Epic Games

Epic Games, Inc. (formerly Potomac Computer Systems and later Epic MegaGames, Inc.) is an American video game and software development company based in Cary, North Carolina. The company was founded by Tim Sweeney as Potomac Computer Systems in 1991, originally located in his parents' house in Potomac, Maryland. Following his first commercial video game release, ZZT (1991), the company became Epic MegaGames in early 1992 and brought on Mark Rein, who is the company's vice president to date. Moving their headquarters to Cary in 1999, the studio's name was simplified to Epic Games.

Epic Games develops the Unreal Engine, a commercially available game engine which also powers their internally developed video games, such as Fortnite and the Unreal, Gears of War and Infinity Blade series. In 2014, Unreal Engine was named the "most successful videogame engine" by Guinness World Records.[4]

Epic Games owns video game developers Chair Entertainment and Psyonix, as well as cloud-based software developer Cloudgine, and operates eponymous sub-studios in Seattle, England, Berlin, Yokohama and Seoul. While Sweeney remains the majority shareholder, Tencent acquired a 48.4% outstanding stake, equating to 40% of total Epic, in the company in 2012, after Epic Games realized that the video game industry was heavily developing towards the games as a service model. Following the release of the popular Fortnite Battle Royale in 2017, the company gained additional investments that enabled to expand its Unreal Engine offerings, establish esport events around Fortnite, and launch the Epic Games Store. As of 2018, the company has an estimated US$15 billion valuation.
History
Potomac Computer Systems (1991–1992)
Potomac Computer Systems was founded by Tim Sweeney in 1991.[5] At the time, Sweeney was studying mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland. Though he lived in a dorm located in Potomac, Maryland, he frequently visited his parents, who lived in the same town, where his personal computer, used for both work and leisure, was situated.[5] Out of this location, Sweeney started Potomac Computer Systems as a computer consulting business, but later figured that it would be too much work he would have to put into keeping the business stable, and scrapped the idea.[5]

After finishing his game ZZT in October 1991, Sweeney opted to re-use the Potomac Computer Systems name to release the game to the public.[5] It was only with the unexpected success of ZZT, caused in most part by the easy modifiability of the game using Sweeney's custom ZZT-oop programming language,[6] that made Sweeney consider turning Potomac Computer Systems into a video game company.[5] ZZT was sold through bulletin board systems, while all orders were fulfilled by Sweeney's father, Paul Sweeney.[7] The game sold several thousand copies as of May 2009, and Paul Sweeney still lived at the former Potomac Computer Systems address at the time, fulfilling all orders that eventually came by mail.[5][7] The final copy of ZZT was shipped by Paul Sweeney in November 2013.[7]

Epic MegaGames (1992–1999)
In early 1992, Sweeney found himself and his new-found video game company in a business where larger studios, such as Apogee Software and id Software, were dominant, and he had to find a more serious name for his.[5] As such, Sweeney came up with "Epic MegaGames", a name which incorporated "Epic" and "Mega" to make it sound like it represented a fairly large company (such as Apogee Software), although he was its only employee.[5] Sweeney soon underwent searching for a business partner, and eventually caught up with Mark Rein, who previously quit his job at id Software and moved to Toronto, Ontario.[6][5] Rein worked remotely from Toronto, and primarily handled sales, marketing and publishing deals; business development that Sweeney found to have significantly contributed to the company's growth.[5] Some time this season, the company soon had 20 employees consisting of programmers, artists, designers and composers.[8] Among them was the 17-year old Cliff Bleszinski, who joined the company after submitting his game Dare to Dream to Sweeney.[9] The following year, they had over 30 employees.[10]

In 1996, Epic MegaGames produced a shareware isometric shooter called Fire Fight, developed by Polish studio Chaos Works. It was published by Electronic Arts.[11] By 1997, Epic MegaGames had 50 people working for them worldwide.[12] In 1998, Epic MegaGames released Unreal, a 3D first-person shooter co-developed with Digital Extremes, which expanded into a series of Unreal games. The company also began to license the core technology, the Unreal Engine, to other game developers.

Epic Games (1999–present)
Unreal and personal computer gaming (1999–2006)
In February 1999, Epic MegaGames announced that they had moved their headquarters to a new location in Cary, North Carolina, and would henceforth be known as simply Epic Games.[13] Rein explained that "Unreal was first created by developers who were scattered across the world, eventually, the team came together to finish the game and that's when the real magic started. The move to North Carolina centralizes Epic, bringing all of the company's talented developers under one roof."[13] Furthermore, Sweeney stated that the "Mega" part of the name was dropped because they no longer wanted to pretend to be a big company, as was the original intention of the name when it was a one-man team.[5] The follow-up game, Unreal Tournament, shipped to critical acclaim the same year,[14] at which point the studio had 13 employees.[15]

The company launched the Make Something Unreal competition in 2004, aiming to reward video game developers who create mods using the Unreal game engine. Tripwire Interactive won US$80,000 in cash and computer hardware prizes over the course of the contest in the first contest in 2004.[16][17]

Gears of War and console gaming (2006–2012)
Around 2006, the personal computer video game market was struggling with copyright infringement in the form of software piracy, and it became difficult to make single-player games, elements which had been part of Epic's business model to that point. The company decided to shift focus into developing on console systems, a move which Sweeney called the start of the third major iteration of the company, "Epic 3.0".[18] In 2006, Epic released the Xbox 360 shooter Gears of War, which became a commercial success for the company, grossing about US$100 million off a US$12 million budget.[19][18] A year later, the company released Unreal Tournament 3 for PC and acquired a majority share in People Can Fly.[20][21]

In 2008, Epic Games acquired Utah based Chair Entertainment and released Gears of War 2,[22][23] selling over three million copies within the first month of its release.[24] Summer 2009 saw the launch of Chair Entertainment's Shadow Complex, an adventure game inspired by the Metroid series.[25]

Epic Games released on September 1, 2010 Epic Citadel as a tech demo to demonstrate the Unreal Engine 3 running on Apple iOS, within Adobe Flash Player Stage3D and using HTML5 WebGL technologies. It was also released for Android on January 29, 2013. Epic Games worked on an iOS game, Infinity Blade,[26] which was released on December 9, 2010.[27] The third game in the series, Gears of War 3, came out in 2011.[28]

In 2011, Epic's subsidiary Titan Studios was dissolved.[29] At the 2011 Spike Video Game Awards, Epic Games announced their new game Fortnite.[30]

In June 2012, Epic announced that it is opening up a new studio, Epic Baltimore, made up of members of 38 Studios' Big Huge Games.[31] Epic Baltimore was renamed to Impossible Studios in August 2012.[32] However, the studio ended up closing its doors in February 2013.[33][34]

Epic alongside People Can Fly made one last game in the Gears of War series that served as a prequel to the other games, Gears of War: Judgement, which was released in 2013. At this point, Epic had considered developing a fourth main title for Gears of War, but estimated that its budget would be at least US$100 million.[19] Additionally, they had suggested the idea of a multiplayer-only version of Gears of War that featured improved versions of maps based on user feedback, similar to the concept behind Unreal Tournament, but Microsoft rejected this idea. Epic recognized the troubles of being held to the business objectives of a publisher, and began to shift the company again.[18]

Games as a Service and Tencent acquisition (2012–2018)
Coupled with their desire to move away from being beholden to a publisher, Epic Games observed that the video game industry was shifting to a games as a service model (GaaS). Sweeney stated "There was an increasing realization that the old model wasn't working anymore and that the new model was looking increasingly like the way to go."[18] In an attempt to gain more GaaS experience, they made an agreement with Chinese Tencent, who had several games under their banner (including Riot Games' League of Legends) operating successfully as games as a service.[35] In exchange for Tencent's help, Tencent acquired approximately 48.4% of Epic then issued share capital, equating to 40% of total Epic — inclusive of both stock and employee stock options, for $330 million in June 2012. Tencent Holdings has the right to nominate directors to the board of Epic Games and thus counts as an associate of the Group.[2] However, Sweeney stated that Tencent otherwise has very little control on the creative output of Epic Games.[18] Sweeney considered the partial acquisition by Tencent as the start of "Epic 4.0", the fourth major iteration of the company, allowing the company to be more agile in the gaming marketplace.[18][36]

Around this point, Epic had about 200 employees.[18] A number of high-profile staff left the company months after the Tencent deal was announced for various reasons. Some notable departures included:[37]

Cliff Bleszinski, then the design director, announced he was leaving Epic Games in October 2012 after 20 years with the company. His official reason was "It's time for a much needed break".[38] Bleszinski later stated that he had become "jaded" about the gaming industry in the lead-up to Tencent's involvement. After Tencent's investment, Bleszinski attempted to renegotiate his contract, but failed to come to terms, making him think about retirement instead. He opted to stop coming into work, spending his time at his beach house, eventually leading Sweeney to come down and have a heart-to-heart discussion with Bleszinski on the new direction Epic was going, and asking him to make a firm decision regarding his commitment to Epic. Bleszinski opted to write his resignation letter the next day.[39] After about two years, Bleszinski started Boss Key Productions in 2014.
President Mike Capps announced his retirement in December 2013, and cited the reasons as the arrival of a baby boy he was having with his wife and his plans to be a stay-at-home dad.[40] He subsequently announced his departure of his advisory role as well as his affiliation with the company in March 2013.[41]
Rod Fergusson, who had been a lead developer for the Gears of War series, left Epic in August 2012. Fergusson stated that he had seen the direction that the Tencent acquisition would have taken the company, and was not interested in the free-to-play style of games but instead wanted to continue developing a "AAA, big-narrative, big-story, big-impact game".[42] Fergusson briefly joined Irrational Games, owned by 2K Games, to help complete BioShock Infinite. While there, Fergusson talked with 2K about potentially continuing the Gears of War series, leading to talks between 2K Games, Epic, and Microsoft.[18] As a result, Microsoft acquired the rights to Gears of War on January 27, 2014, eventually assigned those to Microsoft Game Studios; Fergusson moved to Black Tusk Studios, owned by Microsoft Game Studios, to take on lead development for a new Gears title, with the studio being rebranded as The Coalition. The first game since the acquisition, Gears of War 4, was released in October 2016.[43][44]
Adrian Chmielarz, the founder of People Can Fly and who joined Epic when his studio was acquired earlier in 2012, decided to leave after Tencent's acquisition, stating that he and other former People Can Fly members did not believe the free-to-play, games as a service direction fit their own personal vision or direction they wanted to go. Chmielarz and these others left Epic in late 2012 to form The Astronauts.[39]
Lee Perry, a lead designer on both Unreal and Gears of War series, who felt that Epic has started to grow too large to maintain a role as an eccentric game developer. Coupled with the studio's need for more management to support the games as a service model, Perry felt that their creative freedom would become limited. He and five other senior people left Epic to form a new studio, Bitmonster.[39]
Epic continued on its goal to deliver games as a service following these departures. Fortnite was to serve as their testbed for living games, but with the shifts in staff, as well as shifting its engine from Unreal Engine 3 to 4, its release suffered some setback. Epic started additional projects; the free-to-play and community-developed Unreal Tournament, first announced in 2014,[45][46] and the free-to-play multiplayer online battle arena game Paragon, launched in 2016 for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4.[47] Epic also released a remastered version of Shadow Complex for newer consoles and computers in 2015,[48][49] and their first foray into virtual reality with the release of Robo Recall for the Oculus Rift.[50][51]

