:

text:
“
Howard Jones has come into his own since 2004's The End of Heartache, and he continues to hit the notes, wax about relationships, faith-issues and other relatable issue (sic) on this second self-titled effort.[70]
”

text: On Killswitch Engage's 2009 self-titled album, Howard Jones states the change in lyrical themes:

text:
“
I've got enough to draw on to write some stuff that can be dark. Maybe there's still a hint of positivity in it, but there are some songs on there that are not positive at all.[71]
”

text: Members[edit]

text:
Current[72]

Joel Stroetzel – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals (1999–present)
Mike D'Antonio – bass (1999–present)
Adam Dutkiewicz – lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2002–present); drums (1999–2002)
Jesse Leach – lead vocals (1999–2002, 2012–present)
Justin Foley – drums (2003–present)

Former

Pete Cortese – rhythm guitar (2000–2001)
Howard Jones – lead vocals (2002–2012)
Tom Gomes – drums (2002–2003)

Live

Philip Labonte – vocals (2010)[73]
Jordan Mancino – drums (2013)[74]

text: Timeline[edit]

text: Discography[edit]

text:
Killswitch Engage (2000)
Alive or Just Breathing (2002)
The End of Heartache (2004)
As Daylight Dies (2006)
Killswitch Engage (2009)
Disarm the Descent (2013)
Incarnate (2016)

text: Accolades[edit]

text: Grammy Award[75]

text:
Year
Nominee/work
Award
Result[citation needed]

2005
The End of Heartache
Best Metal Performance
Nominated

2014
In Due Time
Best Metal Performance
Nominated

text: Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards

text:
Year
Nominee/work
Award
Result[citation needed]

2004
Killswitch Engage
Best International Act
Nominated

2004
The End of Heartache
Best Album
Won

2007
Killswitch Engage
Best International Band
Won

2014
Killswitch Engage
Best Live Band
Won

text: Boston Music Awards

text:
Year
Nominee/work
Award
Result[citation needed]

2007
Killswitch Engage
Outstanding Metal/Hardcore Band of the Year
Won

2007
Killswitch Engage
Act of the Year
Won

2007
As Daylight Dies
Album of the Year (Major)
Nominated

2007
Howard Jones
National Male Vocalist of the Year
Nominated

text: Loudwire Music Awards

text:
Year
Nominee/work
Award
Result[citation needed]

2013
Disarm the Descent
Metal Album of the Year
Nominated

2013
In Due Time
Metal Song of the Year
Nominated

2013
Killswitch Engage
Metal Band of the Year
Nominated


document_title: Condyloid joint

question_text: an example of a condyloid joint is the

question_tokens: an example of a condyloid joint is the

root

text: Condyloid joint

text:
Condyloid joint
1: Ball and socket joint; 2: Condyloid joint (Ellipsoid); 3: Saddle joint; 4 Hinge joint; 5: Pivot joint;
Ligaments of wrist. Anterior viewDetailsIdentifiersLatin
articulatio ellipsoideaTA
A03.0.00.049FMA
75299
Anatomical terminology[edit on Wikidata]

tag: table

text: A condyloid joint (also called condylar, ellipsoidal, or bicondylar[1]) is an ovoid articular surface, or condyle that  is received into an elliptical cavity. This permits movement in two planes, allowing flexion, extension, adduction, abduction, and circumduction.

tag: p

text: Examples[edit]

text: Examples include:[2]

text:
the wrist-joint
metacarpophalangeal joints
metatarsophalangeal joints

tag: ul

text: These are also called ellipsoid joints. Oval shaped condyle of one bone fits into elliptical cavity of other bone. These joints allow biaxial movements i.e. forward-backward and side to side but not rotation. Radiocarpal joint and Metacarpo-phalangeal joint are examples of condyloid joint.

text: An example of an Ellipsoid joint is the wrist; it functions similarly to the ball and socket joint except is unable to move 360 degrees; it permits axial rotation.


document_title: Friends

question_text: who got married in the cast of friends

question_tokens: who got married in the cast of friends

text: Friends

text: Premise

text: Rachel Green flees her wedding day and seeks out childhood friend Monica Geller, a New York City chef. They become roommates, and Rachel joins Monica's social circle of single people in their mid-20s: struggling actor Joey Tribbiani, business professional Chandler Bing, masseuse and musician Phoebe Buffay, and newly divorced paleontologist Ross Geller, Monica's older brother. To support herself, Rachel becomes a waitress at Central Perk, a Manhattan coffeehouse where the group often hangs out; when not there, the six are usually at Monica and Rachel's nearby West Village apartment, or Joey and Chandler's across the hall.

text: Episodes typically depict the friends' comedic and romantic adventures and career issues, such as Joey auditioning for roles or Rachel seeking jobs in the fashion industry. The six characters each have many dates and serious relationships, such as Monica with Richard Burke and Ross with Emily Waltham. Ross and Rachel's intermittent relationship is the most often-recurring storyline; during the ten seasons of the show they repeatedly date and break up, even while Ross briefly marries Emily, he and Rachel have a child, Chandler and Monica date and marry each other, and Phoebe marries Mike Hannigan. Other frequently recurring characters include Ross and Monica's parents in Long Island, Ross's ex-wife and their son, Central Perk barista Gunther, Chandler's ex-girlfriend Janice, and Phoebe's twin sister Ursula.

text: Cast and characters

text: The series featured six main characters throughout its run:

