They'll be there for us.

For anyone who knows me, they know there are six very special people in my life. Six people that have taught me a great deal about life, love and friendships. Six people who swore they'd be there for me, no matter what. Everything from how to carry a sofa twenty blocks, to what Unagi means and everything in between. Yes, of course, these six people are the F.R.I.E.N.D.S cast. Six people I developed an affinity with a few years ago, and I've never looked back, not once. No matter what mood I'm in, I can rely on them for absolutely anything, and I can guarantee they'll make me grin.

Everyone I know must get sick and tired of my constant talk about them. I'm the girl who has a Friends quote for every possible scenario, and is always firing little snippets here and there, to the annoyance of my (actual) friends and family. I swear I know the script and I'm (somewhat childishly!) proud of that. It's the obsession I'll never grow out of, and, thankfully, I'm not alone. There are millions of FRIENDS fans out there, considering how big the show was to begin with. Looking back, I wish I'd been old enough to see the original episodes air. The on-the-edge-of -your-seat excitement, the dramatic revelations, the incredible cliff-hangers between the series. My box-set is probably my most prized possession, think of that what you will, but it is. Me and my sister, Caitlin, can go for hours at a time, live-quoting episode after episode, only taking breaks for refreshments and stolen breaths between all of the hysterical laughter. Even now, after god knows how many views, it still makes me laugh as much as the first time I ever saw it. 

Chandler, Monica, Ross, Rachel, Phoebe and Joey. The six people who changed my life, and thousands of others, and being totally oblivious. They are my heroes, and everybody's best friends. The moment E4 announced that they would no longer be showing episodes of Friends, fans around the globe went into uproar. How could they not show Friends? What would we watch instead? How could we get our daily fix? (or at least, those who didn't have access to a box-set.) So, everything went mad. People were, literally I'm told, grieving for the metaphorical deaths of six dreamt-up people who had become such a permanent fixture in so many of our lives. We were never to see them again, never to catch a glimpse of Phoebe's terrible guitar-playing, or Monica's erratic cleaning, or Chandler's endless reel of sarcasm and hilarity. State: completely, utterly, irrevocably in mourning. FOREVER MORE.

Well, that was until a little channel, not previously a channel that had been made a fuss of, decided, perhaps on a whim, to buy the Sitcom we all loved to love. It was announced, that Comedy Central, would purchase the gang, and show them whenever and in which order they liked. Cue the celebratory Chandler dance. A day that saved so many people's sanity, (i guess) because I know, it saved mine. This all sounds terribly dramatic, as I'm well aware it's "just a programme." But, any fans will tell you differently. Friends, is not, and never will be, just anything. It's a series of life lessons, tightly packed into ten incredibly funny, stupid, wild, emotional, passionate series. I can applaud it forever, write about it for an eternity and quote it in my sleep, but I'll never be able to convey my love enough.

Everyone loves finding people who share their same interests and passions, it just makes it easier to talk to one another. I confess, there is, in my mind, nothing more exciting, than meeting a fellow Friends fan (or addict, as a few people have described me as) for the first time. The endless questions you have for them. Which is your favourite episode? Did you cry at the last one? Which quote do you like the most? Which scene made you laugh until tears were streaming down your face and your stomach was painful. And, of course, the question of all questions, the one everybody wants to know the answer to. Who's your favourite? 

Mine, is and always will be, the lovely, charming, geeky, hilarious Chandler Bing. He's my ideal man, theoretically. He makes me laugh far too much. His wit, cheesy lines and the sheer bluntness of his sarcasm are just a few reasons why Mr Bing is the one I love. Don't get me wrong, I adore them all equally and it's sort of impossible to separate them and truly pick a favourite. Rachel's ditsy personality, her amazing fashion sense, her spoiled side and her over-the-top romantic side make her such a brilliant character. Monica, the bleach-weilding, overly-controlling, freakishly-clean chef never fails to make everyone howl, plus 'Mondler' is something we'll never, ever forget. Phoebe's hippy side, her moving rendition of so many inappropriate songs (but everyone loves Smelly Cat) and her ability to make light of any situation that arises, is why she's so well-liked. Joey. Well, what can anyone say about Joey? With charm, looks and an amazing grin on his side, and the addition of his best line ever 'How you doin'?' it's enough to make any girl weak at the knees. Everyone who's anyone loved Joey. His playfulness, his sheer stupidity and ability to go from absolute player to cute romantic in five seconds flat. Finally, and last, but by no means least, Ross. I think some of my favourite episodes focus in and around Ross, so really, if I wasn't routing for my Chandler-esque love affair, he'd be my all-time fave guy. The intelligent one, the utter geek, the drama queen of the group. And who can forget his endless string of wives and girlfriends. However, none of it was ever going to last, because all of the superfans (like myself) were always, (and still are, everytime we tune in) routing for Ross and Rachel. The meant-to-be couple, even though they had one hell of a rollercoaster ride to get to where they end up.

So, ten years. 236 episodes. Six friends. Hundreds of break-ups. Three divorces. Three weddings. Two bad hair cuts. Five babies. Endless "We were on a Break" excuses. Too many Janice encounters. Quite a number of outfit malfunctions. Four attempts to play (extreme) Fireball. Trips to Vegas, Barbados and London that all ended dramatically. We learnt a lot from these guys. We were there, every step of the way; through their best and worst moments,  we shared their happiness and their tears, and in the end, everything turned out the way we were all hoping. From the Ross and Rachel saga, to the revelation that Chandler and Monica couldn't have children, there wasn't a dry eye in the entire Northern hemisphere. We feel for them, we love for them, and inevitably, we cry for them. The six people that never fail to make us laugh uncontrollably, the ones who never falter, and ultimately, the ones that, as the Rembrandts so cordially sang, will be there for us.

Joey: So, Ross and Rachel got married, Monica and Chandler almost got married, do you think you and I should hook up?

Phoebe: Oh, we do, but not just yet.

Joey: Really? Well, when?

 Phoebe: Okay, um, well, first Chandler and Monica will get married--and become filthy rich, by the way. Yeah. But it won't work out.
Joey: Wow.
Phoebe: I know. Then, I'm gonna marry Chandler--for the money--and you'll marry Rachel and have the beautiful kids.
Joey: Great!
Phoebe: But then we ditch those two, and that's when we get married. We'll have Chandler's money and Rachel's kids, and getting custody will be easy because of Rachel's drinking problem.
Joey: Uh oh. What about Ross?
Phoebe: I don't want to go into the whole thing, but, um, we have words and I kill him.