10 Most Binge-Watched TV Shows Of 2019
2. Friends
Platform: Netflix
It says something about Friends' incredible success and legacy that one of the biggest TV stories of 2019 was the announcement of the show's departure from Netflix. It also says a lot that Warner Bros chose it to be the FIRST announced addition to the upcoming HBO Max streaming platform. Not Batman. Not any CURRENT show, but Friends, a show that ended 15 years ago - a longer period than it even ran.
But that's Friends for you: it landed in the hearts of millions of fans like no show before or since and through heavy syndication, it somehow stayed relevant, even as waves of Internet provocateurs sought to cancel its characters or reframe it as a problematic show. Sure, it had its issues, but we cared about the central six characters and their relationships so much that we forgave it all. That's what you do for family, after all.
Since hitting streaming platforms, the show has gained new life with a whole new generation of fans and they will presumably flock to HBO Max to keep up their streaming obsession.