Friends (1994)
I'll be there for you.
Six young people from New York City, on their own and struggling to survive in the real world, find the companionship, comfort and support they get from each other to be the perfect antidote to the pressures of life.
| Type | TV series |
|---|---|
| First aired | 22 September 1994 |
| Status | Ended, last episode 6 May 2004 |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Created by | Marta Kauffman and David Crane |
| Starring | Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow |
| Seasons | 10 seasons, 228 episodes |
| Episode length | about 23 min |
| Time to watch it all | about 87 hours |
| Rated | TV-14 |
| Scores | TMDB users 8.4/10 |
Where to watch Friends
Friends is streaming on Max ($18.49 a month) in the US. At ten hours a week, all of the series takes about 3 months of Max, or $55.47 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 30 September 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
What kind of watch this is
Friends is a 10-season comedy about six New Yorkers navigating adulthood. Created by Marta Kauffman and David Crane, the series began in 1994. With 23-minute episodes, the full run totals 87 hours. That is a significant time investment for a show centered on companionship and support. It suits viewers who want comfort rather than pressure. The tagline, "I'll be there for you," accurately describes the viewing experience. You are not watching for plot twists; you are watching for the specific rhythm of these characters finding support in each other. It is a warm, repetitive balm for anyone who finds the modern world exhausting.
How it did with audiences
On TMDB, users rate Friends 8.4 out of 10. Without box office figures to judge, the metric is the living room. In the United States, the show consistently ranked within the top ten of final television season ratings. It competed against the total number of series airing on the six major English-language networks. After the September 11 attacks, viewership jumped 17% over the previous season. Comfort turned out to be a strong draw.
Awards
Friends collected 14 wins from 87 nominations. The haul includes a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2002, credited to Scott Silveri. Jennifer Aniston took home the Lead Actress gong that same year. Lisa Kudrow swept the Supporting Actress category in 1998, the SAG Award in 2000, and the Satellite Award in 2001. David Schwimmer represented the ensemble in 1996. Christina Applegate closed out the list with a Guest Actress win in 2003.
What came next for the cast
Before Friends, Jennifer Aniston starred in Leprechaun. The credit list does not specify what she did between that and the sitcom, so the silence is yours to fill. Courteney Cox had Masters of the Universe and Cocoon: The Return under her belt. After the show, she jumped into Scream and its sequels. The credits cannot prove the sitcom caused the shift. They simply record what followed.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Friends.
Sources
- Friends on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q79784 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Friends” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
Watch it without paying for the whole year
Binge Boss tracks the series you are on and tells you which services you need this month, and which you can cancel.
Add Friends to your list