text:
Jennifer Aniston portrays Rachel Green, a fashion enthusiast and Monica Geller's best friend from childhood. Rachel first moves in with Monica in season one after nearly marrying Barry Farber, whom she realizes she does not love. Rachel and Ross Geller are later involved in an on-again-off-again relationship throughout the series. Rachel dates other men during the series, such as an Italian neighbor, Paolo, in season one; Joshua Bergin, a client from Bloomingdale's, in season four; Tag Jones, her assistant, in season seven; and Joey Tribbiani in season ten. Rachel’s first job is as a waitress at the coffeehouse Central Perk, but she later becomes an assistant buyer at Bloomingdale's in season three, and a buyer at Ralph Lauren in season five. Rachel and Ross have a daughter named Emma in "The One Where Rachel Has a Baby, Part Two" at the end of season eight. In the final episode of the series, Ross and Rachel finally confess their love for each other, and Rachel gives up a job in Paris to be with him.
Courteney Cox portrays Monica Geller, the mother hen of the group and a chef,[15] known for her perfectionist, bossy, competitive, and obsessive-compulsive nature.[16][17] Monica is often jokingly teased by the others for having been extremely overweight as a child, especially by her brother Ross. Monica works as a chef in various restaurants throughout the show. Monica’s first serious relationship is with long-time family friend Richard Burke, who is twenty-one years her senior. The couple maintains a strong relationship for some time, until Richard expresses that he does not want to have children, much to Monica’s dismay. Monica and Chandler Bing later start a relationship after spending a night with each other in London in the season four finale, leading to their marriage in season seven and adoption of twins at the end of the series.
Lisa Kudrow portrays Phoebe Buffay, an eccentric masseuse and self-taught musician. As a child, Phoebe lived in uptown New York with her mother, until she committed suicide and Phoebe took to the streets. Phoebe is ditsy but street smart. She writes and sings her own quirky songs, accompanying herself on the guitar. She has an "evil" identical twin named Ursula, who shares Phoebe’s quirkiness, but, unlike Phoebe, seems to be selfish and uncaring. Phoebe is childlike and innocent in disposition. She tends to use her past misfortunes such as her mother’s suicide as sympathy ploys – or rather, to mock others' self-indulgent self-pity. Phoebe has three serious relationships over the show's run: David, a scientist, in season one, whom she breaks up with when he moves to Minsk on a research grant; Gary, a police officer whose badge she finds, in season five; and an on-and-off relationship with Mike Hannigan in seasons nine and ten. In season nine, Phoebe and Mike break up due to his desire not to marry. David returns from Minsk, leading to the two getting back together, but she eventually rejects him for Mike when both of them propose to her. Phoebe and Mike marry in season ten.[18][19]
Matt LeBlanc portrays Joey Tribbiani, a struggling actor and food lover who becomes famous for his role on soap opera Days of Our Lives as Dr. Drake Ramoray. Joey is a simple-minded womanizer with many short-term girlfriends. Despite his womanizing, Joey is innocent, caring, and well-intentioned.[20] Joey often uses the catchphrase pick-up line "How you doin'?" in his attempts to win over most of the women he meets. Joey rooms with his best friend Chandler for years, and later with Rachel. He falls in love with Rachel in season eight,[21] but Rachel politely tells Joey that she does not share his feelings. They eventually date briefly in season ten, but after realizing it will not work due to their friendship and, more importantly, Rachel's complicated relationship with Ross, they return to being friends.
Matthew Perry portrays Chandler Bing, an executive in statistical analysis and data reconfiguration for a large, multinational corporation. Chandler hates this job, although it pays well. He attempts to quit during season one, but is lured back with a new office and a pay raise. He eventually quits this job in season nine due to a transfer to Tulsa. He becomes a junior copywriter at an advertising agency later that season. Chandler has a peculiar family history being the son of an erotic novelist mother and a gay, cross-dressing Las Vegas star father. Chandler is known for his sarcastic sense of humor and bad luck in relationships.[22] Chandler marries Monica in season seven, and they adopt twins at the end of the series. Before his relationship with Monica, Chandler dated Janice Hosenstein in season one and subsequently broke up with her many times. Matthew Perry has expressed his similarities to the character, such as his need to break an awkward silence with a joke and difficulties with women when first joining the show.[23]
David Schwimmer portrays Ross Geller, Monica Geller's older brother, a paleontologist working at the Museum of Natural History, and later a tenured professor of paleontology at New York University. Ross is a sweet-natured man of good humor, although he is often clumsy and socially awkward. Ross is involved in an on-again-off-again relationship with Rachel throughout the series. He has three failed marriages during the series: Carol Willick, a lesbian who is also the mother of his son, Ben; Emily Waltham, who divorces Ross after he accidentally says Rachel's name instead of hers during their wedding vows; and Rachel, as the two drunkenly marry in Las Vegas. His failed love life is potentially due to his paranoia and jealousy in relationships, and his divorces become a running joke within the series. Following a one-night stand, he and Rachel have a daughter, Emma, by the end of season eight. They finally confess that they are still in love with each other in the series finale.

text: Cast

text:
Primary cast of Friends

Aniston in 2008

Cox in 2009

Kudrow in 2009

LeBlanc in 2013

Perry in 2007

Schwimmer in 2011

text: In their original contracts for the first season, cast members were paid $22,500 per episode.[24] The cast members received different salaries in the second season, beginning from the $20,000 range to $40,000 per episode.[24][25] Before their salary negotiations for the third season, the cast decided to enter collective negotiations, despite Warner Bros.' preference for individual deals.[26] The actors were given the salary of the least-paid cast member, meaning Aniston and Schwimmer had their salaries reduced. The stars were paid $75,000 per episode in season three, $85,000 in season four, $100,000 in season five, $125,000 in season six, $750,000 in seasons seven and eight, and $1 million in seasons nine and ten, making Aniston, Cox, and Kudrow the highest-paid TV actresses of all time.[27][28][29] The cast also received syndication royalties beginning in 2000 after renegotiations. At the time, that financial benefit of a piece of the show's lucrative back-end profits had only been given out to stars who had ownership rights in a show, like Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Cosby.[30]

text: Series creator David Crane wanted all six actors to be equally prominent,[31] and the series was lauded as being "the first true 'ensemble' show."[32] The cast members made efforts to keep the ensemble format and not allow one member to dominate;[32] they entered themselves in the same acting categories for awards,[33] opted for collective salary negotiations,[32] and asked to appear together on magazine cover photos in the first season.[34] The cast members also became best friends off-screen,[35] so much so that recurring guest star Tom Selleck reported that he sometimes felt left out.[36]

text: The cast remained good friends after the series run, most notably Cox and Aniston, with Aniston being godmother to Cox and David Arquette's daughter, Coco.[37] In the official farewell commemorative book Friends 'Til the End, each separately acknowledged in interviews that the cast had become their family.[38]

text: Episodes

text:
Season
Episodes
Originally aired
Nielsen ratings[39]

First aired
Last aired
Rank
Rating
Tied with

1
24
September 22, 1994 (1994-09-22)
May 18, 1995 (1995-05-18)
8
15.6
Murder, She Wrote

2
24
September 21, 1995 (1995-09-21)
May 16, 1996 (1996-05-16)
3
18.7
N/A

3
25
September 19, 1996 (1996-09-19)
May 15, 1997 (1997-05-15)
4
16.8
The Naked Truth

