CHEERS TO MY FRIENDS. Review on Friends

Friends TV Show is a Phenomenon!

It took me some while to discover this programme. I'd heard people talk about. I'd seen coverage of it in magazines and the TV Press. But, I'd never seen it, my wife had never seen it either and we were both unmoved at the prospect of watching it. I really cannot remember why we started watching the show, but boy are we glad we did.

I would agree with anyone that FRIENDS has been one of the best programmes on TV in the past 5 years. Once we got to know the characters and were able to react to some of the more ''in-jokes'' in the scripts, we were hooked!.

The six characters all are well drawn and different. Now that Chandler and Monica are an item, following on from Ross and Rachel's long running on-off relationship, the viewer is questioning when both Joey and 'nutty' Phoebe will be getting it on.

THE CHARACTERS

• JOEY

Joey really is my favourite character. He's just such a ...Joey. Innocent, naive, simple, but honest, loveable and just too damn good looking. His chat up line of 'How you doin' has been used on other shows with people trying to send him up. He's the guy that should always get the girl, but can't quite keep her. He'll say something, quite innocent to him, but to everyone else it's downright rude. But you forgive him. He's like a little kid who has done something naughty and just as you are about to scold the child, there is a smile, a look of angelic innocence.

Matt le Blanc plays Joey to perfection.

• RACHEL

Rachel is the sexy one. She knows it, but not in an outrageous way. She can't hold a relationship together either. One day Ross and Rachel WILL get together for good. Although they were married once in Vegas, of course! Jennifer Anniston is another of the just too damn good looking and I'm sure plenty of women would swap their looks for those of Ms Anniston, or should I now say, Mrs Pitt?

• CHANDLER

Chandler Bing, what a stooopid name! Matthew Perry's character is complex. No good with girls in the main. Apart from Janice! He has finally met his match, but who would have thought it would be with Monica. Their relationship started hot with the couple ''discovering each other in a carnal way'' in London during the trip for Ross' wedding. It was hidden from the rest of the Friends for many episodes, which often gave the scriptwriters a chance to add a bit of British farce to the proceedings.

• MONICA

Monica's character, for me, has altered ever so slightly during the series so far. The obsessively neat and tidy fixer upper. Problems with her own relationships with Richard the dentist and Peter the millionaire, but Monica will always try and help out others. Now she has fixed herself up with Chandler and....''Bing-O !'' Sorry, but I had to.

• PHOEBE

Phoebe is next and definately the wackiest of the cast. I'm never sure whether I like her or not. There used to be an american-type wod to describe Phoebs, ''Cooky''. Yep, that's Phoebe, writer and performer of ''Smelly Cat'' and all around off-the-wall friend.

• ROSS

Finally we come to poor old Ross. I'm sure all the women have a soft spot for him. Not in a sexual way, but in a ''shame about Ross'', ''aah poor Ross'' kind of way. It never quite goes smoothly for our friendly paleantologist. His stop-start relationship with Rachel. His first marriage ended with Carol declaring she was a lesbian and then his next just ending before it had begun because he confused his new bride with Rachel. Will things ever go right for Ross? Well if I were to put money on it, the final scene of the final episide of the final series of Friends will be Ross and Rachel at the altar, for good.

All Friends fans need no reminding of all these plots, sub plots and so on. The fun just goes on from start to finish. Just like when the Spice Girls were the big thing, you get asked who is your favourite. Girls like Monica, generally, but are jealous of Rachel, ‘cos she's so gorgeous and perfect. Guys obviously fancy Rachel and Monica, but who their favourite Male Friend is, can be a puzzle.

The only drawback with the current series of the show is that it seemes to be running out of steam and ideas. The actors seem tired of the characters they play - but hey....there are plenty of great memories from the previous series, just in case the current run is the finale.