The investment infusion from Tencent allowed Epic Games to relicense the Unreal Engine 4 engine in March 2015 to be free for all users to develop with, with Epic taking 5% royalties on games developed with the engine.[52]

In June 2015, Epic agreed to allow Epic Games Poland depart the company and sold its shares in the studio; the studio reverted to their former name, People Can Fly. The Bulletstorm IP was retained by People Can Fly who has since launched a remastered version called Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition on April 7, 2017, published by Gearbox Software.[53][54]

Fortnite success (2018–present)

List of games by Epic Games

Epic Games is an American video game and software developer based in Cary, North Carolina. It was founded by Tim Sweeney as Potomac Computer Systems in 1991, originally located in his parents' house in Potomac, Maryland. After releasing one game under that name, ZZT (1991), Sweeney renamed the company to Epic MegaGames in early 1992 "to make it look like we were a big company" even though it had no other employees or offices.[1] Over the next few years, the company continued to make PC games, largely self-published, including the side-scrollers Jill of the Jungle (1992) and Jazz Jackrabbit (1994). They additionally published titles by other developers such as Epic Pinball (1993) by Digital Extremes and Tyrian (1995) by Eclipse Software. Epic also slowly expanded in size, reaching 8 employees by 1994.[1]

Beginning with the 1996 game Fire Fight, Epic ceased its publishing and self-publishing operations, and after the release and success of Unreal (1998) renamed itself in 1999 to Epic Games and moved to Raleigh, North Carolina; it and a temporary office in Canada during Unreal's development were the first time the company had a central office for their employees.[1][2] After the name change, the company focused almost solely on the Unreal series of shooters for the next few years, and expanded from PC games to console games. In 2006 the company launched its Gears of War series of games, and in 2010 the company moved into mobile games with the Infinity Blade series after purchasing Chair Entertainment. Epic returned to retail publishing in 2015 for its own titles, and has solely self-published since. In addition to games, Epic develops and licenses the Unreal Engine, which is also used as the game engine for many of its own games.[1]

Sweeney describes the history of the company in four eras: The shareware era from founding through 1997 as the company grew to 15 employees; the Unreal era from 1998 to 2005 as the company focused on developing that franchise through external publishers and grew to 25 employees; the Gears of War era from 2006 to 2011 as the company shifted focus to console games and grew to around 200 employees; and the current era where the company has moved back to PC games and self-publishing, spinning off or closing some of its subsidiary developers such as People Can Fly and Big Huge Games.[3] Epic Games has worked on over 50 games since 1991, and has multiple games under development.

Rachel Green

Rachel Karen Green[4] is a fictional character, one of the six main characters who appeared in the American sitcom Friends. Portrayed by Jennifer Aniston, the character was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, and appeared in all of the show's 236 episodes during its decade-long run, from its premiere on September 22, 1994 to its finale on May 6, 2004. Introduced in the show's pilot as a naïve runaway bride who reunites with her childhood best friend Monica Geller and relocates to New York City, Rachel gradually evolves from a spoiled, inexperienced "daddy's girl" into a successful businesswoman. During the show's second season, the character becomes romantically involved with her friend, Monica's older brother Ross, with whom she maintains a complicated on-off relationship throughout the series. Together, the characters have a daughter, Emma.

The role of Rachel was originally offered to Téa Leoni, the producer's first choice, and Courteney Cox, both of whom declined, Leoni in favor of starring in the sitcom The Naked Truth, and Cox in favor of playing Rachel's best friend Monica in Friends.[5] A virtually unknown actress at the time, who had previously starred in five short-lived sitcoms, Aniston auditioned for the role of Rachel after turning down an offer as a cast member on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. After acquiring the role and before Friends aired, Aniston was temporarily at risk of being recast because she had also been involved with another sitcom, Muddling Through, at the time, which was ultimately cancelled and allowed Aniston to remain on Friends.

Critical reception towards Rachel has remained consistently positive throughout Friends' decade-long run, with The A.V. Club attributing much of the show's early success to the character. However, some of her storylines have been criticized, specifically her romantic relationship with her friend Joey Tribbiani during season 10. Rachel's popularity established her as the show's breakout character, who has since been named one of the greatest television characters of all time, while the character's second season haircut spawned an international phenomenon of its own. Named the "Rachel" after her, the character's shag continues to be imitated by millions of women around the world and remains one of the most popular hairstyles in history, in spite of Aniston's own resentment of it. Rachel is also regarded as a style icon due to her influence on womenswear during the 1990s. Meanwhile, the character's relationship with Ross is often cited among television's most beloved.

Rachel is considered to be Aniston's breakout role, credited with making her the show's most famous cast member and for spawning her successful film career. Praised for her performance as Rachel, Aniston won both an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series – Comedy Or Musical.
Role
Rachel debuts in the pilot episode of Friends as a runaway bride who is distraught after abandoning her fiancé Barry Farber (Mitchell Whitfield) at the altar. She locates her high school best friend Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), the only person she knows in New York City, who agrees to let Rachel reside with her while she attempts to reorganize her life. Rachel meets and befriends Monica's friends Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc), and Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry), while reuniting with Monica's older brother Ross Geller (David Schwimmer), who has harbored unrequited romantic feelings for her since high school. Having previously relied on her parents' money her entire life with a sole goal of marrying wealthy, Rachel attempts to reinvent herself as an independent young woman by waitressing at Central Perk, a coffeehouse where her new friends regularly socialize.[6] She is terrible at the job, but remains employed because the manager, Gunther (James Michael Tyler), is in love with her.

As season one concludes, Rachel finds out that Ross is in love with her, and realizes that she loves him, too. When she goes to tell him, however, she finds that he has begun a relationship with a woman named Julie (Lauren Tom).[7] However, Ross eventually chooses Rachel over Julie,[8] and the couple dates for the remainder of the second season.[9] However, their relationship begins to deteriorate towards the end of the third season[10] after Rachel quits her job at the coffeehouse in favor of working in fashion.[9] While Rachel becomes increasingly preoccupied with her new job, Ross grows jealous of her companionship with her coworker Mark (Steven Eckholdt),[11] culminating in Rachel deciding that they should "take a break" from their relationship. Ross takes this to mean that they've broken up, and sleeps with another woman. Rachel gets back together with Ross the next day, but breaks up with him upon learning of his infidelity.[12]

In the episodes following the break up, Rachel and Ross are initially hostile towards each other, but continue to harbor feelings for each other. During a beach house vacation with their friends, Rachel and Ross briefly reconcile when he ends his relationship with Bonnie (Christine Taylor),[13] only to break up once again due to a disagreement. During season four, Rachel dates her customer Joshua (Tate Donovan), while Ross dates her boss' niece Emily (Helen Baxendale), to whom he eventually gets engaged. Competitively, Rachel proposes to recent divorcee Joshua, frightening him off. Rachel indirectly contributes to the demise of Ross and Emily's relationship when he accidentally utters Rachel's name while exchanging their wedding vows.[14] Ross ultimately divorces a jealous Emily, choosing his friendship with Rachel instead.[15]

At the end of season five, Ross and Rachel drunkenly get married while vacationing with their friends in Las Vegas.[16] In season six, their annulment request is denied because of Rachel having leveled unfounded allegations against Ross, forcing the two to file for a divorce instead. In season seven, Ross and Rachel have sex, and Rachel gets pregnant.[17] Rachel gives birth to a girl in season eight, naming the baby Emma Geller-Green;[18] the name Emma is a gift from Monica, who had previously been reserving the name for her own child. Rachel and Ross live together as non-romantic roommates during the first half of season nine.

At the end of season nine, Joey confesses that he has feelings for Rachel, and they decide to try dating.[19] They break up in season ten, however, both because their romance upsets Ross and because they realize that they don't work as a couple.[20]

Rachel eventually finds a job opportunity in France, but has second thoughts when Ross tells her he still loves her. Rachel ultimately decides to stay and reignite her relationship with Ross, getting off the plane at the last minute.[21]

Development
Conception and writing
After their short-lived television series Family Album was canceled,[22] television writers David Crane and Marta Kauffman pitched Friends to then-NBC president Warren Littlefield as a sitcom about "that special time in your life when your friends are your family,"[23] basing the show on their own experiences as young people living in New York;[24] the main characters themselves were inspired by their own friends.[25] Conceived as a young woman who is unprepared for adulthood,[26] the character Rachel Green (occasionally spelled Greene[27]) was originally named Rachel Robbins in the pilot.[28][29] Although critics and audiences initially perceived Monica as the show's main character when Friends premiered,[30][31][32] the writers had actually given Rachel the pilot's most prominent storyline.[33] Before deciding that Rachel and Ross would be an item for the entire series, the writers had originally intended for the show's defining couple to be Joey and Monica.[22] However, after the success of the pilot, in which Rachel and Ross' developing romance is first hinted at,[23] and witnessing Aniston and co-star David Schwimmer's on-screen chemistry for the first time,[34] Crane and Kauffman determined that the entire series relied on "finding all the wonderful roadblocks for them to be with each other."[23]

Audiences began rooting for Rachel and Ross' union since the very beginning of Friends, openly voicing their frustration with Rachel's obliviousness to Ross' feelings for her.[35] The episode that would ultimately transform the friends' relationship for the remainder of the series was the first-season finale "The One Where Rachel Finds Out", in which Rachel finally learns of Ross' true feelings for her, at the same time discovering she actually feels the same. However, the episode nearly went unwritten because, at the time, few Friends writers were expecting the couple's relationship to morph into the phenomenon that it ultimately became.[36] The episode was first suggested by director James Burrows; the writers felt that it was time to alter the couple's dynamic in order to avoid the repetitive "he's pining, she's oblivious" pattern, using the work of author Jane Austen as inspiration on how to finally shift the pining arc from Ross to Rachel. Because stakes for the episode were unprecedentedly high, "The One Where Rachel Finds Out" became Friends' most reworked episode.[36] The couple's first kiss at the end of season two's "The One Where Ross Finds Out" was met with deafening applause from the studio audience.[35] Crane admitted that keeping viewers interested in their relationship for ten years was challenging.[23] Jonathan Bernstein of The Daily Telegraph believes that they accomplished this by "dangl[ing] the possibility of a Ross and Rachel recoupling through several cliffhangers without ever putting them back together."[35] According to Encyclopedia of Television author Horace Newcomb, Ross and Rachel's ever-changing relationship "converted the traditional amnesic plotlines of the situation comedy into ones akin to episodic drama."[37] Meanwhile, writing for The New York Review of Books, Elaine Blair agreed that Friends created "a sense of chemistry between two characters while also putting obstacles in their way, setting us up for a long-deferred union."[38]

