“Friends” 30th-Anniversary Party at the East Moline Public Library -- September 20.
Friday, September 20, 5 p.m.
East Moline Public Library, 745 16th Avenue, East Moline IL
Hard as it is to believe, the iconic TV sitcom Friends debuted its first-ever episode three decades ago this month, and in celebration, the East Moline Public Library will host a Friends 30th-Anniversary Party on September 20, demonstrating that they'll be there for you with crafts, trivia, fan-favorite episodes, and more.
Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, Friends aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting10 seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston (as Rachel Green), Courteney Cox (Monica Geller), Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe Buffay), Matt LeBlanc (Joey Tribbiani), Matthew Perry (Chandler Bing) and David Schwimmer (Ross Geller), the show revolves around six friends in their 20s and early 30s who live in Manhattan, New York City, and the series' original executive producers were Kevin S. Bright, Kauffman, and Crane.
Kauffman and Crane began developing Friends under the working title Insomnia Cafe between November and December of 1993. They presented the idea to Bright, and together they pitched a seven-page treatment of the show to NBC. After several script rewrites and changes, including title changes to Six of One and Friends Like Us, the series was finally named Friends. Filming took place at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, and the series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions and Warner Bros. Television.
From the start, Friends ranked within the top 10 of the final television season ratings; it ultimately reached the number-one spot in its eighth season. The series finale aired on May 6, 2004, and was watched by around 52.5 million American viewers, making it the fifth-most-watched series finale in television history and the most-watched television episode of the 2000s. Friends received acclaim throughout its run, becoming one of the most popular television shows of all time. The series was nominated for 62 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning the Outstanding Comedy Series award in 2002 for its eighth season, as well as Emmys for Kudrow in 1988, Aniston in 2002, guest actor Bruce Willis in 2000, and guest actress Christina Applegate in 2003.
The show ranked number 21 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time, as well as number five on Empire magazine's "The 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time." In 1997, the episode "The One with the Prom Video" was ranked among TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time. Sixteen years later, almost a decade after the series concluded, Friends ranked number 24 on the Writers Guild of America's 101 Best Written TV Series of All Time, and number 28 on TV Guide's 60 Best TV Series of All Time. The sitcom's cast members returned for Friends: The Reunion, a special that was released on HBO Max on May 27, 2021.
The Friends 30th-Anniversary Party will be held at the East Moline Public Library on September 20, participation in the 5 to 8 p.m. event is free, and more information is available by calling (309)755-9614 and visiting EastMolineLibrary.org.
