'Friends' makes viewers feel part of the gang

Friends; Starring: David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow.; RCTI; Sunday, 4 p.m.

JAKARTA (JP): There is no survey which can confirm the number of viewers who spend every Sunday afternoon laughing out loud in front of their TVs.

But it can be safely declared that the phenomenon of TV sitcom Friends embraces millions of people, from different walks of life, in the country.

Its VCDs also reportedly sell better here than any TV series released on video.

When its concept was first cooked up by the guys and gals at NBC, the series was aimed at attracting younger audiences from those who watched "grown-up" sitcoms, such as Seinfeld.

Back then, critics considered the fledgling series about twenty-something slackers hanging out in a coffee shop as something of a gamble in an attempt to win the heart of the usually intangible Generation X.

However, not long after its first airing in 1994, the series became a huge hit with all age groups, and not only in its home country.

Friends merchandise -- mugs, T-shirts, caps, calendars -- quickly became hot selling items in many stores.

Appealing characters and snappy writing have become the main reasons for the series' wild success.

Audiences really care about its characters, where their lives are heading, what decisions they make. The characters have really become like, well, friends of the audience.

Ross Geller (Schwimmer) who has a Ph.D. in paleontology and works for a museum is sensitive and somewhat shy. He has been married three times so far, the first of which ended in a divorce after she realized she was a lesbian.

His second marriage to an Englishwoman ended at the altar when he inadvertently said the name of Rachel Karen Green (Aniston), whom he has been in love since the ninth grade and he was accidentally married to in Las Vegas when they were drunk.

Rachel and Ross' on-again, off-again relationship has become one of the shows' top storylines.

Rachel, who dumped her would-be husband at the last minute (he got his own back by telling friends she was deranged from syphillis), is the woman you would want to be your next door neighbor: pretty, caring and down to earth.

Monica Geller (Courtney Cox), Ross' sister, is currently a head chef at a restaurant. Neurotic and controlling, she has a string of broken relationships to her name, until she secretly starts dating Chandler Bing (Perry). The two getting together was reportedly the wish of many fans.

Chandler's occupation is never explained quite clearly, but he is a manager of data processor in some company.

Joey Tribiani (LeBlanc) is an aspiring actor who continuously lands pathetic roles. What could have been his breakthrough role was as Al Pacino's butt-double -- but he messed up the chance.

He finally appeared on soap opera Days of Our Lives as a doctor, but the show's writers later killed off his character.

To put it in a nutshell, Joey is quite active with females but is kind of slow intellectually.

The last principal character is Phoebe Buffay (Kudrow), the most offbeat of them all. She left home after her mother committed suicide, moving to the city where her albino male roommate also committed suicide. She is a masseuse but also sings at Central Perk, the coffee shop where most of the characters spend time.

She is very spiritual but not necessarily in a religious sense.

Watching these characters interact with each other is a pure delight. The stars have an witty on-camera rapport which is considered essential to its success. With great characters and involving but funny storylines, it's no wonder many consider Friends one of the best sitcoms of all time.

-- Joko E.H. Anwar