4
24
September 25, 1997 (1997-09-25)
May 7, 1998 (1998-05-07)
4
16.1
N/A

5
24
September 24, 1998 (1998-09-24)
May 20, 1999 (1999-05-20)
2
15.7
N/A

6
25
September 23, 1999 (1999-09-23)
May 18, 2000 (2000-05-18)
5
14.0
N/A

7
24
October 12, 2000 (2000-10-12)
May 17, 2001 (2001-05-17)
5
12.6
Monday Night Football
Everybody Loves Raymond

8
24
September 27, 2001 (2001-09-27)
May 16, 2002 (2002-05-16)
1
15.0
N/A

9
24
September 26, 2002 (2002-09-26)
May 15, 2003 (2003-05-15)
2
13.9
N/A

10
18
September 25, 2003 (2003-09-25)
May 6, 2004 (2004-05-06)
4
13.6
N/A

text: Season 1

text: The first season introduces the six main characters: Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler, and Ross. Rachel arrives at Central Perk after running away from her wedding to her fiancé Barry and moves into an apartment with her friend Monica from high school. Ross, who has had a crush on Rachel since the two of them were in high school, constantly attempts to tell her how he feels about her. However, many obstacles stand in his way, such as the fact that he is expecting a baby with his lesbian ex-wife, Carol. Joey is shown to be a bachelor and struggling actor, while Phoebe works as a masseuse and portrays a sort of "crazy" attribute to her personality based on her troubles as a child after her mother committed suicide. However the rest of the group loves her regardless. Chandler breaks up with girlfriend Janice (Maggie Wheeler), who frequently returns in later seasons. At the end of the season, Chandler accidentally reveals that Ross loves Rachel, who realizes that she feels the same way. The season ends with Rachel waiting at the airport for Ross’ arrival from a trip.

text: Season 2

text: The second season begins with Rachel waiting at the gate for Ross to declare her love for him. However, she discovers that he is dating Julie (Lauren Tom), someone he knew from graduate school. Rachel's attempts to tell Ross she likes him mirror his failed attempts in the first season, although the characters eventually begin a relationship. Joey gets cast in a part in a fictional version of the soap opera Days of Our Lives, but his character is killed off after conflicts with the show's writers, claiming that he writes many of his own lines. Chandler gets back with Janice, his ex-girlfriend from season one. Monica begins dating Richard (Tom Selleck), a recently divorced family friend and 21 years her senior. In the season finale, they end their relationship when they realize that unlike Monica, Richard does not want children.

text: Season 3

text: Season three takes on a significantly greater serialized format. Rachel begins working at Bloomingdale's, an upscale department store chain, and Ross becomes jealous of her colleague, Mark. Rachel decides to take a break; and Ross, hurt and drunk, sleeps with someone else, causing Rachel to break up with him. In the meantime, Chandler has a hard time dealing with their breakup because it reminds him of his parents' divorce. After believing she has no family except her twin sister Ursula (Lisa Kudrow), Phoebe becomes acquainted with her half-brother (Giovanni Ribisi) and birth mother (Teri Garr). Joey develops a relationship with his acting partner Kate (Dina Meyer), and Monica begins a relationship with millionaire Pete Becker (Jon Favreau) which ends because of disagreements between the two.

text: Season 4

text: In the fourth-season premiere, Ross and Rachel briefly reconcile after Ross pretends to read a long letter that Rachel wrote for him, but continues to insist that the two were on a break so they break up again. Joey dates Kathy (Paget Brewster), a girl that Chandler has a crush on. Kathy and Chandler later kiss, which causes drama between Chandler and Joey. Joey forgives Chandler only after he spends a day in a box as punishment. Phoebe becomes a surrogate mother for her brother and his wife Alice (Debra Jo Rupp). Monica and Rachel are forced to switch apartments with Joey and Chandler after losing a bet during a quiz game, but manage to switch back by bribing them with Knicks season tickets and a one-minute kiss (off-screen) between the girls. Ross begins dating an English woman named Emily (Helen Baxendale), and the season finale features their wedding in London. Chandler and Monica sleep together, and Rachel decides to attend Ross and Emily's wedding. While saying his vows, Ross uses the wrong name at the altar (Rachel's), to the shock of his bride and the guests.

text: Season 5

text: Season five features Monica and Chandler trying to keep their new relationship a secret from their friends. Phoebe gives birth to triplets in the show's 100th episode. She gives birth to a boy, Frank Jr. Jr., and two girls: Leslie and Chandler. (They had originally thought that there were two boys and one girl, but decided to keep the name Chandler, despite the baby turning out a girl.) Emily states that the only condition in which she would remain married to Ross is if he stops all communication with Rachel. Ross agrees, but during a last dinner with all six main characters together, Emily phones Ross and, upon discovering Rachel is there, realizes she does not trust him, which ends the marriage. Phoebe begins a relationship with a police officer, Gary (Michael Rapaport), after finding his badge and using it as her own. Monica and Chandler go public with their relationship, to the surprise and happiness of their friends. They decide to get married on a trip to Las Vegas, but change their plans after witnessing Ross and Rachel drunkenly stumble out of the wedding chapel.

text: Season 6

text: In the sixth-season premiere, Ross and Rachel's marriage is established to be a drunken mistake. Ross and Rachel try to get an annulment because he doesn't want to have three divorces. However, he realized he couldn't do so and tried to keep their wedding a secret from Rachel. Nonetheless, they divorce several episodes later. Monica and Chandler move in together, causing Rachel to move in with Phoebe. Joey lands a role on a cable television series called Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E., where he stars alongside a robot. Ross gets a job lecturing at New York University and starts dating one of his students, Elizabeth (Alexandra Holden). The relationship ends because of their maturity differences. Phoebe and Rachel's apartment catches fire, and Rachel moves in with Joey, while Phoebe moves in with Chandler and Monica. Chandler proposes to Monica, who says yes even though her ex-boyfriend Richard confesses his love for her.

text: Season 7

text: The seventh season mainly follows the various antics by Monica and Chandler, who begin to plan their wedding and run into financial problems which are quickly fixed by Chandler’s secret funds. Joey's television series Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E is cancelled, but he is offered his job back on Days of Our Lives. Phoebe's apartment is fixed, but is rebuilt with only one large bedroom instead of the original two, so Rachel decides to stay with Joey. The season ends during Monica and Chandler’s wedding where Phoebe and Rachel find a positive pregnancy test in the bathroom.

