I.

Rationale
Everyone has their own way of spending their spare time, for example by reading a good book while enjoying a cup of tea, others by listening to music and singing along, or even by drawing. In my case, in the little spare time I have left, I choose to spend it discovering TV series with appealing plot and realistic characters. y search stopped the moment I played the first episode from !riends. "ou may wonder what has !riends so special that made me write about them. It#s simple. "ou never get tired of them, no matter how many times you have seen the series. I choose this theme because it can be funny and serious at the same time. It gives laughter at the same time with life lessons. The six friends $achel, onica, %hoebe, &handler, $oss and 'oey create different vibes that are hard to be worn off. They are put in everyday situations shaped in an amusing way. This TV series made me reali(e that friendship, love, fun and trust go hand in hand and are the most important values that someone could learn. In the Introduction I will present a brief presentation about the evolution of )!riends*, the people that gave life to the six main characters and the great awards lying behind this TV series. The first chapter talks about the six main characters, their habits, their funny moments and their relationship with each other. Their one big family that never failed to amuse us, to take us by surprise and even to make us cry is the family that people nowadays search in each of their friends. The second chapter presents the synopses, season by season, which contains the story of the characters, their evolution and their best moments together. In the third chapter I will discuss the impact over the worldwide public, the reactions of the people, the cultural value that was created through this TV series, and also some intresting facts that not all the lovers of )!riends* are aware of. +ll in all, this paper is made to present one of the greatest sitcoms ever made, in its simplicity and the values that teaches us.

II. Introduction
!riends is an +merican sitcom created by ,avid &rane and arta -auffman, which aired on ./& from 0eptember 11, 2334 to ay 5, 1664. The series revolves around a group of friends in anhattan. The series was produced by /right7-auffman7&rane %roductions, in association with 8arner /ros. Television. The original executive producers were &rane, -auffman and -evin 0. /right, with numerous others being promoted in later seasons. -auffman and &rane began developing !riends under the title Insomnia &afe in .ovember7,ecember 2339. They presented the idea to /right, with whom they had previously worked, and together they pitched a seven:page treatment of the series to ./&. +fter several script rewrites and changes, including a second title change to !riends ;ike <s, the series was finally named !riends and premiered on ./&=s coveted Thursday >?96 pm timeslot. !ilming for the series took place at 8arner /ros. 0tudios in /urbank, &alifornia in front of a live studio audience. The series finale @the 195th episodeA, airing on ay 5, 1664, was watched by B2.2 million +merican viewers, making it the fourth most watched series finale in television history and the most watched episode of the decade. !riends received positive reviews throughout its run, becoming one of the most popular sitcoms of all time. The series won many awards and was nominated for 59 %rimetime Emmy +wards. The series, an instant hit from its debut, was also very successful in the ratings, consistently ranking in the top ten in the final primetime ratings. any critics now regard it as one of the finest shows in television history, including TV Cuide, which ranked it .o. 12 on their list of the B6 greatest TV shows of all time. In 233D, the episode EThe Fne with the %rom VideoE was ranked .o. 266 on TV Cuide=s 266 Createst Episodes of +ll:Time. The series made a large cultural impact, which continues today. The &entral %erk coffee house that was featured prominently in the series has inspired various imitations throughout the world. The series continues in syndication worldwide. +ll ten seasons are available in standard definition on ,V, and in high definition on /lu:ray. The spin:off series 'oey was created to follow up with the series after the finale.

CHAPTER I. The Characters

Jennifer Aniston portrays Rachel Green, a fashion enthusiast and onica Celler#s best friend from childhood. $achel first moves in with onica in season one after nearly marrying /arry !arber whom she reali(es she does not love. $achel and $oss Celler are later involved in an on: again:off:again relationship throughout the series. $achel dates other men during the series, such as an Italian neighbor, %aolo in season one, her client 'oshua /ergin in season four, her assistant Tag in season seven, and 'oey Tribbiani in season ten. $achel#s first job is as a waitress at the coffeehouse &entral %erk, but she later becomes an assistant buyer at /loomingdale#s in season three, and a buyer at $alph ;auren in season five. $achel and $oss have a daughter named Emma in )The Fne 8here $achel Gas a /aby, %art Two* at the end of season >.

