How the Producers of Friends Made a Show That's as Popular Now as It Was 25 Years Ago

Adweek's Media Visionaries Marta Kauffman, David Crane and Kevin Bright reflect on their show's legacy

Marta Kauffman, David Crane and Kevin Bright are finally getting a chance to revel in their legacy.

A quarter-century ago, the trio began executive producing Friends, a sitcom chronicling the relationships among six lovably neurotic 20-somethings (played by Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer) living in the same New York apartment building. The NBC sitcom became a runaway hit soon after it began airing in 1994, but Kauffman, Crane and Bright were too busy making the show to enjoy its popularity.

“When

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This story first appeared in the Oct. 21, 2019, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.