Head to Central Perk, Because Friends Turns 30!

In the 1990s and early 2000s, Friends was everywhere. It was the most popular sitcom in the world and the anchor to NBC’s Must See TV lineup. The show launched the careers of its six stars, built a global fanbase, and became a pop culture touchstone that still resonates today.

Friends debuted 30 years ago on September 22, 1994, introducing Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc), Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry), and Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) as a group of twentysomethings living in New York City. The series follows the sextet during the pivotal point in life when responsibilities are few, and anything is possible. As they navigate the ups and downs of young adulthood, pursue romance, and establish their careers, the group remains tightknit as, well, the best of friends.

Before “I’ll Be There for You” became an earworm, Friends was one of three TV pilots that David Crane and Marta Kauffman were developing for the 1994 broadcast season. Using their own history for inspiration, Crane and Kauffman reflected on the time when they finished college and set out on their own for the first time. The pair brought in their producing partner Kevin Bright, who had worked with them on their HBO series, Dream On. They built on the concept that anything can happen during that period of life, with many opportunities to be had and chances to take.

Meanwhile, NBC Entertainment’s then-president Warren Littlefield wanted a sitcom about young people. He had passed on Living Single, a Queen Latifah-led sitcom which had a nearly identical premise, because the concept pitch and early scripts weren’t strong enough. But when that show found a home elsewhere and became a hit, Littlefield recognized the value in creating a show about single people in that age group.

In December 1993, Bright, Kauffman, and Crane pitched a seven-page treatment to Littlefield and NBC for their series, then-titled Insomnia Café. He was impressed by how well defined the characters already were, and NBC bought the idea. Littlefield’s one difference of opinion from the creators was that he wanted the show to be about Generation X and what that meant to them. The creators disagreed, pointing out that they wanted the show to be accessible to viewers at any age.

Kauffman and Crane wrote the pilot, retitling the show Friends Like Us, and once Littlefield and the other decision makers at NBC saw it, they understood how the show could entertain multiple generations. The show was renamed Six of One, because Friends Like Us was too similar to ABC’s new sitcom These Friends of Mine (that show was renamed Ellen after star Ellen DeGeneres following the first season). The show would go through one more name change, becoming the short and to the point, Friends.