It doesn’t matter that I’ve seen the episode about five times before, it still continues to be funnier than ever before. I still can’t bear to miss it. And every once in a while when I discover that one episode, which I haven’t seen before, it’s uncontrollable joy that beams on my face. A reassurance that there is still some reason to keep watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

 It has been 16 years, yes 16 long years since this American sitcom first went on air. And despite the break up between television and F.R.I.E.N.D.S. in 1994 after a 10-year-long relationship, memories are revisited and there is no love lost. Teenagers all-over the globe are still addicted to this hugely popular American sitcom.

And why, you may ask, do we still insist on catching the re-runs of re-runs? Well simply because somehow it’s all so real. Far far away from the mindless melodrama of Indian serials, there is this series. — which always remains true to itself and never fails to be side-splittingly funny and extremely de-stressing. Besides, there is always that one ‘FRIEND’ who you can connect with — who is almost like a virtual-slightly-tweaked version of you.

And no matter how many years go by, each new generation of teenagers finds solace in the lives, the laughs and the loves of these six Manhattan residents.

The whole experience begins and ends with that classic tune by the Rembrandts. In those few lines they have managed to capture the whole essence of what the series is all about. Personally, I think the pilot episode is the funniest, with Rachel running away from her wedding and Ross finding out that his wife is a lesbian and Phoebe trying to clean everyone’s auras. With each passing episode I find myself laughing louder. Every time I watch the season finale, it tears me up.

So here’s a big thumbs-up to F.R.I.E.N.D.S., my everyday must-watch. And I sure am waiting for that much-rumoured F.R.I.E.N.D.S. movie!

(The blogger, 18, is a student of R. Ruia College, Mumbai)

Keerthana Srinivasan
The Asian Age