Friends Seasons 1-10 Boxset

It's a Friday night in 1995. We are introduced to six New Yorkers; three gorgeous girlies and three handsome men. Well, okay, not three handsome men, but one handsome man and two cute-ish comical ones. Thus Friends landed in Britain and man, were they made welcome. Watched by millions it was a show that became part of the fabric of a generation, knitting its way into our world before we realised it was there. Suddenly every event could be compared to an episode of Friends, everyone wondered if Ross and Rachel would get together or back together or stay together. We loved Richard but it was Chandler who got Monica in the end. And we loved him more. And what about Chandler? Thin, fat, Belsen-esque, Elvis in his later years.

The girls, of course, never changed size, except of course for those memorable flash-back episodes of when Monica was fat. And there you have it, these characters had flaws. They were sexy yes, but they were dysfunctional too. We could relate to them. What were the best moments? Phew. Hard to decide. Thinking of Friends brings on a Ulysses style of consciousness, with one scene crashing into another, tidal waves of comic moments colliding in your mind. What's necessary then, is some order....

Season One
Ross finds he is getting divorced. "I just want to be married again" he sighs as Rachel rushes into Central Perk in full bridal white. You just knew it was going to be good. Then Chandler pipes up "and I just want a million dollars!" Bang! Brilliant. We learn of Ross' long-term crush on Rachel Green, teen beauty queen. But Ross has other problems what with his pregnant lesbian ex-wife and all. Monica is a clean-freak and Phoebe is a ditzy hippie-chick. Chandler meets the legend that is Janice (Oh. My. God!) and Phoebes loses her great love David to Minsk. The series ends, as they often do, with a Ross and Rachel crunch moment. Rachel eagerly awaits his return at the airport – that favourite comedy romance location – with viewers hardly less eager to see them get together.

Season Two
Mwah ha ha ha the writers cackle, you thought with our million dollar success we'd tie that one in a little bow for you? Dream on. Ross arrives back. Alas, he is accompanied! Julie is on the scene. Chandler and Joey fight over the insane Eddie while poor Joey, elevated briefly to the dizzying heights of small-screen stardom, finds his character Dr Drake Ramoray reluctantly plummeting down an elevator shaft. Meanwhile Rachel is getting drunk and leaving incriminating messages on answering machines. Haven't we all? She's over him. Or is she? The kiss! The list! The lobsters unite! Monica's love-life is also aflame when that moustachioed not-so-silver fox sweeps her off her feet. And then put hers abruptly back down again. No kids? No deal. Chandler and Janice are back together – did I mention they'd split? And Phoebe has discovered Frank Jr, her bizarre wee brother, but her father is AWOL. Whatever next?

Season Three
The end of the world as we know it. Mark enters. The break. Ross and Rachel are no more. Monica's millionaire chooses big burly men over her in his quest to become ultimate fighting champion. The chick and the duck complete Joey and Chandler's happiness and Phoebe finds her mommy, also Phoebe. Ross dates the soon-to-be-bald Bonnie and the series ends at the beach as Ross and Rachel teeter on the verge of coupledom again.

Season Four
They teeter, briefly fall in and then fall out again. "We were on a break!" Tsk tsk, Ross. What a way to treat your true love. The Joey-Kathy-Chandler love triangle commences and ends in a broken heart for our king of comedy. The girls win their apartment back with a one minute kiss and Ross ruins his own wedding by saying Rachel instead of Emily at the altar. The evening ends better for Chandler and Monica when they get it on. Poor Phoebe has been knocked up by her brother, in an asexual kind of way, and awaits the birth of triplets.

Seasons Five to Nine
Alas! Space is short and so the latter series must get shorter thrift. Chandler and Monica marry but can't get pregnant. Joey finally gets back on Days of Our Lives and falls in love for the first time. With Rachel! Who's been pregnant with and had Ross' child after a one night stand. When will they learn?! Phoebe and Mike meet, fall in love, then break up. David comes back and is going to propose but finds Mike in his way! Poor David, but Mike is cuter, and good at table tennis. Ross fancies Charlie but she's with Joey and Rachel fancies Joey but he's with Charlie. Then Charlie dumps Joey and gets together with Ross, and Rachel and Joey kiss. Yum!

Season Ten
The last one. What will happen!? Ach, it was pretty obvious from the word go wasn't it? Still, we've enjoyed the ride. Rachel and Joey last about a nanosecond and Charlie and Ross aren't far behind them. Phoebe and Mike get married, so sweet, stars and snow and a smelly dog. Chandler and Monica manage to adopt not one but two babies despite not being a doctor and a reverend and Rachel moves to Paris. Nearly. The airport dash, Ross this time, through not one but two! But Rachel? Rachel. Gets. On. The. Plane. Madness! But then she gets off. And gets back with Ross again. For the last time. We hope.

What a time they had! And us, right along with them. The guest stars, the cracking come-backs, the catch-phrases, the conversations that had us crying with laughter. How can we ever forget them? Well, not easily with this bloody box set that's for sure.