The original executive producers were Kevin S. Bright , Kauffman, and David Crane. 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 [ 2 ] and Friends Like Us , the series was finally named Friends. Studios in Burbank, California. The show ranked within the top ten of the final television season ratings; it ultimately reached the number-one spot in its eighth season.
The series finale aired on May 6, , and was watched by around James Michael Tyler appears as Gunther , a barista at Central Perk, in every season of the show, but is only ever credited as a guest star. Gunther has a mostly secret profound love for Rachel throughout the entire series.
At one point he becomes the manager of the coffee house. It is revealed that Gunther speaks Dutch in addition to English, as well as being a former soap opera actor. At the time, that financial benefit of a piece of the show's lucrative back-end profits had only been given out to stars who had ownership rights in a show, like Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Cosby.
Series creator David Crane wanted all six actors to be equally prominent, [ 32 ] and the series was lauded as being "the first true ' ensemble ' show. The cast remained good friends after the series run, most notably Cox and Aniston, with Aniston being godmother to Cox and David Arquette 's daughter, Coco.
The first season introduces the six main characters who live in New York City: Rachel Green , a waitress; professional chef Monica Geller ; her paleontologist brother, Ross Geller ; free-spirited masseuse Phoebe Buffay ; struggling actor Joey Tribbiani ; and Ross's college friend, Chandler Bing , whose precise occupation at a corporation is unknown. She moves into her high school friend Monica's apartment, and gets a waitress job at Central Perk. Ross, who has had a crush on Rachel since high school, often attempts to declare his feelings for her.
