Friends
(Rated TV-PG, Comedy, Starring Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, Where to watch: NBC, Syndicated, DVD, Online)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Hilarious sitcom for adults and older teens.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 14–18
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Friends was written by Betsy Wallace
Parents need to know that this series' subject matter is often mature. Episodes have dealt with divorce, single parenthood, infertility, and more. Topics are treated sensitively but with the irreverence befitting a sitcom. Premarital sex is depicted as the norm for dating relationships.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about whether or not the characters make good decisions. Do their lives seem realistic? How do their friendships compare to teens' relationships with their own friends?
Have you seen it? Review It!
More on Friends
What’s the Story?
Debuting in 1994, the long-running, Emmy-winning sitcom FRIENDS centers on six Manhattan-dwelling friends as they undergo their twenties and become thirtysomethings. The sextet consists of neat-freak chef Monica (Courteney Cox), her thrice-divorced brother Ross (David Schwimmer), sarcastic quipster Chandler (Matthew Perry), batty singer/massage therapist Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), aspiring actor Joey (Matt LeBlanc), and former suburban princess Rachel (Jennifer Aniston). Storylines range from standard sitcom fare (hilarious misunderstandings, dating nightmares, etc.) to weightier plots involving lesbian ex-wives, friend hook-ups, unexpected pregnancies, and more. As the series progressed, episodes became more dramatic and less situational, wisely capitalizing on viewers' decade-long relationship with the characters.
Is It Any Good?
While the characters take on careers and a bit more responsibility over the course of the series, in most ways the friends remain slaves to their idiosyncrasies and compulsions rather than display more maturity. Too many jokes that lampoon personality traits such as Joey's libido or Chandler's wimpiness (he's sometimes made fun of for seeming gay) are one of the series' weaknesses. Many of the juicier plot developments were obviously thrown in to boost ratings and sometimes seem borrowed from soap operas. Still, the writing is often intelligent, and the acting is skillful. Long-time fans are often rewarded with jokes that reference past episodes and personality quirks; familiarity makes this show all the funnier.
There are trade-offs for families to consider. The comedy may be inappropriate for kids, and yet the storytelling can be more original and thought-provoking than in sitcoms geared specifically to youths. Characters' contradictions and mistakes make them questionable role models but also account for why so many viewers relate to them. The friends frequently talk through their problems openly and honestly with one another, which could be viewed as a model for communication within families.
Our Members Say
See all 58 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 14 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
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I rate this title off for age 2 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Excessive consumerism
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- Negative role models
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
yes
Teachers can i watch that show at school :-)
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I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Negative role models
Legendary TV Show
Great TV show - one of my favourites. There is some iffy sexual stuff in the show and the characters aren't perfect, but if they were, the show would be very unrealistic. I don't understand why commonsense media think there is something wrong with all the characters being white; I don't understand why their 'race' should make a difference. Also, the characters show that they care for each other, even though they aren't perfect.
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