After Rachel and Ross drunkenly get married while on vacation in Las Vegas during season five, Schwimmer had initially objected to the idea of having his character Ross divorce her – his third divorce – because he felt that it was taking it "too far."[39] The actor explained that "The whole arc of the relationship was weird then ... because for [Ross] to be able to move on enough to marry someone else and then go back to being in love with Rachel later just went a bit too far."[39] Rachel and Joey's romantic storyline was conceived because the writers wanted to delay Ross and Rachel's reunion further.[39] Crane felt that pairing Rachel and Joey during season ten "was for the greater good" because "It was inappropriate."[23] However, the cast initially protested the idea, fearing that Rachel, Joey, and Ross would ultimately become unlikeable characters and audiences would either "resent Joey for going after a pregnant woman, or resent Rachel for rejecting him, or resent Ross for standing between the two of them."[40] Meanwhile, the writers also approached the concept of Rachel's pregnancy and baby tentatively, worrying about how they would include it in the show because they did not want Friends "to become a show about a baby" while "On the other hand, we don't want to pretend that there isn't one."[40] According to Robert Bianco of USA Today, the critical success and popularity of Rachel's pregnancy is ultimately responsible for "propel[ling] the show to the top of the ratings".[41] When it finally came time to write the series finale, "The only thing [Crane and Kauffman] absolutely knew from very early on was that we had to get Ross and Rachel together," deciding, "We had dicked the audience around for 10 years with their 'will they or won’t they,' and we didn’t see any advantage in frustrating them" any longer.[42] However, at one point the writers had deliberated ending the series with Ross and Rachel in "a gray area of where they aren’t together, but we hint there’s a sense that they might be down the road."[43] Ultimately, Crane and Kauffman relented in favor of giving the audience what they wanted.[43]

Casting
The final character to be cast,[34] Rachel is portrayed by actress Jennifer Aniston, who auditioned for the role shortly after declining a position as a cast member on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live.[44] Her decision was initially ridiculed by both her friends as well as actor Adam Sandler, a Saturday Night Live alum.[45] Actress Téa Leoni, who at the time was being referred to by the media as "the next Lucille Ball",[46] was offered the role of Rachel as the studio's first choice,[24] but she declined in favor of starring in the sitcom The Naked Truth.[47] Actress Elizabeth Berkley also auditioned for the role.[48] Other actresses who auditioned for Rachel include Denise Richards, Melissa Rivers, Nicollette Sheridan, Parker Posey, and Jami Gertz.[33] Originally, the producers wanted to cast actress Courteney Cox as Rachel,[49] who Crane and Kauffman were particularly drawn to because of her "cheery, upbeat energy."[22] Additionally, Cox was the most famous cast member at the time amidst an ensemble of relatively unknown actors.[24][33][50][51] However, the actress lobbied for the role of Rachel's best friend Monica, as whom she was ultimately cast,[22] because she felt that she was not "quirky" enough to play Rachel.[52] At the same time, although unbeknownst to each other,[53] Aniston was being considered for the role of Monica,[54] but fought to play Rachel because she felt that the character suited her better.[55][56] At one point, Cox had begun to regret her decision to play Monica until her own character's storylines started improving.
Friends was Aniston's sixth sitcom;[57] each of her previous ventures had been canceled prematurely.[58] Feeling vulnerable, Aniston had begun to doubt herself as an actress[59] and personally approached Littlefield for reassurance on her career, who encouraged her to audition for Friends,[60] which was being referred to as Friends Like These at the time.[61] Crane and Kauffman had worked with Aniston prior to this.[23] However, casting her as Rachel posed a challenge for the network because, at the time, Aniston was simultaneously starring in a developing CBS sitcom called Muddling Through,[62] in which she plays a young woman whose mother is returning home from jail after two years.[63] CBS was initially reluctant to release Aniston from her contract,[33] which required the actress to balance both roles simultaneously,[64] traveling back-and-forth between Muddling Through and Friends for two weeks.[65] Meanwhile, NBC risked having to recast the role of Rachel, replace Aniston, and reshoot several episodes if CBS' series proved successful, which would have potentially cost the network millions of dollars.[23] However, Littlefield remained confident that Muddling Through would fail.[66] Essentially, the producers of Friends hoped that Muddling Through would be canceled before Friends premiered,[67] while Aniston feared that Muddling Through would be the more successful of the two sitcoms in spite of her preference towards Friends.[33][68] During this time of uncertainty, Aniston was forced not to participate in several Friends-related promotions and photo shoots;[69] the network excluded her from these in case she would be replaced.[70] Aniston explained, "When we were shooting the first grouping of cast photos ... I was asked to step out of a bunch because they didn't know if I was going to be still playing Rachel."[70] Director James Burrows admitted that Aniston had been cast in second position.[71][72] The producers had already begun auditioning other actresses for the part,[73] while Aniston also received phone calls from her own friends warning her, "I'm auditioning for your part in Friends."[74] Ultimately, Muddling Through was canceled after only three months and ten episodes,[75][76] two weeks before the pilot of Friends aired,[77] thus allowing Aniston to keep her role on the show,[78] becoming its second youngest cast member at the age of 25.[3][33] Crane appreciated Aniston's interpretation of Rachel because "in the wrong hands Rachel is kind of annoying and spoiled and unlikable," commending the actress for "breathing life into a difficult character."[33]

Crane and Kauffman strongly envisioned Friends as an ensemble comedy,[23] and Warner Bros. initially marketed the show as such by having the cast appear in their entirety for all press, interviews and photo shoots.[79] One of few sitcoms at the time to be neither a workplace comedy, family sitcom or star a famous comedian,[35] Elizabeth Kolbert of The New York Times explained that each of the show's main characters are "of equal importance."[51] As a writer, Crane preferred it this way because "utilizing six equal players, rather than emphasizing one or two, would allow for myriad story lines."[80] Kauffman echoed "that Friends worked best when the entire ensemble was onstage."[81] The only reason Aniston is credited first during the show's title sequence is because the cast is listed alphabetically.[33] The show's ensemble format is also believed to have prevented jealous conflicts among the cast.[35][80] Famously, the Friends cast became the first in television history to negotiate as a group for equal salaries,[79] refusing to work until their demands of $100,000 per episode were met during season three,[50] which eventually increased to $1 million per episode by seasons nine and ten –[59] approximately $25 million per year.[72] Alongside Cox and actress Lisa Kudrow, who portrays Phoebe, Aniston became the highest-paid television actress of all time.[82] By then, Aniston had surpassed Cox as the show's most famous cast member due to having launched an international hair trend with the "Rachel" and successfully transitioning into a film career,[33] combined with her high-profile relationship with her then-husband, actor Brad Pitt,[22] who had once guest starred in an episode of the show.[83] At times the producers would use the actress' popularity to boost the show's ratings, notably her character's seventh season kiss with actress Winona Ryder and pregnancy arc.[84][85] Aniston had been telling the press that the show's ninth season would be her last,[84] and was initially hesitant to return to Friends to film its tenth and final season.[22] She explained to NBC's Matt Lauer, "I wanted it to end when people still loved us and we were on a high. And then I was also feeling like, ‘How much more of Rachel do I have in me?’”[50] However, the actress ultimately agreed to complete the tenth season of Friends,[50] which was reduced from 24 to 18 episodes to accommodate Aniston's busy film schedule.[86]

Characterization and themes
Rachel is the youngest of Friends six main characters.[87] The term "spoiled" is often used to describe the character's personality during her early appearances.[37][88][89][90] Encyclopædia Britannica describes Rachel as a spoiled and funny character.[91] According to Rachel's original character description, written by Crane and Kauffman themselves for the show's pilot, the character is a spoiled yet courageous young woman who "has worked for none of what she has", unlike best friend Monica, and is initially "equipped to do nothing".[89] James Endrst of the Hartford Courant identified her as "a spoiled rich kid",[92] while the Daily News dubbed Rachel an "endearingly spoiled Daddy's girl."[93] Author Kim Etingoff wrote about Rachel in her book Jennifer Aniston: From Friends to Films that the character is "spunky and sometimes spoiled",[56] while TV Land called her "naive."[94] Citing the differences between Rachel and her two female friends, The Guardian's Ryan Gilbey observed that the character "wasn't insulated by self-regard, like Monica, or swaddled in gormlessness, like Phoebe."[95] Frequently identified as fitting the "girl next door" archetype,[96][97][98][99] Anne Bilson of The Telegraph described Rachel as "funny but not too funny, pretty but not too pretty, sexy but not too sexy, scatterbrained but not too scatterbrained."[100] TalkTalk's Dominic Wills described the character as "smart but ditzy, determined but undisciplined."[85] Meanwhile, Liat Kornowski, writing for The Huffington Post, scribed that Rachel is a "beautiful, coveted, slightly neurotic, borderline egocentric" character.[101]

Observing that the show's main characters are each based on a stereotype, Jonathan Bernstein of The Daily Telegraph identified Rachel as "the self-absorbed one who goes from riches to rags."[35] According to Reign Magazine, Rachel is "a human being full of vulnerability, humor and strength while aesthetically donning an undeniable beauty and allure."[102] Originally depicted as a character who is unprepared for "the world as an adult", Rachel's personality was gradually tailored to suit Aniston as the series progressed, becoming "more self-sufficient and sympathetic."[26] According to Shining in the Shadows: Movie Stars of the 2000s author Murray Pomerance, "The more boundary collapsed between the 'real' Jennifer Aniston and Rachel, the more 'authentic' Aniston became."[26] Pomerance also noted that the character's "well-roundedness, normalcy and relatability" is similar to Aniston's, while both the character and the actress herself are very expressive, talking "with [their] hands a good deal."[26] In her book How To Write For Television, author Madeline Dimaggio wrote that although "Rachel grew within the context of the series ... she would always struggle with the spoiled, image-conscious Daddy's girl who fled from her wedding in the pilot."[103] Similarly, BuddyTV wrote that although Rachel "eventually evolves into being less absorbed in later series, she [remains] the most image-centric among the six",[104] while Vogue's Edward Barsamian opined, "She might have been self-centered and bratty, but Rachel Green was perhaps the most stylish and unabashedly fashion-obsessed character on the show."[105] TV Land summarized the character's arc and development in the website's biography of her, writing, "Rachel is a born shopper, but... she’s not necessarily a born worker. In fact, before moving in with Monica, she’s never had to work at all, thanks to the generosity of her parents. Luckily, Rachel is smart, resourceful and chic, so her future is bright, both as a member of the workforce and with her newfound tribe."[94] Examining the character's sexuality, Splitsider's Mike D'Avria determined that Rachel has had the third most sexual partners, 14, as well as the highest percentage of serious monogamous relationships at 71%. D'Avria opined, "Throughout the whole series Rachel is continually meeting men she wants to impress. Her flirtations typically fail, but she somehow winds up in a serious relationship with them."[106] Additionally, Rachel is also the only female character to admit to having had a homosexual experience (Chandler having likewise admitted to kissing a man on season 7, episode 4).[106]

