Believe it or not, it's been 30 whole years since Friends exploded onto our TV screens, resulting in Ross-and-Rachel dominating water cooler chat for the ten years that followed. It's hard to express just how much of a cultural phenomena Friends was. It rocketed stars including Jennifer Aniston , Courtney Cox and David Schwimmer into global fame, the shackles of which they would never quite shake off.
The show's finale was an event in itself, with 8.6 million of us in the UK tuning in. Aged 15, I watched it on the sofa with my mum on a Friday night at 9pm, which tells you everything you need to know about how well my teenage social life was going.
The show is baked into my cultural memory, thanks to several well worn VHS tapes. Seeing so much of Tom Selleck (Monica's boyfriend Richard) and his moustache at such an impressionable age I think forever altered my brain chemistry. The show offered an exciting glimpse outside of small town life as a perpetually bored teenager.
Watching it as an adult, I was struck by how relatable the first few series are, as the gang try to make their way in the world, dancing between bad jobs and bad dates. Those vital years - the characters are ages 25 and 26 as Series 1 takes off - where you're working out your place in life. Hearts broke the world over when Matthew Perry died last year.
Watching him in those early series, you see a young, vibrant, insanely talented man with comic timing that would inspire a generation. Often described as the ultimate comfort watch, there are of course lots of uncomfortable things about the classic show. The serious lack of diversity, despite the fact that it's set it one of the most culturally vibrant cities in the world.
The beauty standards and razor thin physiques, plus the fat shaming of young Monica. The episode featuring Sandy the male Nanny is also a grating watch. The list goes on.
But there is something magical about the 90s and early 00s aesthetic, the cosy consistency that the regular Friday night viewings offered and the familiarity of the characters and their (lighthearted) dilemmas. At the time, honestly I found the characters' wardrobe a little dull. Now I see they were anything but.
They weren't costumes, but extensions of the characters that wouldn't look out of place in the real world. Well, apart from Ross' paste pants perhaps..
. So, make a cup of tea and enjoy.this trip down memory lane as we revisit the sensation that was and is Friends .
Our 30 best fashion moments from the beloved sitcom:.