Courteney Cox portrays Monica Geller, the mother hen of the group and a chef, known for her perfectionist, bossy and competitive nature. onica is often jokingly teased by the others for having been extremely overweight as a child, especially by her brother $oss. onica works as a chef in various restaurants throughout the show. onica#s first serious relationship is with family friend $ichard /urke who is 12 years her senior. The couple maintains a strong relationship until $ichard expresses that he does not want to have children much to onica#s dismay. onica and &handler /ing later start a relationship after spending a night with each other in the season four finale, leading to their marriage in 0eason seven.

Lisa Kudrow portrays Phoebe Buffay, an eccentric masseuse and self: taught musician. %hoebe lived in uptown .ew "ork with her mother until her mother killed herself and %hoebe took to the streets. %hoebe is ditsy but street smart and writes and sings @badlyA her own Huirky songs, accompanying herself on the guitar. 0he has an )evil* identical twin named <rsula who shares %hoebe#s Huirkiness but unlike %hoebe seems to be cruel and uncaring. %hoebe is childlike and innocent in disposition. %hoebe tends to use her past misfortunes such as her mother#s suicide as sympathy ploys. %hoebe has three serious relationships. Cary @the copA in season five, an on and off relationship with ike Gannigan @%aul $uddA in seasons nine:ten and ,avid @Gank +(ariaA in season one, which ends when he moves to insk on a research grant. They reconcile whenever he returns but she eventually rejects him for ike in season nine. In the last season, she marries ike.

Matt LeBlanc portrays Joey Tribbiani, a struggling actor and food lover who becomes famous for his role on ,ays of our ;ives as ,r. ,rake $amoray. 'oey is a simple: minded womani(er with many short:term girlfriends throughout the series. ,espite his womani(ing tendencies 'oey is an innocent and caring character with good intentions. 'oey often uses the catchphrase pick up line )Gow you doin#I* in his attempts to win over women. 'oey rooms with his best friend &handler for years and later a while with $achel. Ge falls in love with $achel in season eight. $achel politely tells 'oey that she does not share the same feelings. They eventually date briefly in season ten, but after reali(ing it will not work due to their friendship @and especially $achel#s complicated relationship with $ossA, they return to being friends as before.

Matthew Perry portrays Chandler Bing, an executive in statistical analysis and data reconfiguration for a large multi:national corporation. &handler Huits his job and becomes a junior copywriter at an advertising agency during season nine. &handler has a peculiar family history being the son of an erotic novelist mother, and a cross:dressing ;as Vegas star father. &handler is known for his sarcastic sense of humor and bad luck in relationships. &handler marries onica in season seven, and they adopt twins at the end of the series. /efore his relationship with onica, &handler dated 'anice Gosenstein in season one and subseHuently broke up with her many times. atthew %erry has expressed his similarities to the character such as his need to break an awkward silence with a joke and difficulties with women when first joining the show.

a!id "chwi##er portrays Ross Geller, onica Celler#s older brother, a paleontologist working at the useum of .atural Gistory, and later a professor of paleontology at .ew "ork <niversity. $oss is sweet natured man of good humor, although he is often clumsy and socially awkward. $oss is involved in an on:again:off:again relationship with $achel throughout the series. $oss has three failed marriages during the series? $achel, Emily, and &arol, a lesbian who is also the mother of his son, /en @&ole 0prouseA. Gis failed love life is potentially due to his paranoia and jealousy in relationships and his divorces become a point of humor within the
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series. Ge and $achel have a daughter by the end of season eight and they confess that they are still in love with each other in the final episode.

