Whilst the show was airing, the stars were excessively overexposed to the extent it was nauseating.

Now the show has been off the air for a few years , how is it being remembered ?

I watch repeats on the show on cable and i tell you what, i absolutely crack up laughing throughout most episodes. Not many current shows make me do that. The chemistry between the characters is better than any comedy sitcom in the last 5 years and the writing, whilst predictable in places is pretty sharp overall.

I do think give it another 10 years, Friends will become a comedy classic.

I kind of have the opposite feelings. Friends was my favorite show for its first 5 or 6 years but I think the last few seasons began to slip (I think I missed the last season completely as well as the finale).

When I flip by it on TV, it holds no interest for me at all anymore, I usually don't stay with it for more than a minute or two.

Maybe taking a few years off and then revisiting it again will renew my love for it but as of right now, I couldn't care less if I never saw it again.

I really enjoy this series even to this day. Eventhough I was only 8 when the series came out, somewhere along the way I caught on and I never stopped watching. Today 'friends' like 'angel' and 'gilmore girls' are the first thing i look for when watching reruns... and I think that in 25/30 years it will have earned its place on TVLand.

In relation to the actors 66% of them seem to be doing rather well (David Swimmer and Matt LeBlanc haven't ended up so well, but theres still time). I'm really looking forward to Courtney Cox's (or is she using the third name again) new series 'dirt' on FX sounds amazing...

To me, hands down, the best comedy ever written. I can watch any episode again and again, and never get tired of it. My daughter and I quote it to each other, and there usually is FRIENDS on in the backround at some time.
The writing amazes me...its intelligent, quick witted, and timeless.

With any show of that magnitude, the detrators will always be louder than the fans. I think it will go down as one of the greats, but I do have to agree about overstaying their welcome. Probably 2-3 seasons too long. It was still funny, but look at the contrived plots they had to eek out to get those seasons. Ross & Rachel's baby? Joey & Rachel? was that? All jump the shark material. I'll still watch them all, but those seasons were scraping the barrel creatively.

I agree it went on a couple seasons too long. There's also one thing I've noticed: ever since both this and Frasier left the air, there hasn't been a single "three camera, studio audience" comedy I've watched. It's all the likes of Scrubs, The Office and Simpsons, South Park now.

While that honor goes to Seinfeld for me, Friends is a truly great show. It pioneered the "serial comedy", which is quite impressive for a show of its kind. The chemistry was great, casting was terrific for almost every character and guest star, writing was clever without being smarmy, and there is a classic line or gag almost every single episode.

Friends is a once in a generation show that deserves all of its accolades.

I agree. I owe the entire series, but those last seasons were rather ridiculous. While the show did a great job at maintaining the characters' backgrounds (e.g. fat Monica, Joey's love of sandwiches, Phoebe's music, etc.), they started getting so sloppy that they never really referred to Ben once Emma was born (they're step brother and sister!).

IMO they should have ended it at the latest with Joey ending up with Rachel at the end of season 9. Season 10 was certainly a "tack on", agreed to 2/3rds of the way through season 9 just as they were starting to sew things up. It really showed. They were all out of ideas by then. And had they done that then, Joey might not have ever happened - which would have been a blessing.

overated...all 10 years!

In your (ridiculous) opinion.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108778/awards

Clearly not universally shared.

Emma and Ben are actually half brother and sister - they share the same dad.

Never liked it... never will.

I lost interest after Season 2 as I got tired of the same crap every week. My wife watched it all the way through, though, and has all the DVD's.

It will be interesting to see if it achieves legendary status, a la Seinfeld, or becomes one of those shows that we loved at the time, but we cringe at now, a la Three's Company and Cheers.

Who the hell cringes at Cheers?

That's a show I still watch on a regular basis

Exactly. Cheers is the definitive comedy of the 80's. cdollaz is off his rocker.

50's - I Love Lucy
60's - Andy Griffith
70's - M.A.S.H.
80's - Cheers
90's - Seinfeld
00's - ? Still waiting...

Everyone I know.

I'll take a cheers episode over a friends episode anyday.

I only cringe at the sight of Shelley Long. Always have.

I enjoyed watching Friends, though I was not really a fan. I don't go out of my way to watch it, but if it is the only thing on and my cable happens to be out so that is the only channel I get, I will watch it.

I'm sure it will, in time, be a comedy classic.

Although I agree it went on a few years too long (most do anyways), its one of my all time favs...I prefer it even to Seinfeld. I catch it on re-runs now, and still crack up at it eventhough Ive seen it all 1000 times.

I agree with you on all counts except the 70s. I think ALL IN THE FAMILY tops MASH.

I'm hoping THE OFFICE will become the comedy of the 00s, but it will probably never have a big enough audience...it's an acquired taste.

One of my faves. Actually just last week I started watching the series again on DVD.

It'll definitely hold up for me.

[Ron Howard voice]It was Arrested Development.[/Ron Howard voice]

This show was a home run right out of the gate. Great cast and chemistry. But like most good series, it overstayed it's welcome. During the last two seasons, the writing was abysmal (IMO). And the cast looked like they were sleepwalking through each episode. But if I'm flipping the channels, and an episode from S1-8 is on, I'll stop. And laugh.

I don't know anyone who dislikes "Cheers". And "Roseanne" needs to be on that definitive TV list. Well, again, save for the last two seasons. Woof!