When friends debuted on 22^nd October, 1994, no-one expected it to last for ten series and become one of the most culturally referenced sitcoms of all time. It’s a comedy that could be appreciated by men and women alike which made it pretty unique.

Phrases like “How you doin?” and “we were on a break!” have been dropped in to many a conversation, it’s on at least somewhere in the world at any one time and it has even taught people in other countries to speak English. So it got me thinking, will we ever see another Friends style phenomenon?

Many program writers have tried to copy the formula and all have failed. Even the off-shoot of friends, ?Joey’ bombed (18,4 million viewers in episode one, just 4 million by episode 38).

I think the success of the program was down to excellent casting. Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox-Arquette, Matt Le’Blanc, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow - Rachael, Monica, Joey, Chandler, Ross and Pheobe respectively.

Each character was so different it was easy for the viewer to either relate directly to a particular individual or to see similarities in their own life. Things like the ?Rachael’ haircut were of massive influence on young women all over the world, along with the fashion of the time and the ?relaxing in a caf?’ attitude to life.

If you break it down character wise you can find someone you know or even yourself; Joey is the funny, women-eating man’s-man, Chandler is the standard guy you meet in the office who makes jokes out of anything you say, Ross is the serious one who likes dinosaurs, Rachael is the fashion obsessed one with the best hair, Monica is the OCD freak who used to have a weight issue and Phoebe is the one who was the mental case. Remind you of anyone?

Each of these characters, no matter how annoying, irritating had something that made you want to return each week to see what was going to happen. Each episode flowed well and you really began to feel for the characters. Modern sitcoms just don’t have that same appeal.

Maybe we are just fed up of that type of comedy. I mean, to be truly original you have to make the mould, not use it. Perhaps the internet has had a hand in keeping our attention away from TV, it’s so easy to find out what’s going to happen next week now, that the fun is gone.

Yes, Scrubs is funny, as is My Name is Earl but neither make you feel for the characters. Ask yourself this - If one of the main characters left would you miss them? Probably not, these programs are so disposable now-a-days because you can change the channel and see another one with the same set of dynamics, jokes and actors.

I can’t wait till pay-day, I’m buying the Friends boxed set on DVD, getting cozy on the couch with the missus and I’m going to say every word before it comes out the actors mouths. Yes it’s a bit sad but it got me through my teenage years.

To leave you with probably my favourite line from the entire ten series. Its when Ross is talking about his lesbian wife - I guess I should have known… we’d be out somewhere, and a beautiful woman would go by, and Carol would go, “Ross, look at her.” And I’d think, “My wife is cool.”