In an interview with the Jewish Telegraph, Kauffman confirmed that Rachel is Jewish.[107] On the character's "Jewish ties", Kauffman told j. that Rachel had always been Jewish "in our minds", explaining, "You can’t create a character with the name 'Rachel Green' and not from the get-go make some character choices".[108] Prior to this, critics and fans had long speculated whether or not Rachel is Jewish.[107] Vulture's Lindsey Weber, who identifies herself as Jewish, observed several similarities and Jewish stereotypes she shares with the character, citing the facts that Rachel refers to her grandmother Ida Green as "Bubbe",[109] Long Island origin, and engagement to a Jewish doctor as allusions to the character's Jewish culture.[110] In her book Changed for Good: A Feminist History of the Broadway Musical, author Stacy Wolf identified Rachel as one of several popular female television characters who embodied Jewish stereotypes during the 1990s and often served as "the butt of the shows' jokes."[111] Meanwhile, JDate's Rebecca Frankel cited Rachel as one of the earliest and most prominent examples of the Jewish American Princess stereotype on screen.[112] Writing for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Alicia R. Korenman also acknowledged Rachel's initial Jewish American Princess qualities, describing her as "spoiled, dependent on her father's money and her fiance's, is horrified at the thought of working for a living and generally inept in her attempts to do so, and is eventually revealed to have had a nose job", which she eventually overcomes as they become less "evident in later seasons of the show".[113] In his article "Princesses, Schlemiels, Punishers and Overbearing Mothers", Evan Cooper described Rachel as a "de-semitized" Jew because, aside from her name, "there is never any discussion of experiences of growing up in a Jewish culture, no use of Yiddish, and few, if any, references to family members with distinctively Jewish surnames".[114] Cooper continued to write that although Rachel possesses some Jewish American Princess traits, she is more similar to the "little woman" stereotype.[114] The New York Post's Robert Rorke labeled Rachel "a rehabilitated Jewish American Princess", in contrast to her sister Amy (Christina Applegate) who remains "selfish, condescending and narcissistic."[115]

Critical reception
Critical response towards Rachel remained mostly positive throughout the show's ten-season run.[56] Writing for The A.V. Club, John Reid believes that Rachel is responsible for the success of the pilot, explaining, "The story of this group of friends must start with a stranger coming to town," describing Rachel as "the perfect stranger for this plot".[116] Reid also holds Rachel responsible for spurring character development in the show's five other main characters, calling her arrival "a catalyst for all of them to grow, because unlike the rest of them, Rachel is interested in finding meaning for her life".[116] Also writing for The A.V. Club, Sonia Saraiya enjoyed Rachel's first awkward encounter with Ross because, for the first time, "Rachel displays a moment of true empathy for another human being".[116] Saraiya went on to hail Rachel as "a model for women coming of age in the 1990s—the popular, pretty girl dissatisfied with where those illusions have taken her but also unwilling to embrace the more aggressively 'feminist' career-woman strategy".[116] The New York Times' Joseph Hanania enjoyed Rachel's telephone conversation with her father during the pilot, describing it as "hilarious."[117] The Los Angeles Times Bob Shayne admitted his attraction towards Rachel, joking, "my feelings for Rachel, I say with some embarrassment, mirror those of Gunther".[118] Cosmopolitan touted Rachel "the best fictional gal pal we've ever had".[119] While People called her "spoiled-but-lovable",[90] TV Guide described Rachel as "neurotic and adorable".[120] Writing for Heat, Ellen Kerry hailed Rachel's gradual transformation from waitress to businesswoman as arguably "the best thing on tv."[121]

USA Today's Robert Bianco credits Rachel's pregnancy storyline with saving Friends, observing that the arc increased the show's ratings while ultimately "reversing the show's decline in ways ... that no one watching 'The One With Monica & Chandler's Wedding' could ever have imagined."[41] Bianco concluded, "Indeed, without that fortune-altering twist, Friends probably would have ended sooner".[41] BDCwire ranked "The One With The Ball", "The One With Rachel’s Inadvertent Kiss", "The One With The Football", "The One With The Fake Party" and "The One In Vegas, Part One" Rachel's five strongest episodes.[122] Meanwhile, TVLine criticized Rachel for sleeping with ex-fiancé Barry in season one's "The One With the Evil Orthodontist", panning the episode as "cringeworthy".[123] TVLine similarly criticized the character's role in season four's "The One With The Fake Party".[124] At times the character would generate mild controversy, specifically the second-season episode "The One Where Dr. Ramoray Dies", during which Rachel and Monica argue over who will get to use the last remaining condom in the apartment,[23] which Rachel ultimately wins via a game of rock-paper-scissors.[125][126] Additionally, fans would often approach Aniston and scold her for decisions that Rachel makes within the show that they do not particularly agree with.[127]

Within the first two seasons of Friends, the character became extremely popular among women.[54] Viewers' perpetual desire to see Rachel succeed helped her remain a fan favorite throughout all ten seasons of the show.[56] Writing for TalkTalk, Dominic Wills agreed that while Rachel established herself as "the general favourite ... No one had a bad word to say about Jennifer Aniston",[85] with whose performance audiences instantly fell in love.[128] Aniston's performance has been consistently praised since her debut in the pilot, about which Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker wrote that the actress portrays Rachel with "prickly intelligence".[31] Writing for The Baltimore Sun, David Zurawik cited Aniston among the show's "very strong cast",[129] while Variety's Tony Scott agreed that "All six of the principals ... appear resourceful and display sharp sitcom skills";[88] Robert Bianco of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette praised the work of show's female cast equally.[130] TV Guide wrote that Aniston "instantly charmed audiences with her perfect looks and endearingly flawed persona",[120] while Kevin Fallon of The Daily Beast referred to Aniston's tenure on Friends as not "a leading lady performance" but instead "the work of a brilliant character actress."[128] The Guardian's Ryan Gilbey highlighted Aniston as the cast member "least reliant on goofball caricature", observing that "Playing the only character with whom a sane viewer might reasonably identify also meant that she got the lion's share of attention".[95] Writing that the actress "quickly stole our hearts as the daddy’s girl and aspiring fashionista," Andrew Collins of Radio Times hailed Aniston as a "natural comic performer, as adept with a subtle nose wrinkle as a full-on pratfall, and fluent in quick-fire patter".[131] In 2002, Aniston won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.[132] In 2003, the actress won the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series – Comedy Or Musical.[133] Dominc Willis of TalkTalk believes that Aniston won these awards because of "her brilliant comic performances in the show."[85]

Relationships
Rachel has had several romantic relationships throughout Friends decade-long run, the most famous and prominent of which remains her on-again, off-again relationship with friend Ross. Although wildly popular among audiences,[23][35] the couple has been met with mixed reviews from critics. Katherine Hassel of the Daily Express described the characters' relationship as "the heart of the show".[24] China Daily cited Ross and Rachel's reunion during the series finale "The Last One" among the episode's highlights,[134] while Gary Susman of Rolling Stone believes that audiences would not have been happy had the couple not ultimately reunited.[135] Contrastingly, The Wire's Joe Reid is of the opinion that the show's second season is "the only time Ross/Rachel was truly great".[136] Virgin Media wrote that the couple's dynamics "had grown mightily tedious" by season ten.[137] E! cable network ranked Rachel and Ross the ninth greatest Friends couple, writing that their relationship gave "Friends fans enough iconic quotes to fill a book",[138] considering Phoebe's line "See? [Ross is] her lobster!" to be among show's most iconic.[139] Ross and Rachel's season three breakup has spawned a debate among Friends fans, who continue to argue over which of the two was at fault: Rachel for suggesting that they take a break from their relationship, or Ross for sleeping with another woman immediately afterwards. Writing for E!, Jenna Mullins ruled in favor of Rachel, elaborating, "there is no excuse for Ross sleeping with someone else after his lobster suggested taking a break", concluding that Ross "blew it".[139] The Jewish community was particularly receptive to the fact that a Jewish-American couple existed on prime time television, described by Lilith magazine as "a televisual first".[140]

Rachel and Ross are considered to be among television's greatest and most beloved couples.[10][141] Ninemsn referred to them as "everyone's favourite on ... off ... on (a break!) duo,"[142] while Us Weekly and BuzzFeed ranked them the first and second best television couple, respectively.[143][144] TV Guide ranked Ross and Rachel the third greatest television couple, dubbing them "the most iconic TV couple in recent memory".[145] Extra placed the couple at number eight, writing, "Never did we want two people to get together more than Ross ... and Rachel".[146] Refinery29 included Rachel and Ross in the website's "16 TV Couples We Want To Be Together Forever" list.[147] The pair is also often ranked among television's greatest "will they or won't they" couples.[148][149][150] Naming Ross and Rachel the greatest "will they, won't they" couple, Network Ten believes they defined the term,[151] while Suggest dubbed them "The quintessential will they/won’t they couple."[152] According to Sarah Doran of Radio Times, the couple "became synonymous with the phrase 'we're on a break'".[153] Phoebe's line, in which she refers to the couple as each other's lobsters, has become one of the show's most popular and oft-quoted.[141][154][155] Kaitlin Reilly of Bustle magazine defined the term as "the person of whom another is meant to be with forever".[156] Tara Aquino of Complex magazine believes that "Every other person can tell you what exactly a 'Ross and Rachel' relationship means".[157] Ultimately, Rachel's season eight pregnancy arc is credited with reviving the show's ratings and reviews.[84]

During season ten, Rachel's brief romance with friend Joey drew strong criticism from both critics and fans,[139] although the contested relationship did not harm viewership.[56] Joshua Kurp of Splitsider believes that the Rachel/Joey/Ross love triangle is the main reason the show's final two seasons continued to perform well despite mediocre reviews.[158] Eric Goldman of IGN referred to the Rachel-Joey storyline as "questionable."[159] Entertainment Tonight Canada ranked "The One After Rachel and Joey Kiss" among the show's ten worst episodes at number five, with author I. P. Johnson panning it as "desperate", concluding, "Jeers for even conceiving this romantic plot; cheers for abandoning it".[160] Contrarily, E! enjoyed Rachel and Joey as a couple because they brought out positive aspects in each other's personalities and share a similar sense of humor.[161] Their relationship also spawned a debate among fans, who argued over whether making Rachel and Joey a couple was a bad idea. Jenna Mullins of E! determined that it is because "It was too far into the series to throw these two together. They didn't make sense and their romantic scenes felt forced".[139]

