Friends premiered on NBC on Sept. 22, 1994, and before long, the sharp writing and crackling chemistry of the cast turned it into an undeniable hit. Three decades later, it's still as relevant as the day it went off the air in 2004, and it's the characters that keep the series among the most-streamed shows in the world. In Chandler, Monica, Rachel, Joey, Ross and Phoebe, audiences found six distinct personality types, each of whom got a chance to shine. And they dealt with things all twentysomethings encounter: romantic woes, job struggles, family responsibilities. It was a mild surprise that young people turned Friends into a smash when it first aired, but the real shock is that it's still speaking to people in their 20s in 2024, proving the more things change the more they stay the same. Friends is forever. This is the story of the beloved show—and its lasting legacy.