text: Season 8

text: In the eighth season, it is revealed that the positive pregnancy test found at Monica's wedding belongs to Rachel. Phoebe at first tricks Rachel and tells her that the pregnancy test is negative, in order to achieve Rachel's real emotions on the realization of being pregnant. Rachel projects feelings of sadness when she thinks she's not pregnant, so Phoebe tells her the truth. The three of them rejoice in the bathroom. The season revolves around Rachel's pregnancy; Ross is revealed to be the father after an investigation involving a red sweater. Rachel and Ross decide to have the baby but do not resume their romantic relationship. Joey develops romantic feelings for Rachel, but she does not reciprocate them. Rachel gives birth to baby Emma in the season finale. At the hospital, Ross's mother offers him an engagement ring because she wants him to marry Rachel. Ross does not intend to ask Rachel to marry him, but he takes the ring anyway and puts it in his jacket pocket. Meanwhile, in the post-delivery room, Joey looks for some tissue for an upset Rachel, picks up Ross's jacket, and the ring falls to the floor. He kneels to pick it up and turns to Rachel, still on his knees and still holding the ring. Rachel accepts what she thinks is his proposal of marriage.

text: Season 9

text: Season nine begins with Ross and Rachel living together as roommates with their daughter Emma. Monica and Chandler try to conceive a baby of their own but find out that they are unable to, due to health restrictions. Phoebe begins dating Mike Hannigan (Paul Rudd), and chooses to be with him over her ex-boyfriend David (Hank Azaria). Rachel and Emma move in with Joey in the middle of the season, and Rachel develops romantic feelings for him, while the rest of the "friends" try hard to get Ross and Rachel back together. The group travels to Barbados in the finale to hear Ross give a keynote speech at a paleontology conference. Joey and his girlfriend Charlie (Aisha Tyler) break up, and she begins a relationship with Ross. Joey and Rachel's feelings for each other return, and the finale ends with them kissing.

text: Season 10

text: The tenth season closes several long-running storylines. Charlie breaks up with Ross to get back together with her ex-boyfriend. Joey and Rachel try to contend with Ross' feelings about them being together and decide it would be best to remain friends. Phoebe and Mike get married mid-season outside the Central Perk coffee house. Monica and Chandler apply to adopt a child and are chosen by Erica (Anna Faris). In the series finale, Erica gives birth to twins, to the surprise of Monica and Chandler — a boy, Jack (after Monica's father), and a girl, Erica (named after the birth mother). Monica and Chandler prepare to move to the suburbs, and Joey becomes upset with the changes in his life. Rachel gets fired from her job and accepts a new offer in Paris, but Ross, realizing he loves her, chases after her. Rachel realizes she loves him, too, and cancels her flight to Paris, agreeing to stay with him. The series ends with all the friends plus Monica and Chandler's new babies leaving the apartment, heading to Central Perk for a final cup of coffee. The finale dialogue used in this series is by Chandler, making a joke for the last time. The camera's last view is of all of the character's keys to the apartment on the counter table, finishing with a shot of the apartment door.

text: Production

text: Conception

text:
"It's about sex, love, relationships, careers, a time in your life when everything's possible. And it's about friendship because when you're single and in the city, your friends are your family."

—The original treatment used by Crane, Kauffman and Bright to pitch the series to NBC.[40]

text: David Crane and Marta Kauffman began developing three new television pilots that would premiere in 1994 after their sitcom Family Album was cancelled by CBS in 1993.[41] Kauffman and Crane decided to pitch the series about "six people in their 20s making their way in Manhattan" to NBC, since they thought it would fit best there.[42] Crane and Kauffman presented the idea to their production partner Kevin Bright, who had served as executive producer on their HBO series Dream On.[43] The idea for the series was conceived when Crane and Kauffman began thinking about the time when they had finished college and started living by themselves in New York; Kauffman believed they were looking at a time when the future was "more of a question mark."[40] They found the concept to be interesting, as they believed "everybody knows that feeling",[40] and because it was also how they felt about their own lives at the time.[40] The team titled the series Insomnia Cafe, and pitched the idea as a seven-page treatment to NBC in December 1993.[40][42]

text: At the same time, Warren Littlefield, the then-president of NBC Entertainment, was seeking a comedy involving young people living together and sharing expenses. Littlefield wanted the group to share memorable periods of their lives with friends, who had become "new, surrogate family members."[18] However, Littlefield found difficulty in bringing the concept to life, and found the scripts developed by NBC to be terrible. When Kauffman, Crane and Bright pitched Insomnia Cafe, Littlefield was impressed that they knew who their characters were.[18] NBC bought the idea as a put pilot, meaning they risked financial penalties if the pilot was not filmed.[44] Kauffman and Crane began writing a pilot script for a show now titled Friends Like Us,[40] which took three days to write.[45] Littlefield wanted the series to represent Generation X and explore a new kind of tribal bonding, but the trio did not share his vision. Crane argued that it was not a series for one generation, and wanted to produce a series that everyone would enjoy watching.[18] NBC liked the pilot script and ordered the series under another title, Six of One, mainly due to the similar title it shared with the ABC sitcom These Friends of Mine.[46]

text: Casting

text: Once it became apparent that the series was a favored project at NBC, Littlefield reported that he was getting calls from every agent in town, wanting their client to be a part of the series.[18] Auditions for the lead roles took place in New York and Los Angeles.[47] The casting director shortlisted 1,000 actors who had applied for each role down to 75. Those who received a callback read again in front of Crane, Kauffman and Bright. At the end of March, the number of potential actors had been reduced to three or four for each part, and were asked to read for Les Moonves, then-president of Warner Bros. Television.[48]

text: Having worked with David Schwimmer in the past,[47] the series creators wrote the character of Ross with him in mind, and he was the first actor cast.[49] Cox wanted to play the role of Monica, but the producers had her in mind to play Rachel because of her "cheery, upbeat energy", which was not how they envisioned Monica; after Cox's audition, though, Kauffman agreed with Cox, and she got the role.[40][50] When Matt LeBlanc auditioned for Joey, he put a "different spin" on the character.[40] The writers did not originally intend for Joey to be dim, but found it to be a major source of comedy. LeBlanc also gave the character heart, which the writers did not realize Joey had. Although Crane and Kauffman did not want LeBlanc for the role at the time, they were told by the network to cast him.[40] Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry and Lisa Kudrow were cast based on their auditions.[47]