After Ross and Rachel's break up, there were many hints that they would eventually reunite forever, especially seasons 8-10. In the final season, Rachel wants to sleep with Ross when her father has a heart attack and wants "sympathy sex", which he turns down, not wanting to take advantage of her in the state she is in. However, Ross and Rachel do sleep together again the night before she leaves for Paris, which results in him admitting he still loves her and wants to get back together in the series finale. Rachel turns down the Paris job in order to be with Ross when she realizes she still loves him too, and the two agree "this is it", getting back together for good. Jennifer Aniston, who played Rachel, confirmed that after the series finale, Ross and Rachel got remarried, happily and had at least one more child.[162]

Impact and legacy
Rachel's popularity would establish her as the show's breakout character;[102][163] she is often ranked among the greatest characters in television history. Us Weekly ranked Rachel the most beloved television character of the past two decades, citing her as "one of TV's most endearing personalities".[164] Entertainment Weekly ranked the character sixth on a similar countdown,[165] while AOL TV included Rachel among television's hundred "Greatest Women" at number 23, with author Kim Potts observing that "Rachel became one of viewers' favorite Friends because she grew from what could have been a one-note character ... into a more independent, caring pal".[166] BuddyTV ranked Rachel the 15th funniest female character in sitcom history,[167] while ChaCha collectively ranked Rachel, Monica and Phoebe 11th, 12th and 13th on the website's list of the "Top 16 Female TV Characters of All Time".[168] According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hollywood professionals voted Rachel the 29th best female character in 2016.[169] In 2019, Harper's Bazaar ranked Rachel the third most influential "female character who changed our TV screens". Author Olivia Blair wrote that Rachel "promote ideals of female independence, unashamedly discuss sex and female pleasure, educate the men in their lives on how to treat women throughout the ten seasons."[170] Writing for Entertainmentwise, Georgina Littlejohn believes Rachel inspired the character Penny in the sitcom The Big Bang Theory, noting that the characters, both waitresses, are "blonde, cute, funny, likeable girls-next-door".[98] Several baby name books and websites commonly associate the name "Rachel" with the character.[171][172][173][174]

Both Rachel and Aniston became fashion icons due to their combined influence on womenswear during the 1990s,[175][176][177] particularly among British women.[178] Vogue's Edward Barsamian credits Rachel with inspiring "the cool New York look".[105] According to Stylist, Rachel "revived [a] love of denim shirts and dungarees",[178] while Mahogany Clayton of StyleBlazer believes that the character "managed to dominate every fashion trend that passed by her radar in the most stylish ways possible".[179] Hailing her as the "Fash Queen", Heat magazine observed the character's influence on plaid skirts, denim and overalls.[121] Citing every costume the character wore during the first season of Friends, BuzzFeed determined that Rachel popularized the mullet dress.[180] TV Guide published a list of "The 17 Ways Rachel from Friends Changed '90s Fashion".[181] Rachel is often considered to be one of television's best dressed characters.[182] Elle included Rachel in the magazine's "50 Best Dressed Women on TV" list.[183] PopSugar ranked Friends 15th on the website's list of "50 TV Shows That Changed the Way We Dress", citing Rachel's "impressive" wardrobe.[184] InStyle ranked Friends the 36th most fashionable television show of all-time, praising Rachel, Monica and Phoebe's costumes.[185] StyleCaster ranked Rachel among "The 50 Most Stylish TV Characters Of All Time" at number 28.[186] Cosmopolitan magazine compiled a list of "16 things Rachel Green wore to work that we'd totally wear today",[187] while Virgin Media ranked the character among television's sexiest.[137] Brides magazine ranked Rachel's wedding dress among "The Best TV Wedding Dresses", with contributor Jane Frankfort commending the dress with "set[ting] the tone for the following 10 years together and the many milestones our favorite friends will bring."[188]

Like her character, Aniston became the show's breakout star.[189] Karen Thomas of USA Today dubbed Aniston "our favorite Friend".[190] According to Turner Classic Movies, Aniston ultimately became "One of the most popular television actresses of her era".[191] According to Jennifer Aniston: From Friends to Films author Kim Etingoff, the actress' own fame "outshone" those of her co-stars,[56] becoming the first cast member to "rise to prominence";[85] the actress continues to experience the most post-Friends success.[192][193][194] Aniston's performance in Friends led to a successful film career.[195] According to The Inquisitr News, Rachel is "the role that would end up launching [Aniston's] success",[73] while Bradford Evans of Splitsider believes "that Jennifer Aniston likely wouldn't have become a major movie star without Friends".[196] While ranking Aniston the most attractive sitcom star of the 1990s, Josh Robertson of Complex magazine wrote that "With the haircut, the TV fame, and a true gift for comedy ... combined, Aniston became a big star", replacing Cox as the show's "established hottie".[197] According to Steve Charnock of Yahoo! Movies, Aniston is "the series' only main cast member to become a bona fide movie star since the end of the show".[198] While agreeing that Aniston's film career has been successful, several critics believe that the actress' filmography remains limited to playing Rachel-like roles in romantic comedies,[85][128][199] save for some exceptions.[200] Ryan Gilbey of The Guardian noted that "Consequently, many of Aniston's movie roles ... have been Rachel in all but name."[95] Andrew Collins of Radio Times agreed, writing that Aniston "seems trapped, perpetually playing variations of Rachel".[131] According to TV Guide, Aniston is "usually called upon to play a variation of her neurotic and adorable Friends character".[120] Aniston cites Rachel as one of three roles for which she is most grateful, to whom she "owe[s] everything".[201] On being typecast in the aftermath of Rachel, Aniston admits that at times it "gives you more of a challenge, to shape people’s perceptions of you".[202] as audiences struggle "to lose the Rachel tag that has made her one of the world's most recognisable faces".[203]

Hair
Named after the character,[204] the "Rachel" refers to a bouncy layered[205] shag inspired by the way in which Aniston wore her hair on Friends between 1994 and 1996, during the first and second seasons of the series.[175] The "Rachel" debuted in the show's 20th episode, "The One With the Evil Orthodontist".[206] Aniston believes that her hair stylist, Chris McMillan, created the haircut while he was under the influence of marijuana.[207] The "Rachel" immediately became popular among women, launching an international hair trend.[208] The popularity of the "Rachel" coincided with the popularity of Friends during the mid-to-late-1990s.[209] Marie Claire estimates that 11 million women donned the hairstyle throughout the decade,[210] while the Daily Express determined that the hairstyle was most popular among British women,[211] who went to hair salons "clutching magazine pictures of Aniston" and asking hairdressers to give them the look.
According to Vanity Fair, the hairstyle's "widespread popularity ... in the show’s very first year cemented the sitcom early on as heavily influential when it came to style."[213] The "Rachel" remains one of the most popular hairstyles in history,[24] and became the most popular hairstyle in the United States since actress Farrah Fawcett's.[175][189] Hair stylists credit its appeal and popularity to its medium length and volume, combined with its tendency to frame the face flatteringly.[175] Hairdresser Mark Woolley described it as "a cut that flatters almost everyone, designed to make women look beautiful".[131] The "Rachel" is often ranked among the greatest and most iconic hairstyles of all-time,[214][215][216] with Redbook placing it at number four and Time ranking it ninth.[217][218] The Huffington Post determined that the hairstyle is one of "The Most Famous TV Hairstyles Of All Time".[219] US Weekly ranked the "Rachel" the 17th most iconic hairstyle.[220] Glamour magazine ranked the "Rachel" fourth on the magazine's list of "The 100 Best Hairstyles of All Time".[221] The magazine also cited it among "The very best hair to have graced the small screen",[222] while ranking it the most memorable hairstyle in television history.[223] The Sydney Morning Herald ranked it the second greatest television hairstyle,[212] while Metro ranked the "Rachel" the character's second-best hairstyle.[224] Ranked sixth on Entertainment Weekly's list of the "25 Fashion Moments That Changed Entertainment", the haircut was declared the most "desired" hairstyle of the Clinton era.[225]

Zahra Barnes of Self joked that Rachel's hair has always been the "true star of the show".[206] Lauding the "Rachel" as one of television's greatest hairstyles, Sarah Carrillo of Elle magazine believed that its popularity "helped make Friends the phenomenon it was".[226] Opining that Friends spawned few memorable catchphrases in comparison to its contemporaries, Tom Jicha of The Baltimore Sun attributes much of the show's legacy to the hairstyle, calling it the show's "only cultural trend".[80] Josh Robertson of Complex magazine felt that "With the haircut, the TV fame, and a true gift for comedy ... combined, Aniston became a big star", replacing Courteney Cox.[197] Hannah Lyons Powell of Glamour agreed that the hairstyle made Aniston "the definitive hair icon of the ‘90s and the proud owner of arguably the most infamous and influential hairstyle of all time."[222] According to Jim Vorel of Paste magazine, "'the Rachel' hairstyle became the decade’s defining 'do, calling it "the definition of influence".[227] However, Rebecca Cox of Glamour is grateful that the hairstyle remained in the 1990s.[214]

In the second-season episode "The One With The Lesbian Wedding", Rachel references the popularity of her haircut when she complains that her own overbearing mother is trying to reinvent her life after hers, lamenting, "Couldn't she just copy my haircut?" Despite her association with the cut, Aniston disliked the hairstyle.[228] She found maintaining the hairstyle without McMillan's help difficult,[229] stating "I'd curse Chris every time I had to blowdry. It took three brushes—it was like doing surgery!"[230] and that she would rather shave her head than have to wear it for the rest of her life.[231] Since Aniston, several other celebrities have worn variations of the "Rachel", among them actresses Cameron Diaz,[232] Rachel McAdams,[233] Emma Watson,[234] Reese Witherspoon,[235] Julia Roberts,[236] comedian Tina Fey,[237] model Tyra Banks,[238] and singer Lily Allen

فريندز

أصدقاء أو فريندز (بالإنجليزية: Friends) هو كوميديا موقف (سيت كوم) أمريكي. تم عمله بواسطة ديفيد كرين ومارتا كوفمان، وتم بثه على شبكة إن بي سي من 22 سبتمبر 1994 إلى 6 مايو 2004، استمر لعشرة مواسم. كانت البطولة لجنيفر أنيستون، كورتني كوكس، ليزا كودرو، مات لوبلان، ماثيو بيري وديفيد شويمر. تدور أحداث المسلسل حول ستة من الأصدقاء يعيشون في مانهاتن. أنتج المسلسل شركة برايت/كوفمان/كران بالتعاون مع وارنر بروس. كان المنتجون التنفيذيون الأصليون كيفن س. برايت، مارتا كوفمان وديفيد كرين.

بدأ كوفمان وكرين في تطوير الأصدقاء تحت عنوان "مقهى الأرق" بين تشرين الثاني/نوفمبر وكانون الأول/ديسمبر 1993. قدما الفكرة لبرايت، ومعا عرضوا سبع صفحات عن البرنامج المقترح على NBC. بعد عدة مرات من إعادة كتابة السيناريو والتغييرات مثل تغيير العنوان إلى Six of One، ثم "أصدقاء مثلنا"، سميت السلسلة أخيرا "أصدقاء".

