Central Perk: Celebrating 30 Years of Friends!

It’s hard to believe, but Friends is turning 30! The iconic sitcom, which introduced us to Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe, first aired in 1994, and three decades later, it’s still one of the most beloved shows in TV history. From the iconic Central Perk coffee shop to unforgettable moments like “We were on a break!” Friends have left an indelible mark on pop culture.

Before “I’ll Be There for You” became a ubiquitous earworm, Friends was just one of three TV pilots that creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman were developing for the 1994 broadcast season. Drawing from their own experiences, the duo used the time after they had graduated from college and ventured into adulthood as the inspiration for the show. In December 1993, along with producer Kevin Bright, Crane and Kauffman pitched a seven-page treatment for their concept, initially titled Insomnia Café, to NBC president Warren Littlefield. Littlefield was impressed with how well the characters were already developed, and NBC quickly bought into the idea.

Crane and Kauffman then wrote the pilot, and the show was retitled Friends Like Us. Once Littlefield and the NBC team saw the pilot, they recognized the potential for the show to resonate with a wide range of viewers across generations. However, the title soon became an issue. With ABC premiering a new sitcom called These Friends of Mine, NBC decided the name was too similar. Friends Like Us was renamed Six of One, only to undergo one final rebranding to the simpler, catchier title, Friends.

From there, the rest is history. The show went on to become a cultural phenomenon, with audiences still enjoying the humor, warmth, and camaraderie of the six characters, proving that our affection for Friends remains as strong as ever.

What Critics said about Friends was not too friendly in 1994:

NBC’s new sitcom “Friends” comes across like a 30-minute commercial for Dockers or Ikea or light beer, except it’s smuttier.-Washington Post, September 22, 1994

The concept is OK, but the humor’s less sophisticated than expected from the exec producers of HBO’s comedy series “Dream On,” and the dialogue is not exactly snappy. –Variety, September 22, 1994

A game cast delivers the barrage of banter with an arch coyness that suggests they think they’re in some Gen X Neil Simon play. –People, October 3, 1994 

No one seems to have anything better to do than swill cappuccino at a plush hangout or sit around Cox’s place watching bad TV.-USA Today, September 22, 1994

Oh, no, you might well moan, not another group of pals sitting around whining and nursing their anxieties, getting up once in a while to test the passing Zeitgeist.-The New York Times, September 29, 1994