Friends - The One with All Ten Seasons

See the 10 or more seasons club .

The first two seasons were mostly centered on the on-off saga of Ross and Rachel, and while their relationship remained a strong presence through romantic rivals and even a baby, the other characters eventually moved from sideshow players into a shared comedic lead. But Friends was not without its heart. Most of the cast had dysfunctional relationships with their parents and went through loss, divorce, marriage, parenthood, and love triangles. The emotional pregnancies of Rachel (by Ross) and Phoebe (surrogate to her half-brother's triplets) won the actresses Emmy Awards, and Joey's tender feelings for Rachel in Season 8 won LeBlanc, the most improved actor in the series, a nomination.

Most sitcoms run out of ideas by the fifth season, but Friends gave itself a refreshing jolt the minute Monica and Chandler wound up in bed together. Their budding romance was not only the one of the funniest arcs of the series, but one of the most sentimental, as they planned a wedding, struggled to have a child and eventually turned to adoption. By seasons seven and on, the characters had each "grown up" from young singletons to thirtysomethings finding permanence in their careers and love lives but never losing the laughs.

Friends featured a parade of celebrity guests, but unlike Will & Grace, it actually utilized most of the stars as more than cameos: The sextet's parents were all brilliantly cast, particularly Kathleen Turner as Chandler's drag-queen father and Teri Garr as Phoebe's dizzy mom. Everyone from George Clooney to Sean Penn to Julia Roberts to Bruce Willis has appeared on the sitcom, and Tom Selleck certainly enjoyed a career resuscitation after his recurring role as Monica's older man.

But no star power ever penetrated the bond between the six stars, and their unmatchable chemistry worked for 10 seasons. Even if the show is on reruns daily, this boxed set of Friends remains watchable over and over again--even if that theme song grates on your nerves.

Standout episodes include "The One with All The Poker" (Season 1), "The One with The Birth" (1), "The One with the Prom Video" (2), "The One with the Flashback" (3), "The One Where Monica and Richard are Just Friends" (3), "The One Where Ross and Rachel Take a Break" (3), "The One with the Embryos" (4), "The One with All the Wedding Dresses" (4), "The One with the Thanksgiving Flashbacks" (5), "The One Where Everybody Finds Out" (5), "The One Where Ross Got High" (6), "The One with the Videotape" (8), "The One with the Rumor" (8), "The One with the Male Nanny" (9), "The One with Rachel's Other Sister" (9), "The One with Ross' Tan" (10), and "The One Where the Stripper Cries" (10). --Ellen A. Kim

They'll Be There for You

Friends 'Til the End: The Official Celebration of All Ten Years (book)	Friends: The Official Trivia Guide (book)	Friends: The One With All the Trivia (video game)
Friends: The Complete Ninth Season	Friends: The Complete Eighth Season	Friends: The Complete Seventh Season
Friends: The Complete Sixth Season	Friends: The Complete Fifth Season	Friends: The Complete Third Season
Friends: The Complete Second Season	Friends: The Complete First Season	Friends Again (soundtrack)