Friends is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman that aired on NBC from September 1994 to May 2004, lasting ten seasons. Its ensemble cast starred Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer as six friends in their twenties and early thirties living in Manhattan, New York City. The series became one of the most popular and highest-grossing television shows of all time.
Development and production
Kauffman and Crane began developing the show under the working title Insomnia Cafe in late 1993, then presented a seven-page treatment to NBC with executive producer Kevin S. Bright. After several rewrites and title changes, including Six of One and Friends Like Us, it was named Friends. Filming took place at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California.
Ratings and finale
All ten seasons ranked within the top ten of the final television season ratings, and the show reached the number one spot in its eighth season. The series finale aired on May 6, 2004, and was watched by around 52.5 million American viewers, the fifth-most-watched series finale in American television history and the most-watched television episode of the 2000s. The show's success led to the spin-off series Joey and the reunion special Friends: The Reunion.