Of course, I must choose 'Friends'.

Friends, of course, I must choose Friends. It's not that I'm a big fan of sitcoms in general (I was too young to enjoy Seinfeld, The Office, The IT Crowd, or The Big Bang Theory seemed interesting to me but nothing more, I liked How I Met Your Mother until it sank and became a repetitive bore by the seventh season...), but Friends came into my life at the right time and in the right place.

I was leaving school at noon to go home for lunch. An episode of the series was airing on television at the moment. As a result, this sitcom became an integral part of my everyday routine. Watching it back then was an unforgettable experience for me. What clearly indicates that it is a brilliant television series is that even now, 30 years later, I can watch its episodes and laugh and have as much fun as I did in the mid-1990s. Even more emphatic, today's young kids discover and love the series in the same way that I did three decades ago.

Its 10 seasons and 236 episodes follow the adventures and misadventures of six young people from New York: Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow), Ross Geller (David Schwimmer), Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry), and Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc), a close-knit group of friends who live in Manhattan and frequently gather in their apartments or at their regular café, Central Perk. Despite the countless changes in their life, their relationship endures in the difficult struggle to advance in their career and personal lives.

Six characters who are nearly as well-known today as they were in 2000, and who propelled their actresses and actors to global stardom. The snooty, gorgeous, and sometimes ridiculous Rachel; the manic and vehement Monica; the eccentric and irrational Phoebe; the more serious but also goofy and indecisive Ross; the clever, hilarious, and frivolous Chandler; and the joyful, carefree, and airheaded Joey.

I believe that every fan of the show has fantasized about having a coffee with them at the iconic Central Perk café, sharing one of their Manhattan apartments, going for walks around New York, having a talk with them about love or work filled with jokes and laughing... Characters who are so close, real, and human that they feel like members of our own family. And so diverse that every spectator finds at least one character to relate to or who makes them laugh, especially.

Chandler is the character that comes to mind for me. He always struck me as the funniest while also being the most interesting due to his depth. He is a guy who can tell funny and amazing jokes quite lively. However, his actions demonstrate that he employs his sense of humor as a clear defense mechanism against his own insecurities. His personality is characterized by cynicism, dread, and visible issues. The late Matthew Perry, who died in 2023, played Chandler Bing to perfection. Here goes my tribute and respect to that outstanding actor.