CHAPTER II. Season Synopses

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II. 1. Season One

The first season introduces the six main characters? $achel Creen, onica Celler, %hoebe /uffay, 'oey Tribbiani, &handler /ing and $oss Celler. $achel, who left her fiancJ at the altar on her wedding day, has come to .ew "ork and ends up living with onica. It establishes early on in the season that $oss has been infatuated with $achel since the two characters attended high school. 0everal episodes revolve around his attempts to tell her how he feels. eanwhile, $oss=s estranged lesbian ex:wife &arol is pregnant with his baby. This puts $oss and &arol=s lesbian life partner, 0usan, in an awkward position. ,ue to the loneliness, $oss brings home arcel, a capucin monkey. 8hen the baby is born at the end of the season, $oss, &arol, and 0usan agree to name him /en? after a name tag on a janitor=s uniform worn by %hoebe. The episodic nature of the season sees the characters learning moral lessons about life and having multiple dates, many of which go wrong @ onica dates a minor in one episodeA, yet each episode still ended happily @think 0aved /y the /ell and early period elrose %laceA. The recurring character of 'anice is introduced as a girlfriend &handler breaks up with in an early episode but freHuently returns to through the ensuing ten seasons. $oss leaves for a fossil dig in &hina at the end of the season, but when &handler lets it slip about $oss=s continuing feelings for $achel on her birthday, she is shocked to find out. 0he rushes off to the airport to tell him about her feelings, only to find out that he has a new girlfriend.

II. 2. Season Two

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The second season features more seriali(ed storylines. It begins when $achel discovers that $oss is dating 'ulie, someone he knew from grad school. 'ulie returns for several episodes early in the season. $achel=s attempts to tell $oss she likes him mirror his own failed attempts in the first season, but she accidentally lets it slip out on a phone call. 8hen $oss finds out, he dumps 'ulie, but $achel is angry because of a list of bad things that he wrote about her to help him decide between the two of them. Eventually, a prom video reveals that $oss intended to take $achel to the prom when her prom date was late. This makes $achel forgive him and they begin a relationship that lasts into the following season. 'oey, a struggling actor in the first season, gets a part in a fictionali(ed version of the soap opera ,ays of Fur ;ives but loses the part soon after when he angers the writers by saying in an interview that he writes many of his own lines. Tom 0elleck begins a recurring guest role as ,r. $ichard /urke. $ichard, a friend of onica and $oss=s parents who is recently divorced and with grown children, is 12 years older than onica but despite this they date for the second half of the season. In the season finale, they end the relationship when they reali(e that he does not want any more children and she does. The second season also served to deepen &handler and 'oey=s friendship. This becomes especially apparent in the episodes in which 'oey temporarily moves out and a man named Eddie enuek moves in. &handler is disgusted that Eddie does not like what he likes, and has trouble bonding with the him, so he allows 'oey to move in and pretends that Eddie never lived there. Eddie=s mental illness causes him to believe that he really has never met &handler when &handler insists this is the case and leaves him alone. +nother surprise comes when &handler falls in love with a woman over the Internet and when he goes to meet her at &entral %erk, 'anice walks in. ,espite this, they decide to get back together, for real.

II. 3. Season Three

0eason three takes on a significantly greater seriali(ed format. $achel begins working at /loomingdale=s, an
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upscale department store chain, and $oss becomes jealous of her colleague, ark. $achel decides to take a breakK and $oss, hurt and drunk, sleeps with someone else, causing $achel to break up with him. In the meantime, &handler has a hard time dealing with their breakup because it reminds him of his parents= divorce. +fter believing she has no family except her twin sister <rsula @;isa -udrowA, %hoebe becomes acHuainted with her half:brother @Ciovanni $ibisiA and birth mother @Teri CarrA. 'oey develops a relationship with his acting partner -ate @,ina eyerA, and onica begins a relationship with millionaire %ete /ecker @'on !avreauA which shortly ends because of disagreements between the two.

II.