text: More changes occurred to the series' storylines during the casting process. The writers found that they had to adjust the characters they had written to suit the actors, and the discovery process of the characters occurred throughout the first season. Kauffman acknowledged that Joey's character became "this whole new being", and that "it wasn't until we did the first Thanksgiving episode that we realized how much fun Monica's neuroses are."[51]

text: Writing

text: In the weeks after NBC's pick up of Friends, Crane, Kauffman and Bright reviewed sent-in scripts that writers had originally prepared for other series, mainly unproduced Seinfeld episodes.[52] Kauffman and Crane hired a team of seven young writers because "When you're 40, you can't do it anymore. The networks and studios are looking for young people coming in out of college."[53] The creators felt that using six equal characters, rather than emphasizing one or two, would allow for "myriad storylines and give the show legs."[31] The majority of the storyline ideas came from the writers, although the actors added ideas.[47] The writers originally planned a big love story between Joey and Monica, as they intended them to be the most sexual of the characters in the series pitch. The idea of a romantic interest between Ross and Rachel emerged during the period when Kauffman and Crane wrote the pilot script.[40]

text: During production of the pilot, NBC requested that the script be changed to feature one dominant storyline and several minor ones, but the writers refused, wanting to keep three storylines of equal weight.[46] NBC thought the cast was too young and pushed for an older character who could give the young adults advice. Crane and Kauffman were forced to comply and wrote a draft of an early episode that featured "Pat the Cop." Crane found the storyline to be terrible, and Kauffman joked, "You know the kids book, Pat the Bunny? We had Pat the Cop." NBC eventually relented and dropped the idea.[40]

text: Each summer (June, July, and August in the US), the producers would outline the storylines for the subsequent season.[54] Before an episode went into production, Kauffman and Crane would revise the script written by another writer, mainly if something concerning either the series or a character felt foreign.[52] Unlike other storylines, the idea for a relationship between Joey and Rachel was decided on halfway through the eighth season. The creators did not want Ross and Rachel to get back together so soon, and while looking for a romantic impediment, a writer suggested Joey's romantic interest in Rachel. The storyline was incorporated into the season; however, when the actors feared that the storyline would make their characters unlikable, the storyline was wrapped up, until it again resurfaced in the season's finale. For the ninth season, the writers were unsure about the amount of storyline to give to Rachel's baby, as they wanted the show neither to revolve around a baby nor pretend there to be none.[54] Crane said that it took them a while to accept the idea of a tenth season, which they decided to do because they had enough stories left to tell to justify the season. Kauffman and Crane would not have signed on for an eleventh season, even if all the cast members had wanted to continue.[51]

text: The episode title format—"The One..."[55]—was created when the producers realized that the episode titles would not be featured in the opening credits, and therefore would be unknown to most of the audience. Episode titles officially begin with "The One..." except the title of the pilot episode and the series finale "The Last One."

text: Filming

text: The first season was shot on Stage 5 at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California.[56] NBC executives had worried that the coffee house setting was too hip and asked for the series to be set in a diner, but eventually consented to the coffee house concept.[40] The opening title sequence was filmed in a fountain at the Warner Bros. Ranch at 4:00 am, while it was particularly cold for a Burbank morning.[57] At the beginning of the second season, production moved to the larger Stage 24, which was renamed "The Friends Stage" after the series finale.[58] Filming for the series began during the summer (June, July, and August in the US) of 1994 in front of a live audience, who were given a summary of the series to familiarize themselves with the six main characters;[40] a hired comedian entertained the studio audience between takes.[34] Each 22-minute episode took six hours to film—twice the length of most sitcom tapings—mainly due to the several retakes and rewrites of the script.[34]

text: Although the producers always wanted to find the right stories to take advantage of being on location, Friends was never shot in New York. Bright felt that filming outside the studio made episodes less funny, even when shooting on the lot outside, and that the live audience was an integral part of the series.[47] When the series was criticized for incorrectly depicting New York, with the financially struggling group of friends being able to afford huge apartments, Bright noted that the set had to be big enough for the cameras, lighting, and "for the audience to be able to see what's going on";[47] the apartments also needed to provide a place for the actors to execute the funny scripts.[47] The fourth-season finale was shot on location in London because the producers were aware of the series' popularity in the UK.[47] The scenes were shot in a studio with three audiences each made up of 500 people. These were the show's largest audiences throughout its run. The fifth-season finale, set in Las Vegas, was filmed at Warner Bros. Studios, although Bright met people who thought it was filmed on location.[59]

text: Series finale

text: The series' creators completed the first draft of the hour-long finale in January 2004, four months before its original airing. Crane, Kauffman and Bright watched the finales of other sitcoms to prepare the episode's outline, paying attention to what worked and what did not. They liked the ones that stayed true to the series, citing the finale of The Mary Tyler Moore Show as the gold standard. Crane, Kauffman, and Bright had difficulty writing the finale, and spent several days thinking about the final scene without being able to write a word. They did not want to do "something high concept, or take the show out of the show."[61] The most critical parts of the finale were shot without an audience, and with a minimum number of crew members. The main cast enjoyed the finale and were confident that the fans would react similarly:[61]

text: It's exactly what I had hoped. We all end up with a sense of a new beginning and the audience has a sense that it's a new chapter in the lives of all these characters.

text: NBC heavily promoted the series finale, which was preceded by weeks of media hype.[62] Local NBC affiliates organized viewing parties around the U.S., including an event at Universal CityWalk featuring a special broadcast of the finale on an outdoor Astrovision screen.[63] The finale was the subject of two episodes of Dateline NBC, a weekly television newsmagazine, one of which ran for two hours. A one-hour retrospective of clips from previous episodes was shown before to the airing of the episode. Following the finale, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno was filmed on the set of the Friends' Central Perk coffee house, which featured the series' cast as guests.[64][65] The advertising rates for the finale averaged $2 million for 30 seconds of commercial time, breaking the record held by the Seinfeld finale at $1.7 million.[63]

text: In the U.S., 52.5 million viewers watched the finale on May 6, 2004, making it the most watched entertainment telecast since the Seinfeld finale in 1998.[64] Although it was not the series' most watched episode,[66] the finale was the fourth most watched series finale in television history, only behind the finales of M*A*S*H, Cheers and Seinfeld, which were respectively watched by 105, 80.4 and 76.2 million viewers. The retrospective episode was watched by fewer than 36 million viewers, and the finale was the second most watched television broadcast of the year, only behind the Super Bowl.[64] Following the finales of Friends and Frasier, media critics speculated about the fate of the sitcom genre. Expressed opinions varied between a signaling of the end of the sitcom genre, a small decline in the large history of the genre,[63] and a general reduction of scripted television in favor of reality shows.[62]