تم التصوير في استوديوهات وارنر بروس في بربانك بكاليفورنيا. احتل كل موسم من العشرة مواسم من الأصدقاء أحد المراكز ضمن العشرة الأوائل في عدد المشاهدات للموسم التلفزيوني، وفي نهاية المطاف نجحت السلسلة في الوصول إلى المركز الأول في الموسم الثامن. شاهد خاتمة السلسلة، التي بثت يوم 6 مايو 2004، حوالي 52.5 مليون مشاهد أمريكي، مما جعلها خامس أكثر خاتمة لمسلسل مشاهدة في تاريخ التلفزيون، والحلقة التلفزيونية الأكثر مشاهدة في عقد 2000. وسجلت الحلقتين 12 و13 من الموسم الثاني أعلى نسبة مشاهدات، حيث شاهدهما قرابة 53 مليون شخص.

تلقى أصدقاء إشادة في جميع مواسمه، ليصبح واحدا من البرامج التلفزيونية الأكثر شعبية في كل العصور. رشحت السلسلة لـ 62 جائزة إيمي، وفازت بفئة "أفضل مسلسل كوميدي" في عام 2002 عن الموسم الثامن. يظهر البرنامج في المرتبة 21 في قائمة دليل التلفزيون لأفضل 50 برنامج تلفزيوني في التاريخ، والمرتبة 7 في أفضل 50 برنامج تلفزيوني في التاريخ حسب مجلة إمباير. في عام 1997، حلت حلقة "The One with the Prom Video" في المرتبة 100 في تقييم دليل التلفزيون لأفضل 100 حلقة في التاريخ. في عام 2013، احتل أصدقاء المركز 24 في تقييم نقابة الكتاب الأمريكية لأفضل 101 مسلسل مكتوب على الإطلاق، والمركز 28 في تصنيف دليل التلفزيون لأفضل 60 مسلسل على الإطلاق.

في عام 2019 حصلت شركة WarnerMedia على حقوق بث المسلسل من منافستها شبكة Netflix، بعقد يمتد لـ 5 سنوات وبقيمة 85 مليون دولار أمريكي. مما سيؤدي إلى وقف بثه على شبكة Netflix مع حلول العام 2020. وبحسب مجلة Time أنفقت شبكة Netflix بين 80-100 مليون دولار سنويا للاحتفاظ بحق بث المسلسل حتى عام 2019.

ركز العرض على حياة مجموعة من ستّة أصدقاء: الفقيرة، والمدللة و"دلوعة البابا": رايتشل غرين، ثم المهووسة بالنظافة وكبيرة الطبّاخين مونيكا غيلر؛ المدير التنفيذي الساخر والممتع تشاندلر بينغ ؛ الممثل المغمور جوي تريبياني؛ عالم الإحاثة (دراسة أشكال الحياة السابقة) روس غيلر (شقيق مونيكا)، الذي يمرّ بثلاثة زيجات فاشلة؛ والمدلّكة المتفائلة والمغنية السيئة فيبي بوفيه.


مخطط منطقة التصوير
مع بدء الحلقات، تترك رايتشل خطيبها على المذبح وتنتقل للعيش مع صديقتها الحميمة أثناء طفولتها، مونيكا. تعيش الإثنتان في شقة مقابلة لشقة تشاندلر وجوي اللذان يتسكعان من حين لآخر مع روس شقيق مونيكا والذي كان قد طلق زوجته المثلية. ثمّ هناك فيبي شريكة غرفة مونيكا السابقة. تتضمّن أماكن التصوير شقّة مونيكا، شقة جوي وتشاندلر، شقة روس، شقّة فيبي والمقهى المحلي (سنترال بيرك) (بالإنجليزية:Central Perk) (يكشف مشهد ارتجاعي لاحقاً بأن المقهى كان أصلاً حانة تردد عليها أيضاً تشاندلر، مونيكا، فيبي وروس قبل أن ينضم جوي ورايتشل إلى المجموعة).

بعد الانتقال إلى المدينة، حصلت رايتشل على عملها الأول كَنادلة في المقهى. أصبحت لاحقاً كمشترية ووكيلة في بلومنجدال، ولاحقاً وكيلة لرالف لورين. كافحت مونيكا من أجل النجاح أولاً عدّة مواسم، لكنها أصبحت كبيرة الطباخين في النهاية وفي مطعم محترم.

بدأ تشاندلر طريقه صعودا في معالجة البيانات وانتقل في النهاية إلى مهنة في الإعلانات (في المواسم الأخيرة) بعد أزمة منتصف العمر. أما جوي فاستقرت مهنته أخيراً على العمل في سلسلة تلفزيونية كان قد رُفض فيها سابقاً. أصبح عالم الإحاثة روس في النهاية أستاذ كليّة. فيبي كسبت عيشها من عملها كشاعرة ومدلكة.


المبنى الذي يتم تصويره على اساس أن شقق الأصدقاء فيه
تطورت العلاقة العاطفية بين روس ورايتشل صعوداً وهبوطاً على مدار المواسم. فيما شهدت علاقة مونيكا وتشاندلر نمواً كبيراً.

استعمال النكات والطرائف كان مفرطاً بحيث أنك لا تتوقف عن الضحك طوال الحلقة. بعض النكات تتعلّق بالنشاط الجنسي أو السياسة والإساءة المبطّنة. كما ركز العرض على أمور جدية أيضاً مثل الانهيارات العاطفية، كوميديا الموقف والكتير من السخرية.

Friends

Friends is an American television sitcom, created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons.[1] With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer, the show revolves around six friends in their 20s and 30s who live in Manhattan, New York City. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television. The original executive producers were Kevin S. Bright, Kauffman, and Crane.

Kauffman and Crane began developing Friends under the title Insomnia Cafe between November and December 1993. They presented the idea to Bright, and together they pitched a seven-page treatment of the show to NBC. After several script rewrites and changes, including title changes to Six of One[2] and Friends Like Us, the series was finally named Friends.[3]

Filming of the show took place at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. All ten seasons of Friends ranked within the top ten of the final television season ratings; it ultimately reached the number-one spot in its eighth season. The series finale aired on May 6, 2004, and was watched by around 52.5 million American viewers, making it the fifth most-watched series finale in television history,[4][5][6] and the most-watched television episode of the 2000s decade.[7][8]

Friends received acclaim throughout its run, becoming one of the most popular television shows of all time.[9] The series was nominated for 62 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning the Outstanding Comedy Series award in 2002[10] for its eighth season. The show ranked no. 21 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time,[11] and no. 7 on Empire magazine's The 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.[12][13] In 1997, the episode "The One with the Prom Video" was ranked no. 100 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time.[14] In 2013, Friends ranked no. 24 on the Writers Guild of America's 101 Best Written TV Series of All Time,[15] and no. 28 on TV Guide's 60 Best TV Series of All Time
Premise
Rachel Green flees her wedding day and finds childhood friend Monica Geller, a New York City chef. They become roommates, and Rachel joins Monica's group of single people in their mid-20s: Struggling actor Joey Tribbiani, business professional Chandler Bing, masseuse and musician Phoebe Buffay, and newly divorced palaeontologist Ross Geller, Monica's older brother. Rachel becomes a waitress at Manhattan coffee house Central Perk; when not there, the group is usually at Monica and Rachel's nearby West Village apartment, or Joey and Chandler's across the hall.

Episodes depict the friends' comedic and romantic adventures and career issues, such as Joey auditioning for roles or Rachel seeking jobs in the fashion industry. The six characters each have many dates and serious relationships, such as Monica with Richard Burke, and Ross with Emily Waltham. Ross and Rachel's intermittent relationship is the most often-recurring storyline; during the ten seasons of the show, they repeatedly date and break up. Ross briefly marries Emily. Ross and Rachel have a child together after a one-night stand, Chandler and Monica date and marry each other, and Phoebe marries Mike Hannigan. Other frequently recurring characters include Ross and Monica's parents Jack and Judy Geller from Long Island; Ross's ex-wife Carol Willick, their son Ben Geller as well as Carol's wife Susan Bunch; Central Perk barista Gunther; Chandler's ex-girlfriend Janice Goralnik; and Phoebe's twin sister Ursula.

Cast and characters
Main article: List of Friends characters
Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green:
A fashion enthusiast and Monica Geller's best friend from childhood. Rachel first moves in with Monica in season one after nearly marrying Barry Farber. Rachel and Ross Geller are later involved in an on-again-off-again relationship throughout the series. Rachel dates other men during the series, such as an Italian neighbour, Paolo, in season one; Joshua Bergin, a client from Bloomingdale's, in season four; Tag Jones, her assistant, in season seven; and Joey Tribbiani in season ten. Rachel's first job is as a waitress at the coffee house Central Perk, but she later becomes an assistant buyer at Bloomingdale's in season three, and a buyer at Ralph Lauren in season five. Rachel and Ross have a daughter named Emma in "The One Where Rachel Has a Baby, Part Two" at the end of season eight. In the final episode of the series, Ross and Rachel confess their love for each other, and Rachel gives up a job in Paris to be with him.
Courteney Cox as Monica Geller:
The mother hen of the group and a chef,[17] known for her perfectionist, bossy, competitive, and obsessive-compulsive nature.[18][19] Monica was overweight as a child. She works as a chef in various restaurants throughout the show. Monica's first serious relationship is with a long-time family friend Richard Burke, who is twenty-one years her senior. The couple maintains a strong relationship for some time until Richard expresses that he does not want to have children. Monica and Chandler Bing later start a relationship after spending a night with each other in London in the season four finale, leading to their marriage in season seven and adoption of twins at the end of the series.
Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay:
A masseuse and self-taught musician. As a child, Phoebe lived in upstate New York with her mother, until she committed suicide and Phoebe took to the streets. She writes and sings her own strange songs, accompanying herself on the guitar. She has an identical twin named Ursula, who shares Phoebe's traits. Phoebe has three serious relationships over the show's run: David, a scientist, in season one, whom she breaks up with when he moves to Minsk on a research grant; Gary, a police officer whose badge she finds, in season five; and an on-and-off relationship with Mike Hannigan in seasons nine and ten. In season nine, Phoebe and Mike break up due to his desire not to marry. David returns from Minsk, leading to the two getting back together, but she eventually rejects him for Mike when both of them propose to her. Phoebe and Mike marry in season ten.[20][21]
Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani:
A struggling actor and food lover who becomes famous for his role on soap opera Days of Our Lives as Dr. Drake Ramoray. Joey has many short-term girlfriends. Despite his womanizing, Joey is innocent, caring, and well-intentioned.[22] Joey often uses the catchphrase pick-up line "How you doin'?" in his attempts to win over most of the women he meets. Joey rooms with his best friend Chandler for years, and later with Rachel. He falls in love with Rachel in season eight,[23] but Rachel politely tells Joey that she does not share his feelings. They eventually date briefly in season ten, but after realizing it will not work due to their friendship and Rachel's complicated relationship with Ross, they return to being friends.
Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing:
An executive in statistical analysis and data reconfiguration for a large, multinational corporation. Chandler hates this job, although it pays well. He attempts to quit during season one but is lured back with a new office and a pay raise. He eventually quits this job in season nine due to a transfer to Tulsa. He becomes a junior copywriter at an advertising agency later that season. Chandler has a peculiar family history being the son of an erotic novelist mother and a gay, cross-dressing Las Vegas star father. Chandler is known for his sarcastic sense of humor and bad luck in relationships.[24] Chandler marries Monica in season seven, and they adopt twins at the end of the series. Before his relationship with Monica, Chandler dated Janice Hosenstein in season one and subsequently broke up with her many times.
David Schwimmer as Ross Geller:
Monica Geller's older brother, a palaeontologist working at the Museum of Natural History, and later a tenured professor of palaeontology at the New York University. Ross is involved in an on-again, off-again relationship with Rachel throughout the series. He has three failed marriages during the series: Carol Willick, a lesbian who is also the mother of his son, Ben Geller; Emily Waltham, who divorces him after he accidentally says Rachel's name instead of hers during their wedding vows; and Rachel, as the two drunkenly marry in Las Vegas. His divorces become a running joke within the series. Following a one-night stand, he and Rachel have a daughter, Emma, by the end of season eight. They finally confess that they are still in love with each other in the series finale.
James Michael Tyler appears as Gunther, a barista at Central Perk in every season of the show, but is only ever credited as a guest star. Gunther, at one point, becomes the manager of the coffee house. It is revealed that Gunther speaks Dutch in addition to English.
In their original contracts for the first season, cast members were paid $22,500 per episode.[25] The cast members received different salaries in the second season, beginning from the $20,000 range to $40,000 per episode.[25][26] Before their salary negotiations for the third season, the cast decided to enter collective negotiations, despite Warner Bros.' preference for individual deals.[27] The actors were given the salary of the least paid cast member, meaning Aniston and Schwimmer had their salaries reduced.The stars were paid $75,000 per episode in season three, $85,000 in season four, $100,000 in season five, $125,000 in season six, $750,000 in seasons seven and eight, and $1 million in seasons nine and ten, making Aniston, Cox, and Kudrow the highest-paid TV actresses of all time.[28][29][30] The cast also received syndication royalties beginning in 2000 after renegotiations. At the time, that financial benefit of a piece of the show's lucrative back-end profits had only been given out to stars who had ownership rights in a show, like Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Cosby.[31]