. Season !our

In the fourth season premiere, $oss and $achel briefly reconcile after $oss pretends to read a long letter that $achel wrote for him, but continues to insist that the two were on a break so they break up again. 'oey dates -athy @%aget /rewsterA, a girl that &handler has a crush on. -athy and &handler later kiss, which causes drama between &handler and 'oey. 'oey forgives &handler only after he spends a day in a box as punishment. %hoebe becomes a surrogate mother for her brother and his wife +lice @,ebra 'o $uppA. onica and $achel are forced to switch apartments with 'oey and &handler after losing a bet during a Hui( game, but manage to switch back by bribing them with -nicks season tickets and a one:minute kiss @off:screenA between the girls. $oss begins dating an English woman named Emily @Gelen /axendaleA, and the season finale features their wedding in ;ondon. &handler and onica sleep together, and $achel decides to attend $oss and Emily=s wedding. 8hile saying his vows, $oss uses the wrong name at the altar @$achel=sA, to the shock of his bride and the guests.

II. ". Season !i#e

0eason five features onica and &handler trying to keep their new relationship a secret from their friends. %hoebe gives birth to triplets in the show=s 266th episode. 0he gives birth to a boy, !rank 'r. 'r., and two girls? ;eslie, and &handler. @They had originally thought that there were two boys and one girl, but decided to keep the name &handler, despite the baby turning out a girl.A Emily
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states that the only condition in which she would remain married to $oss is if he stops all communication with $achel. $oss agrees, but during a last dinner with all six main characters together, Emily phones $oss and, upon discovering $achel is there, reali(es she does not trust him, which ends the marriage. %hoebe begins a relationship with a police officer, Cary @ ichael $apaportA, after finding his badge and using it as her own. onica and &handler go public with their relationship, to the surprise and happiness of their friends. They decide to get married on a trip to ;as Vegas, but change their plans after witnessing $oss and $achel drunkenly stumble out of the wedding chapel.

II. $. Season Si%

In the sixth season premiere, $oss and $achel=s marriage is established to be a drunken mistake, and they divorce several episodes later. onica and &handler move in together, causing $achel to move in with %hoebe. 'oey lands a role on a cable television series called Mac and C.H.E.E.S.E., where he stars alongside a robot. $oss gets a job lecturing at .ew "ork <niversity and starts dating one of his students, Eli(abeth @+lexandra GoldenA. The relationship ends because of their maturity differences. %hoebe and $achel=s apartment catches fire, and $achel moves in with 'oey, while %hoebe moves in with &handler and onica. &handler proposes to onica, who says yes even though her ex:boyfriend $ichard confesses his love for her.

II. &. Season Se#en

The seventh season mainly follows various antics by onica and &handler, who begin to plan their wedding and run into financial problems which are Huickly fixed by &handler#s secret funds. 'oey=s television series ac and &.G.E.E.0.E is cancelled, but he is offered his job back on ,ays of our ;ives. %hoebe=s apartment is fixed, but is rebuilt with only one large bedroom instead of the original two, so $achel decides to stay with 'oey. The season ends during onica and &handler#s wedding where %hoebe and $achel find a positive pregnancy test in the bathroom.

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II. '. Season Ei(ht

In the eighth season, it is revealed that the positive pregnancy test found at onica=s wedding belongs to $achel. The season revolves around $achel=s pregnancyK $oss is revealed to be the father after an investigation involving a red sweater. $achel and $oss decide to have the baby but do not resume their romantic relationship. 'oey develops romantic feelings for $achel, but she does not reciprocate them. $achel gives birth to baby Emma in the season finale. +t the hospital, $oss=s mother offers him an engagement ring because she wants him to marry $achel. $oss does not intend to ask $achel to marry him, but he takes the ring anyway and puts it in his jacket pocket. eanwhile, in the post:delivery room, 'oey looks for some tissue for an upset $achel, picks up $oss=s jacket, and the ring falls to the floor. Ge kneels to pick it up and turns to $achel, still on his knees and still holding the ring. $achel accepts what she thinks is his proposal of marriage.