text: Reception

text: Critical reception

text: Early reviews of the series were mixed; and it holds a Metacritic score of 59 out of 100, based on 20 sampled reviews, indicating "mixed to average reviews."[67] Tom Feran of The Plain Dealer wrote that the series traded "vaguely and less successfully on the hanging-out style of Seinfeld",[68] while Ann Hodges of the Houston Chronicle called it "the new Seinfeld wannabe, but it will never be as funny as Seinfeld."[69] In the Los Angeles Daily News, Ray Richmond named the series as "one of the brighter comedies of the new season",[70] and the Los Angeles Times called it "flat-out the best comedy series of the new season."[71]

text: Chicago Sun-Times' Ginny Holbert found Joey and Rachel's characteristics to be underdeveloped,[72] while Richmond commended the cast as a "likeable, youth ensemble" with "good chemistry."[70] Robert Bianco of USA Today was complimentary of Schwimmer, calling him "terrific." He also praised the female leads, but was concerned that Perry's role as Chandler was "undefined" and that LeBlanc was "relying too much on the same brain-dead stud routine that was already tired the last two times he tried it."[73] The authors of Friends Like Us: The Unofficial Guide to Friends thought that the cast was "trying just a little too hard", in particular Perry and Schwimmer.[74]

text: As the series progressed, reviews became more positive, and Friends became one of the most popular sitcoms of its time. It is now often ranked among the all-time best TV shows.[8][9][10] Critics commended the series as having consistently sharp writing and chemistry between the main actors.[75] Noel Holston of Newsday, who had dismissed the pilot as a "so-so Seinfeld wannabe" in 1994, repudiated his earlier review after rewatching the episode, and felt like writing an apology to the writers.[51] Heather Havrilesky of Salon.com thought that the series "hit its stride" in the second season. Havrilesky found the character-specific jokes and situations "could reliably make you laugh out loud a few times each episode", and the quality of writing allowed the stories to be "original and innovative."[76] Bill Carter of The New York Times called the eighth season a "truly stunning comeback." Carter found that by "generating new hot storylines and high-decibel laughs", the series made its way "back into the hearts of its fans."[77] However, Liane Bonin of Entertainment Weekly felt that the direction of the ninth season was a "disappointing buzzkill", criticizing it for the non-stop celebrity guest spots and going into jump the shark territory. Although disappointed with the season, Bonin noted that "the writing [was] still sharp."[78] Havrilesky thought that the tenth season was "alarmingly awful, far worse than you would ever imagine a show that was once so good could be."[76] Friends was featured on Time's list of "The 100 Best TV Shows of All-Time", saying, "the well-hidden secret of this show was that it called itself Friends, and was really about family."[79]

text:
"It may have been impossible for any one episode to live up to the hype and expectations built up around the Friends finale, but this hour probably came as close as fans could have reasonably hoped. Ultimately, the two-hour package did exactly what it was supposed to do. It wrapped up the story while reminding us why we liked the show and will miss it."

— Robert Bianco of USA Today on the series finale.[80]

text: Reviews of the series finale were mixed. USA Today's Robert Bianco described the finale as entertaining and satisfying, and praised it for deftly mixing emotion and humor while highlighting each of the stars.[80] Sarah Rodman of the Boston Herald praised Aniston and Schwimmer for their acting, but felt that their characters' reunion was "a bit too neat, even if it was what most of the show's legions of fans wanted."[81] Roger Catlin of the Hartford Courant felt that newcomers to the series would be "surprised at how laughless the affair could be, and how nearly every strained gag depends on the sheer stupidity of its characters."[82] Ken Parish Perkins, writing for Fort Worth Star-Telegram, pointed out that the finale was "more touching than comical, more satisfying in terms of closure than knee-slappingly funny."[83]

text: Awards

text: To maintain the series' ensemble format, the main cast members decided to enter themselves in the same acting categories for awards.[33] Beginning with the series' eighth season, the actors decided to submit themselves in the lead actor balloting, rather than in the supporting actor fields.[84] The series was nominated for 62 Primetime Emmy Awards,[85] winning six. Aniston and Kudrow are the only main cast members to win an Emmy, while Cox is the only actor not to be nominated. The series won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2002, receiving nominations in 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, and 2003.[86] The series also won an American Comedy Award,[87] one GLAAD Media Award,[88] one Golden Globe Award,[89] three Logie Awards,[90][91] six People's Choice Awards,[92][93] one Satellite Award,[94] and one Screen Actors Guild Award.[95]

text: Ratings

text: The table below shows the ratings of Friends in the United States, where it consistently ranked within the top ten of the final television season ratings.[96] "Rank" refers to how well Friends rated compared to other television series that aired during primetime hours of the corresponding television season. It is shown in relation to the total number of series airing on the then-six major English-language networks in a given season. "Viewers" refers to the average number of viewers for all original episodes, broadcast during the television season in the series' regular timeslot. The "season premiere" is the date that the first episode of the season aired, and the "season finale" is the date that the final episode of the season aired. So far, Friends has been the last sitcom to reach the No. 1 spot on television, as its successors were CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, American Idol, NBC Sunday Night Football and NCIS.

text:
Ratings table

Season
Timeslot
Season premiere
Season finale
TV season
Rank
Viewers
(in millions)
Most watched episode

Title
Viewers
(in millions)

1
Thursday 8:30 pm
(September 22, 1994 – February 23, 1995)
Thursday 9:30 pm
(February 23 – May 18, 1995)
September 22, 1994
May 18, 1995
1994–95
8
24.3[96]
"The One Where Rachel Finds Out"
31.3[97]