Series creator David Crane wanted all six actors to be equally prominent,[32] and the series was lauded as being "the first true 'ensemble' show."[33] The cast members made efforts to keep the ensemble format and not allow one member to dominate;[33] they entered themselves in the same acting categories for awards,[34] opted for collective salary negotiations,[33] and asked to appear together on magazine cover photos in the first season.[35] The cast members also became best friends off-screen,[36] so much so that recurring guest star Tom Selleck reported that he sometimes felt left out.[37]

The cast remained good friends after the series run, most notably Cox and Aniston, with Aniston being godmother to Cox and David Arquette's daughter, Coco.[38] In the official farewell commemorative book Friends 'Til the End, each separately acknowledged in interviews that the cast had become their family.
Season 1
Main article: Friends (season 1)
The first season introduces the six main characters: Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler, and Ross. Rachel arrives at Central Perk after leaving her fiancé Barry standing at the altar. She moves into an apartment with her high school friend Monica. Ross, who has had a crush on Rachel since high school, constantly attempts to declare his feelings for her. However, many obstacles stand in his way, including the fact that he is expecting a baby with his lesbian ex-wife, Carol. She gives birth later in the season and names the child Ben. Joey is a bachelor and struggling actor. Phoebe is working as a masseuse; she is slightly crazy because her mother committed suicide when she was a child. However, the rest of the group loves her regardless. Chandler breaks up with his girlfriend, Janice (Maggie Wheeler). Near the end of the season, Chandler accidentally reveals that Ross loves Rachel, who then realizes that she feels the same way. The season ends with Rachel waiting at the airport for Ross, who is returning from a trip.

Season 2
Main article: Friends (season 2)
The second season begins with Rachel waiting at the gate for Ross so she can declare her love for him. However, she discovers that he is dating Julie (Lauren Tom), someone he knew from graduate school. Rachel's attempts to tell Ross she loves him initially mirror his failed attempts in the first season, but the characters do eventually begin a relationship. Joey gets cast in a fictional version of the soap opera, Days of Our Lives, but his character is killed off after he begins to claim that he writes many of his own lines, bringing him into conflict with the show's writers. Chandler gets back together with Janice, his ex-girlfriend from Season One. Monica begins dating Richard (Tom Selleck), a recently divorced family friend 21 years her senior, but they eventually break up.

Season 3
Main article: Friends (season 3)
Season Three takes on a significantly greater serialized format. Rachel begins working at Bloomingdale's, an upscale department store chain, and Ross becomes jealous of her colleague, Mark. Rachel decides to take a break from their relationship. Ross, hurt and drunk, sleeps with Chloe, "the hot girl from the Xerox place," causing Rachel to break up with him. Chandler has a hard time dealing with their breakup because it reminds him of his parents' divorce. Although Phoebe initially believes she has no family except her twin sister Ursula (Lisa Kudrow), she becomes acquainted with her half-brother Frank Jr. (Giovanni Ribisi) and birth mother Phoebe (Teri Garr) over the course of the season. Joey begins a relationship with his acting partner Kate (Dina Meyer). Monica begins a relationship with millionaire Pete Becker (Jon Favreau), which ends because of disagreements between the two.

Season 4
Main article: Friends (season 4)
In the Season Four premiere, Ross and Rachel briefly reconcile after Ross pretends to read a long letter that Rachel wrote for him. However, Ross continues to insist that the two were on a break when he slept with Chloe, so they break up again. Joey dates Kathy (Paget Brewster), a girl that Chandler has a crush on. Kathy and Chandler later kiss, which causes drama between Chandler and Joey. Joey only forgives Chandler and allows him to date Kathy after Chandler spends a day in a box as punishment. Chandler's relationship with Kathy ends after discovering she cheated on him due to an argument. Phoebe becomes a surrogate mother for her brother and his wife Alice (Debra Jo Rupp). Monica and Rachel are forced to switch apartments with Joey and Chandler after losing a bet during a quiz game, but manage to switch back by bribing them with Knicks season tickets and a one-minute kiss (off-screen) between Rachel and Monica. Ross begins dating an English woman named Emily (Helen Baxendale), and the season finale features their wedding in London. Chandler and Monica sleep together, and Rachel decides to stop Ross and Emily's wedding. While saying his vows, Ross says Rachel's name at the altar, shocking his bride and the guests.

Season 5
Main article: Friends (season 5)
Season Five starts with Ross and Emily's wedding in London. The season features Monica and Chandler trying to keep their new relationship a secret from their friends. Phoebe gives birth to triplets in the show's 100th episode. She gives birth to a boy, Frank Jr. Jr., and two girls, Leslie and Chandler. Emily threatens to leave Ross unless he breaks off all communication with Rachel. Ross agrees, but later attends a dinner with all his friends, Rachel included. Emily phones Ross, discovers Rachel is there, and realizes she does not trust him. This ends the marriage. Phoebe begins a relationship with a police officer, Gary (Michael Rapaport), after finding his badge and using it as her own. Monica and Chandler go public with their relationship, to the surprise and delight of their friends. They decide to get married on a trip to Las Vegas, but change their plans after witnessing Ross and Rachel drunkenly stumbling out of the wedding chapel.

Season 6
Main article: Friends (season 6)
In the Season Six premiere, Ross and Rachel's marriage turns out to be a drunken mistake that Rachel does not remember. Ross tries to get an annulment because he does not want to have had three divorces. However, when he realizes an annulment is impossible, he then tries to keep their wedding a secret from Rachel. She finds out and divorces him several episodes later. Monica and Chandler move in together, causing Rachel to move in with Phoebe. Joey lands a role on a cable television series called Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E., where he stars alongside a robot. Ross gets a job lecturing at New York University and starts dating one of his students, Elizabeth (Alexandra Holden). The relationship ends because of Elizabeth's immaturity. Phoebe and Rachel's apartment catches fire, and Rachel moves in with Joey, while Phoebe moves in with Chandler and Monica. Chandler proposes to Monica, who says yes even though her ex-boyfriend Richard confesses his love for her.

Season 7
Main article: Friends (season 7)
The seventh season mainly follows the various antics of Monica and Chandler, who begin to plan their wedding and run into financial problems which are quickly fixed by Chandler's secret funds. Joey's television series Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E is cancelled, but he is offered his job back on Days of Our Lives. Meanwhile, Ross tries to introduce Ben to Hanukkah with the help of an Armadillo costume. Phoebe's apartment is rebuilt, but it now has only one large bedroom instead of the original two, so Rachel decides to stay with Joey. The season ends just prior to Monica and Chandler's wedding, with Phoebe and Rachel finding a positive pregnancy test in the bathroom of Monica and Chandler's apartment.

Season 8
Main article: Friends (season 8)
Season 8 begins at Monica and Chandler's wedding reception. It turns out that the positive pregnancy test found in their bathroom belongs to Rachel. Rachel takes another pregnancy test, which Phoebe initially pretends is negative, in order to find out how Rachel feels about being pregnant. Rachel becomes sad when she thinks she's not pregnant, so Phoebe tells her the truth. Rachel, Phoebe, and Monica then rejoice in the bathroom. The season revolves around Rachel's pregnancy, especially once Ross is revealed to be the father. Rachel and Ross decide to have the baby but do not resume their romantic relationship. Joey develops romantic feelings for Rachel, but she does not reciprocate them. Rachel gives birth to baby Emma in the season finale. At the hospital, Ross's mother offers him an engagement ring because she wants him to marry Rachel. Ross does not intend to ask Rachel to marry him, but he takes the ring anyway and puts it in his jacket pocket. Meanwhile, in the post-delivery room, Joey picks up Ross's jacket while looking for some tissue. The ring falls to the floor. He kneels to pick it up and turns to Rachel, still on his knees and still holding the ring. Rachel accepts what she thinks is his proposal of marriage.

Season 9
Main article: Friends (season 9)
Season nine begins with Ross and Rachel living together as roommates with their daughter Emma. Monica and Chandler try to have a baby of their own but find out that they are physically unable to conceive. Phoebe begins dating Mike Hannigan (Paul Rudd) and chooses to be with him over her ex-boyfriend David (Hank Azaria). Rachel and Emma move in with Joey in the middle of the season, and Rachel develops a crush on him, while the rest of the "friends" try hard to get Ross and Rachel back together. The group travels to Barbados in the finale to hear Ross give a keynote speech at a paleontology conference. Joey and his girlfriend Charlie (Aisha Tyler) break up, and she begins a relationship with Ross. Upon seeing Ross and Charlie kiss each other, Joey goes to Rachel's hotel room, and the finale ends with the two of them kissing.

