@crysolite said:

I have always felt that the main reason for the show's success was how much we believed the actors were really their characters. For instance, you felt like you were watching Chandler and Monica, not Matthew and Courteney. You didn't feel like you were watching actors make an effort to perform. Not sure if anyone out there has a different take.

I agree. They managed to get just the right chemistry, where you felt like, not only were they really friends, but they were your friends too! That relatability was what made the show a worldwide hit!

I agree. I think the show had the perfect mixture of cast chemistry and catchy, funny writing. I also think it touched on a nostalgic nerve for many viewers. A lot of people go through a period in their twenties where their friends become their family, and they fall on their social circles for support. It also had the benefit of being on before the age of DVRs and internet streaming. A show will never reach 35 million viewers in one episode again just because of how much things have changed in the way people watch tv.

I agree. I find it surprising given how famous Jennifer Aniston is, that I can watch Rachel and never once have "Jennifer Aniston" enter my mind. Sometimes with guest stars I see the "celebrity guest star" though, but the main cast and the recurring cast is always their characters.

The show gets a lot of flack for not being too original, but I think you nailed it. To be fair, I think many of these actors were acting as themselves. I mean when is Jennifer Aniston not Rachel? Possibly Horrible Bosses, but that was a horrible film.

I agree with you all. It made me believe you could have 5 friends who totally had your back, that you could sit in a coffee house with, have drop by your place, basically be together a majority of the day and NEVER get tired of each other. When they did have a falling out it was more than one of them slightly annoying another. It made me jealous that I didn't have such good friends to hang out with!