2
Thursday 8:00 pm
September 21, 1995
May 16, 1996
1995–96
3
29.4[96]
"The One After the Superbowl"
52.9[97]

3
September 19, 1996
May 15, 1997
1996–97
4
24.9[96]
"The One Where Chandler Can't Remember Which Sister"
29.8[98]

4
September 25, 1997
May 7, 1998
1997–98
4
24.0[96]
"The One with Ross's Wedding"
31.6[97]

5
September 24, 1998
May 20, 1999
1998–99
2
23.5[96]
"The One After Ross Says Rachel"
30.9[97]

6
September 23, 1999
May 18, 2000
1999–2000
5
20.7[96]
"The One with the Proposal"
30.7[97]

7
October 12, 2000
May 17, 2001
2000–01
5
20.2[96]
"The One with Monica and Chandler's Wedding"
30.1[97]

8
September 27, 2001
May 16, 2002
2001–02
1
24.5[96]
"The One Where Rachel Has a Baby"
34.9[97]

9
September 26, 2002
May 15, 2003
2002–03
2
21.8[96]
"The One Where No One Proposes"
34.0[97]

10
September 25, 2003
May 6, 2004
2003–04
4
22.8[96]
"The Last One"
52.5[3]

text: Cultural impact

text: Although the producers thought of Friends as "only a TV show", numerous psychologists investigated the cultural impact of Friends during the series' run. Aniston's hairstyle was nicknamed "The Rachel", and copied around the world.[18] Joey's catchphrase, "How you doin'?", became a popular part of Western English slang, often used as a pick-up line or when greeting friends.[99] The series also influenced the English language, according to a study by the University of Toronto that found that the characters used the emphasized word "so" to modify adjectives more often than any other intensifier. Although the preference had already made its way into the American vernacular, usage on the series may have accelerated the change.[32] Chandler's habit of ending a sentence unfinished for sarcasm also influenced viewers' speech.[100] Following the September 11 attacks, ratings increased 17% over the previous season.[77]

text: Friends is parodied in the twelfth season Murder, She Wrote episode "Murder Among Friends." In the episode, amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) investigates the murder of a writer for Buds, a fictional television series about the daily lives of a group of city friends. The episode was devised after CBS moved Murder, She Wrote from its regular Sunday night timeslot to a Thursday night timeslot directly opposite Friends on NBC; Angela Lansbury was quoted by Bruce Lansbury, her brother and Murder, She Wrote's supervising producer, as having "a bit of an attitude" about the move to Thursday, but he saw the plot as "a friendly setup, no mean-spiritedness."[101] Jerry Ludwig, the writer of the episode, researched the "flavor" of Buds by watching episodes of Friends.[101]

text: The Central Perk coffee house, one of the principal settings of the series, has inspired various imitations worldwide. In 2006, Iranian businessman Mojtaba Asadian started a Central Perk franchise, registering the name in 32 countries. The decor of the coffee houses is inspired by Friends, featuring replica couches, counters, neon signage and bricks. The coffee houses also contain paintings of the various characters from the series, and televisions playing Friends episodes. James Michael Tyler, who plays the Central Perk manager in the series, Gunther, attended the grand opening of the Dubai cafe, where he worked as a waiter.[102] Central Perk was rebuilt as part of a museum exhibit at Warner Bros. Studios, and was shown on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in October 2008. Jennifer Aniston revisited the set for the first time since the series finale in 2004.[103] From September 24 to October 7, 2009, a Central Perk replica was based at Broadwick Street, Soho, London. The coffee house sold real coffee to customers and featured a display of Friends memorabilia and props, such as the Geller Cup from the season three episode "The One with the Football."[104] In Beijing, business owner Du Xin opened a coffee shop named Central Perk in March 2010.[105] In India, there are five Friends themed cafes, located in Chandigarh (named Central Perk), Kolkata (named F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Cafe) which features many icons from the original T.V. series for example, Chandler and Joey's ugly dog statue, the orange sofa, the purple door of Monica and Rachel's apartment and Phoebe's pink bicycle. The other three cafes are located in Delhi, Gurgaon and Pune.[106] There are two Friends themed cafes in Pakistan as well—one in Lahore known as "Friends Cafe" and the other in Peshawar called "Central Perk". Both of those cafes have an iconic couch, a guitar and foosball table, quotes from the show on the walls and even episode reruns on a projector. They're also planning to have their own Gunther at the bar.[107]

text: Friends has also developed an alternative family lifestyle by representing young people that live unconventional domestic lives. It presents the idea that "all you need is good friends" and can construct families through choice. The audience is able to identify with the program through the troubles seen on weekly episodes. It portrays a new way of living life and developing relationships which are not normally seen in conventional society.[108] According to a pop-culture expert at the University at Buffalo, Friends is "one of those rare shows that marked a change in American culture." The images of youth and the roles they portray are better defined and represent a lifestyle that centres around creating and sustaining relationships between friends running their own lives and seeking help from each other.[109]

text: The Guardian's TV and radio blog stated that Friends has impacted the creation of other television shows such as How I Met Your Mother. The similarities between the two consist of both sitcoms taking place in Manhattan, a group of white adults who are funny and have similar character traits.[110]

text: Readers of TV Guide voted the cast of Friends their Best Comedy cast of all time, ranking at 29% of the votes, beating Seinfeld, which registered 18%.[111] A poll undertaken by 60 Minutes and Vanity Fair named Friends the third greatest sitcom of all time.[112] In 2014, the series was ranked by Mundo Estranho the Best TV Series of All Time.[113]

text: Distribution

text: Broadcast

text: After the produced pilot lived up to NBC's hopes, the series premiered with the name Friends on September 22, 1994, in the coveted Thursday 8:30 p.m. timeslot. The pilot aired between Mad About You and Seinfeld,[18] and was watched by almost 22 million American viewers.[40] The series was a huge success throughout its run, and was a staple of NBC's Thursday night line-up, dubbed by the network as Must See TV.[114] When Crane told reporters in 2001 that the ninth season was a possibility, critics believed that he was posturing, and that at least two of the cast members would not sign on for another season.[77] When it was confirmed that Friends would return for a ninth season, the news was mainly about the amount of money—$7 million per episode—that it took to bring the series back for another season.[77]

text: After year-long expectations that the ninth season would be the series' last, NBC signed a deal in late December 2002 to bring the series back for a final tenth season. The series' creative team did not want to extend negotiations into the next year, and wanted to start writing the rest of the ninth-season episodes and a potential series finale.[115] NBC agreed to pay $10 million to Warner Bros. for the production of each tenth-season episode, the highest price in television history for a 30-minute series.[75] Although NBC was unable to bring in enough advertising revenue from commercials to cover the costs, the series was integral to the Thursday night schedule, which brought high ratings and profits to the other television series.[115] The cast demanded that the tenth season be reduced from the usual 24 episodes to 18 episodes to allow them to work on outside projects.[78]

