For all of its flaws, Friends is by no means a bad show. In many ways it has a very good claim to be the most important show of the 1990s, and even beyond that, which is all the more impressive considering the small screen renaissance that has occurred since, with giant budgets and high production values. But considering the way the show is mercilessly repeated every day on a perpetual loop, you would think it was one of the only shows (along with Frasier, Everybody Loves Raymond, and King Of Queens) that actually deserves long-term syndication, and that is plainly not the case. Where is Blossom, Roseanne, Coach, The Wonder Years? Why has Married With Children or Ellen, Spin City or Sienfeld not seen the same kind of repetition (in the UK at least)? And what of Freaks & Geeks? Friends is like Starbucks. It's entertaining, enjoyable and it hits the spot, but its continued dominance means that you'll never discover the other available flavours at the little coffee shop on the corner. And it's not even as if you'd give up Starbucks for a little variation, but right now you don't really have the option. Thank God for Netflix though, but TV should have caught up to that model by now.
