Friends (1994-2004) followed Seinfeld's success, and it presented similar everyday event and relationships. The shoe lasted for ten years. In 2004, the final episode of friends was watched by over 50 million viewers in the United States. What made friends so popular? It was the fact that the six friends were just that-friends. And it wasn't just on the show. In real life, the east of friends were pals. Jennifer Aniston, Courtney cox-Arquette, lisa kudrow, matt LeBlanc, Mathew Perry, and David schwimmer became very close. And on camera, that real-life chemistry showed. No matter what happened, no matter who did what, or who said what, Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler, and Ross were friends. Americans could relate to the series and th the cast. It didn't need fancy locations or elaborate special effects. All it needed was the friends.