Friends is the UK’s most popular streaming show
In The One Where no one is surprised, Friends has been named the UK’s most popular streaming show – despite it being 14 years since the last episode originally aired.
The American sitcom was added to Netflix in January and had twice as many views in the first three months as the show that came second in the list, Amazon’s The Grand Tour, reports the BBC. The 90s comedy series, which ran for 10 seasons, beat stiff competition from new releases and other hit shows including The Crown, Stranger Things and The Big Bang Theory.
Services like Netflix and Amazon don’t release viewer figures, but the numbers were disclosed in an Offcom survey. The Offcom Media Nations report ranked the most-watched programmes on subscription services, via a survey of 2,500 users.
So why is it, so many years later, that audiences still can’t get enough of Ross, Rachel, Joey, Chandler, Monica and Phoebe? Why, despite the billions of pounds that Netflix and Amazon are investing in original content, is a show that ran from 1994 to 2004 still the most popular?
The characters are likeable
Ultimately, having decades of Friends on our screens meant that viewers grew immensely fond of the six leading characters. We cared when their relationships didn’t work out or when life didn’t go quite as planned. Their romantic lives weren’t perfect; they were relatable. They supported one another and reiterated the importance of having a good circle of friends – and theirs was a gang you really wanted to be part of.
It’s feel good
It didn’t matter what your background was – Phoebe lived on the streets after her mum committed suicide, Rachel was supported by her rich parents until she got the courage to cut up her credit cards – the characters loved each other despite their differences and flaws. Your marriage might not work out, but it’s not the end of the world. You might get fired, but something different will come along. Loved ones die, but you get through it with the support of your pals. No, losing your job is not the end of the world. Yes, it’s okay to be a single mother. Everyone, for the most part, was nice and kind to each other. Ultimately, they made us laugh, and sometimes that’s just what you need.
It’s timeless
While there are certain aspects of the show that haven’t dated quite so well – it’s faced accusations of homophobic and sexist jokes, and been described as “the whitest show in the whole world” – many of the themes and storylines within the show still resonate with modern audiences. Rachel having to sort piles of hangers at her new ‘dream’ job, Monica’s mother constantly berating her while her brother could do no wrong, no one really understanding what Chandler does for a living…
There’s a sense of nostalgia
While being added to Netflix has meant that an entire new generation of viewers have discovered the Central Perk gang for the first time, for the rest of us, it conjures up images of our younger years, watching the newest episode over dinner or after school and discussing it at length the next day. We grew up with the characters; this was a show that was on our TV screens daily for, well, ever. It’s easy to slip back into at any time, like your favourite old jumper, and the sight and sound of the characters is comforting.
It’s so very quotable
From “We were on a break” to Janice’s ear-splitting “Oh. My. God”, the catchphrases are constantly repeated in real-life scenarios. Let’s face it, who can’t recite the lyrics to ‘Smelly Cat’?
The UK’s 10 most-streamed shows:
1. Friends, Netflix
2. The Grand Tour, Amazon
3. The Crown, Netflix
4. Stranger Things, Netflix
5. Peaky Blinders, Netflix
6. Black Mirror, Netflix
7. The Big Bang Theory, Netflix
8. Brooklyn Nine Nine, Netflix
9. The Good Place, Netflix
10. Vikings, Amazon