Season 10
Main article: Friends (season 10)
The tenth season brings several long-running storylines to a close. Charlie breaks up with Ross to get back together with her ex-boyfriend. Joey and Rachel try to contend with Ross's feelings about their relationship and decide it would be best to remain friends. Phoebe and Mike get married mid-season outside the Central Perk coffee house. Monica and Chandler apply to adopt a child and are chosen by Erica (Anna Faris). In the series finale, Erica gives birth to fraternal twins, to Monica and Chandler's surprise. Monica and Chandler prepare to move to the suburbs. Joey becomes upset with the changes in his life. Rachel gets fired from her job and accepts a new job offer in Paris. Ross tries to get Rachel her job back by secretly meeting with her boss but eventually gives up after realizing that the Paris job is her dream job. Rachel says a tearful goodbye to everyone but Ross. A hurt and angry Ross confronts Rachel, and they end up sleeping together. Rachel leaves, and Ross—who now realizes he is in love with her—chases her to the airport. When he reaches her, Rachel realizes she loves him too, and cancels her flight to Paris. The series ends with all the friends, plus Monica and Chandler's new babies, leaving the apartment together for a final cup of coffee. Chandler makes a final joke. The show ends first with a shot of the keys to Monica and Chandler's apartment, on the counter table, and then with a shot of the apartment's purple door.

Production
Conception
It's about sex, love, relationships, careers, a time in your life when everything's possible. And it's about friendship because when you're single and in the city, your friends are your family.

— The original treatment used by Crane, Kauffman and Bright to pitch the series to NBC.[42]
David Crane and Marta Kauffman began developing three new television pilots that would premiere in 1994 after their sitcom Family Album was cancelled by CBS in 1993.[43] Kauffman and Crane decided to pitch the series about "six people in their 20s making their way in Manhattan" to NBC since they thought it would fit best there.[44] Crane and Kauffman presented the idea to their production partner Kevin Bright, who had served as executive producer on their HBO series Dream On.[45] The idea for the series was conceived when Crane and Kauffman began thinking about the time when they had finished college and started living by themselves in New York; Kauffman believed they were looking at a time when the future was "more of a question mark."[42] They found the concept to be interesting, as they believed "everybody knows that feeling",[42] and because it was also how they felt about their own lives at the time.[42] The team titled the series Insomnia Cafe and pitched the idea as a seven-page treatment to NBC in December 1993.[42][44]

At the same time, Warren Littlefield, the then-president of NBC Entertainment, was seeking a comedy involving young people living together and sharing expenses. Littlefield wanted the group to share memorable periods of their lives with friends, who had become "new, surrogate family members."[20] However, Littlefield found difficulty in bringing the concept to life and found the scripts developed by NBC to be terrible. When Kauffman, Crane and Bright pitched Insomnia Cafe, Littlefield was impressed that they knew who their characters were.[20] NBC bought the idea as a put pilot, meaning they risked financial penalties if the pilot was not filmed.[46] Kauffman and Crane took three days to write the pilot script for a show they titled Friends Like Us.[42][47] Littlefield wanted the series to "represent Generation X and explore a new kind of tribal bonding", but the rest disagreed. Crane argued that it was not a series for one generation, and wanted to produce a series that everyone would enjoy watching.[20] NBC liked the script and ordered the series. They changed the title to Six of One, mainly because they felt Friends Like Us was too similar to the ABC sitcom These Friends of Mine.[48]

Casting
Once it became apparent that the series was a favored project at NBC, Littlefield reported that he was getting calls from every agent in town, wanting their client to be a part of the series.[20] Auditions for the lead roles took place in New York and Los Angeles.[49] The casting director shortlisted 1,000 actors who had applied for each role down to 75. Those who received a callback read again in front of Crane, Kauffman and Bright. At the end of March, the number of potential actors had been reduced to three or four for each part, and were asked to read for Les Moonves, then-president of Warner Bros. Television.[50]

Having worked with David Schwimmer in the past,[49] the series creators wrote the character of Ross with him in mind, and he was the first actor cast.[51] Cox wanted to play the role of Monica because she liked the "strong" character, but the producers had her in mind to play Rachel because of her "cheery, upbeat energy", which was not how they envisioned Monica; after Cox's audition, though, Kauffman agreed with Cox, and she got the role.[42][52] When Matt LeBlanc auditioned for Joey, he put a "different spin" on the character.[42] He played Joey more simple-minded than intended and gave the character heart. Although Crane and Kauffman did not want LeBlanc for the role at the time, they were told by the network to cast him.[42] Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry and Lisa Kudrow were cast based on their auditions.[49]

More changes occurred to the series's storylines during the casting process. The writers found that they had to adjust the characters they had written to suit the actors, and the discovery process of the characters occurred throughout the first season. Kauffman acknowledged that Joey's character became "this whole new being", and that "it wasn't until we did the first Thanksgiving episode that we realized how much fun Monica's neuroses are."[53]

Writing
In the weeks after NBC's pick up of Friends, Crane, Kauffman and Bright reviewed sent-in scripts that writers had originally prepared for other series, mainly unproduced Seinfeld episodes.[54] Kauffman and Crane hired a team of seven young writers because "When you're 40, you can't do it anymore. The networks and studios are looking for young people coming in out of college."[55] The creators felt that using six equal characters, rather than emphasizing one or two, would allow for "myriad storylines and give the show legs."[32] The majority of the storyline ideas came from the writers, although the actors added ideas.[49] Although the writers originally planned the big love story to be between Joey and Monica, the idea of a romantic interest between Ross and Rachel emerged during the period when Kauffman and Crane wrote the pilot script.[42]

During the production of the pilot, NBC requested that the script be changed to feature one dominant storyline and several minor ones, but the writers refused, wanting to keep three storylines of equal weight.[48] NBC also wanted the writers to include an older character to balance out the young ones. Crane and Kauffman were forced to comply and wrote a draft of an early episode that featured "Pat the Cop." who would be used to provide advice to the other characters. Crane found the storyline to be terrible, and Kauffman joked, "You know the kids [sic] book, Pat the Bunny? We had Pat the Cop." NBC eventually relented and dropped the idea.[42]

Each summer, the producers would outline the storylines for the subsequent season.[56] Before an episode went into production, Kauffman and Crane would revise the script written by another writer, mainly if something concerning either the series or a character felt foreign.[54] The hardest episodes to write were always "the first one and the last one of each season."[57] Unlike other storylines, the idea for a relationship between Joey and Rachel was decided on halfway through the eighth season. The creators did not want Ross and Rachel to get back together so soon, and while looking for a romantic impediment, a writer suggested Joey's romantic interest in Rachel. The storyline was incorporated into the season; however, when the actors feared that the storyline would make their characters unlikable, the storyline was wrapped up, until it again resurfaced in the season's finale. For the ninth season, the writers were unsure about the amount of storyline to give to Rachel's baby, as they wanted the show neither to revolve around a baby nor pretend there to be none.[56] Crane said that it took them a while to accept the idea of a tenth season, which they decided to do because they had enough stories left to tell to justify the season. Kauffman and Crane would not have signed on for an eleventh season, even if all the cast members had wanted to continue.[53]

The episode title format—"The One ..."[58]—was created when the producers realized that the episode titles would not be featured in the opening credits, and therefore would be unknown to most of the audience. Episode titles officially begin with "The One ..." except the title of the pilot episode and the series finale "The Last One."

Filming

Gabriel Solano

Gabriel Esteban Solano (4 de junio de 1974)1​ es un militante trotskista argentino, dirigente del Partido Obrero. En las elecciones legislativas de 2017 integró la lista del Frente de Izquierda y de los Trabajadores y obtuvo una banca de legislador por la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires
Militancia política
Inicios
Gabriel Solano empezó su actividad política a comienzos de la década de 1990, sosteniendo un claro rechazo en contra del gobierno del entonces presidente Carlos Menem. Se afilió al Partido Obrero donde trabajó en diversos temas políticos, sin embargo, se enfocó principalmente en la dirección de la Unión de Juventudes por el Socialismo (UJS). En dicha organización obtuvo resultados favorables ya que recuperó la Federación Universitaria de Buenos Aires (FUBA), después de que un grupo de grupo de políticos relegara a la organización Franja Morada.2​

En 2006, Solano lideró el denominado «movimiento por la democratización», un tipo de protesta en contra de la Asamblea Universitaria y de Atilio Alterini, quien en ese entonces se desempeñaba como rector de la Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA). Además de los citados trabajos políticos, publicó diversos artículos y se desempeñó durante un tiempo como conferencista a nivel nacional.2​

Además de ser dirigente de la Federación Universitaria de Buenos Aires y de la Unión de Juventudes por el Socialismo, Solano también participó del Foro Social Mundial (FSM) en 2002 (Brasil) y 2005 (Venezuela).2​

Actividad parlamentaria
Fue asesor de la banca que ocupó Jorge Altamira en la Legislatura porteña entre 2000 y 2003, formando parte de la Comisión de Educación. En este sentido, ha escrito diversos artículos sobre educación, política económica y juventud como columnista en medios como La Política Online,3​ Infobae4​ y Prensa Obrera,5​ además de brindar conferencias en diferentes centros de estudios del país.

Fue electo por el Partido Obrero para conformar la lista de diputados en el Frente de Izquierda en la Capital Federal en las elecciones de 2011, 2013, 2015 y 2017. En esta última, como candidato a legislador porteño,6​ ingresó a la Legislatura para el período 2017-2021.

Desde su banca, ha presentado proyectos involucrándose, particularmente, sobre la problemática educativa en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires,7​ en particular sobre la crisis de infraestructura en las escuelas8​ y sobre la implementación de Educación Sexual Integral (ESI). También es autor del proyecto de ley y uno de los impulsores de la Campaña por la Separación de la Iglesia del Estado.9​ Además ha utilizado el espacio desde su banca para dar visibilidad a los reclamos10​ y repudiando la persecución a los docentes.11​

Sobre la salud, ha presentado un pedido de informe al ejecutivo porteño por la situación de los hospitales12​ y sobre «contaminación» en el Subte.13​

Durante las audiencias públicas impulsadas por el gobierno de Mauricio Macri en la que las empresas distribuidoras pidieron el aumento del precio del gas, cuestionó el pedido y señaló que la decisión de avanzar en el aumento representaría un «megatarifazo».14​ En este mismo sentido, ha presentado diferentes proyectos y amparos contra los aumentos tarifarios al transporte en la ciudad.15​ Además, denunció la especulación inmobiliaria a raíz del traslado de los terrenos de la cárcel de Villa Devoto.16​

También ha impulsado la lucha por el esclarecimiento de la desaparición de Santiago Maldonado17​ señalando la responsabilidad del gobierno.18​ Asimismo, ha criticado la política de reformas del macrismo a las Fuerzas Armadas.19​.

Ha expresado un ferviente rechazo al paquete de reformas laborales20​ y al acuerdo con el FMI21​ llevadas adelante por el oficialismo en 2018.