text: In fall 2001, Warner Bros. Domestic Cable made a deal with sister network TBS (both are owned by Time Warner) to air the series in rerun syndication. Warner Bros. Domestic Cable announced that it had sold additional cable rights to Friends to Nick at Nite which began airing in the fall of 2011 (unlike the TBS and broadcast syndication airings, Nick at Nite broadcasts of the series, which began airing as part of a seven-night launch marathon on September 5, 2011, replace the end credit tag scenes with marginalized credits featuring promotions for the series and other Nick at Nite programs). Warner Bros. was expected to make $200 million in license fees and advertising from the deal. Nick at Nite paid $500,000 per episode to air the episodes after 6 p.m. ET for six years through fall 2017. In syndication until 2005, Friends had earned $4 million per episode in cash license fees for a total of $944 million.[116]

text: Beginning on March 5, 2012, high definition versions of all 236 Friends episodes were made available to local broadcast stations, starting with the pilot episode. For the remastered episodes, Warner Bros. restored previously cropped images on the left and right sides of the screen, using the original 35 mm film source, to use the entire 16:9 widescreen frame.[117] These masters had been airing in New Zealand on TV2 since January 2011.[118] Netflix added all ten seasons of Friends in high definition to their streaming service in the United States on January 1, 2015.[119] The Netflix airings are in the versions as aired on NBC rather than the longer international versions, as discussed below.

text: International

text: Friends has aired on different channels in the UK in their original, unedited international versions prior to their being re-edited for US broadcast and syndication. These versions, with additional footage not seen domestically, have aired on such stations as Channel 4, Sky1, E4, and Comedy Central UK.[120][121][122][123][124] On September 4, 2011, Friends officially ended on E4 after the channel re-ran the series since 2004. Comedy Central took over the rights to air the program from October 2011. In the Republic of Ireland each season of the show made its European debut on RTÉ2. After 2004 RTÉ2 began to repeat the series from the start before moving over to TV3 and its digital channel 3e in 2010.[125][126] As of February 2015, repeats of the show have returned to RTÉ2 while also broadcasting on Comedy Central Ireland.[127][128]

text: Friends has aired in Australia on the Seven Network (season 1 only), Nine Network (season 2–10), Network Ten (2007–09, repeats), on GEM (a sub-channel of the Nine Network), and on pay TV channel TV Hits formerly aired on Arena, 111 Hits.[129][130] The show is broadcast on TV2 in New Zealand.[131]

text: In Canada, the series was broadcast on Global. In later years, it was syndicated on several of its cable sibling networks, including Slice, DTour, and TVTropolis, its previous incarnation. In India the show is broadcast by Comedy Central India on various times.[132][133]

text: DVD

text: All ten seasons have been released on DVD individually and as a box set. Each Region 1 season release contains special features and are presented in their aforementioned original international broadcast versions, although Region 2 releases are as originally aired domestically. For the first season, each episode is updated with color correction and sound enhancement.[47] A wide range of Friends merchandise has been produced by various companies. In September 1995, WEA Records released the first album of music from Friends, the Friends Original TV Soundtrack, containing music featured in previous and future episodes. The soundtrack debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 46,[134] and sold 500,000 copies in November 1995.[135] In 1999, a second soundtrack album entitled Friends Again was released.[136] Other merchandise include a Friends version of the DVD game "Scene It?", and a quiz video game for PlayStation 2 and PC entitled Friends: The One with All the Trivia.[137][138] On September 28, 2009, a box set was released in the UK celebrating the series' 15th anniversary. The box set contained extended episodes, an episode guide, and original special features.[139]

text: Warner Home Video released a complete series collection on Blu-ray on November 13, 2012.[140] The collection does not feature the extra deleted scenes and jokes that were included on prior DVD releases, and are therefore presented in their NBC broadcast versions.

text:
DVD name
Episodes
DVD release dates
Blu-ray release dates

Region 1
Region 2
Region 4
Region A
Region B UK
Region B Australia

The Complete First Season
24
April 30, 2002[141]
May 29, 2000[142]
October 4, 2006[143]
April 30, 2013

The Complete Second Season
24
September 3, 2002[144]
May 29, 2000[142]
October 4, 2006[145]
April 30, 2013

The Complete Third Season
25
April 1, 2003[146]
May 29, 2000[142]
October 4, 2006[147]

The Complete Fourth Season
24
July 15, 2003[148]
May 29, 2000[142]
October 4, 2006[149]

The Complete Fifth Season
24
November 4, 2003[150]
May 29, 2000[142]
October 4, 2006[151]

The Complete Sixth Season
25
January 27, 2004[152]
July 17, 2000[153]
October 4, 2006[154]

The Complete Seventh Season
24
April 6, 2004[155]
October 25, 2004[156]
October 4, 2006[157]

The Complete Eighth Season
24
November 9, 2004[158]
October 25, 2004[159]
October 4, 2006[160]

The Complete Ninth Season
24
March 8, 2005[161]
October 25, 2004[162]
October 4, 2006[163]

The Complete Tenth Season
18
November 15, 2005[164]
October 25, 2004[165]
October 4, 2006[166]

The Complete Series
236
November 15, 2005
November 14, 2006 (re-issue)
April 16, 2013 (re-issue 2013)
October 2, 2006
November 12, 2007 (re-issue)
September 28, 2009 (15th Anniversary Edition)

November 13, 2012
November 12, 2012
November 21, 2012 (JB Hi-Fi exclusive)
August 21, 2013

text: Spin-offs

text: Joey

text: After the series finale in 2004, LeBlanc signed on for the spin-off series, Joey, following Joey's move to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career. Kauffman and Crane were not interested in the spin-off, although Bright agreed to executive produce the series with Scott Silveri and Shana Goldberg-Meehan.[168] NBC heavily promoted Joey and gave it Friends' Thursday 8:00 pm timeslot.[169][170] The pilot was watched by 18.60 million American viewers,[171] but ratings continually decreased throughout the series' two seasons, averaging 10.20 million viewers in the first season and 7.10 million in the second.[59] The final broadcast episode on March 7, 2006 was watched by 7.09 million viewers;[172] NBC cancelled the series on May 15, 2006 after two seasons.[173] Bright blamed the collaboration between NBC executives, the studio and other producers for quickly ruining the series:[59]

text: On Friends, Joey was a womanizer, but we enjoyed his exploits. He was a solid friend, a guy you knew you could count on. Joey was deconstructed to be a guy who couldn't get a job, couldn't ask a girl out. He became a pathetic, mopey character. I felt he was moving in the wrong direction, but I was not heard.