25 years of Friends

On the occasion of this iconic show's 25th anniversary today, we tell you why it will always be our favourite sitcom

My fondness for Friends began long after the series was first aired on September 22, 1994. Away at college in India at the time, I had no access to cable TV and had only heard of the show's growing popularity through the media and friends who were in the U.S. who were lucky enough to watch it from its first airing date. I became a fan when someone gifted me the first few seasons on DVD.
It would be an understatement to say I was hooked, after binge-watching my DVD collection to get up-to-date. Since then there's been no turning back.
It's hard to explain why I am so attached to this series that has endured in the hearts and minds of so many fans for years after it ended in 2004.
Could it be because I identified with living with a set of BFFs who know you inside out and are always there for you no matter what? Or, on a less serious note, because the show always lifts me up with its hilarity, no matter how down in the dumps I am?
Having watched the same episodes so many times, I can understand why Friends re-runs are so popular. You may have all the dialogues and jokes by heart, but you still end up laughing when you hear them again. So on the show's 25th anniversary today, I couldn't help but come up with these three top Friends moments:
1. Number one will always be 'pivot'. For the uninitiated, this is the episode from Season 5 called The One With The Cop when Ross buys a new sofa and tries to get it into his apartment with the help of Rachel and Chandler. I can't hear the word 'pivot' now and keep a straight face.
2. When Joey finds his 'identical hand twin'. This episode called The One in Vegas: Part 2, also from Season 5, saw Joey accosting blackjack dealer Randall (the very talented and funny Thomas Lennon) in a casino washroom after deciding the two have 'identical hands'. A big high-five if 'This Hand Is Your Hand' is going on in your head right now.
3. "They don't know that we know they know we know." When Phoebe finds out about Monica and Chandler's relationship, she and Rachel try and get them to confess. Titled The One Where Everyone Finds Out from Season 5, this episode had some of Phoebe's funniest moments.
Central Perk is in Dubai!
If you're a Friends fan in Dubai go check out the signature orange couch that saw your favourite Friends stars bonding over the years. As the series marks its 25th anniversary, the Central Perk Café will be on a floatie right on The Dubai Fountain against the backdrop of Burj Khalifa where it will stay for a period of one month. It will include the signature orange couch, the red rug, coffee table and other accessories as seen in the series!
 
enid@khaleejtimes.com 
 
 

• Dubai