II. ). Season *ine

0eason nine begins with $oss and $achel living together as roommates with baby Emma. onica and &handler try to conceive a baby of their own but find out that they are unable to, due to health restrictions. %hoebe begins dating ike Gannigan @%aul $uddA, and chooses to be with him over her ex:boyfriend ,avid @Gank +(ariaA. $achel and Emma move in with 'oey in the middle of the season, and $achel develops romantic feelings for him, while the rest of
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the EfriendsE try hard to get $oss and $achel back together. The group travels to /arbados in the finale to hear $oss give a keynote speech at a palaeontology conference. 'oey and his girlfriend &harlie @+isha TylerA break up, and she begins a relationship with $oss. 'oey and $achel=s feelings for each other return, and the finale ends with them kissing.

II. 1+. Season Ten

The tenth season closes several long:running storylines. &harlie breaks up with $oss to get back together with her ex:boyfriend. 'oey and $achel try to contend with $oss= feelings about them being together and decide it would be best to remain friends. %hoebe and ike get married mid:season outside the &entral %erk coffee house. onica and &handler apply to adopt a child and are chosen by Erica @+nna !arisA. In the series finale, Erica gives birth to twins L a boy, 'ack @after onica=s fatherA, and a girl, Erica @named after the birth motherA. onica and &handler prepare to move to the suburbs, and 'oey becomes upset with the changes happening in his life. $achel gets fired from her job and accepts a new offer in %aris, but $oss, reali(ing he loves her, chases after her. $achel reali(es she loves him, too, and cancels her flight to %aris, agreeing to stay with him. The series ends with all the friends plus onica and &handler=s new babies leaving the apartment, heading to &entral %erk for yet another cup of coffee.

CHAPTER III. I,pact and !acts

III. 1. Cultural I,pact

+lthough the producers thought of !riends as Eonly a TV showE, numerous psychologists investigated the cultural impact of !riends during the series= run.
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+niston=s hairstyle was nicknamed EThe $achelE, and copied around the world. 'oey=s catchphrase, EGow you doin=IE, became a popular part of 8estern English slang, often used as a pick:up line or when greeting friends. The series also influenced the English language, according to a study by the <niversity of Toronto that found that the characters used the emphasi(ed word EsoE to modify adjectives more often than any other intensifier. +lthough the preference had already made its way into the +merican vernacular, usage on the series may have accelerated the change. %erry=s habit of ending a sentence unfinished for sarcasm also influenced viewers= speech. !ollowing the 0eptember 22 attacks, ratings increased 2DM over the previous season.

The &entral %erk coffee house, one of the principal settings of the series, has inspired various imitations worldwide. In 1665, Iranian businessman ojtaba +sadian started a &entral %erk franchise, registering the name in 91 countries. The decor of the coffee houses is inspired by !riends, featuring replica couches, counters, neon signage and bricks. The coffee houses also contain paintings of the various characters from the series, and televisions playing !riends episodes. 'ames ichael Tyler, who plays the &entral %erk manager in the series, Cunther, attended the grand opening of the ,ubai cafe, where he worked as a waiter.N33O &entral %erk was rebuilt as part of a museum exhibit at 8arner /ros. 0tudios, and was shown on The Ellen ,eCeneres 0how in Fctober 166>. 'ennifer +niston revisited the set for the first time since the series finale in 1664. !rom 0eptember 14 to Fctober D, 1663, a &entral %erk replica was based at /roadwick 0treet, 0oho, ;ondon. The coffee house sold real coffee to customers and featured a display of !riends memorabilia and props, such as the Celler &up from the season three episode EThe Fne with the !ootballE. In /eijing, business owner ,u Pin opened a coffee shop named &entral %erk in arch 1626. !riends has also developed an alternative family lifestyle by representing young people that live unconventional domestic lives. It presents the idea that Eall you need is good friendsE and can construct families through choice. The show offers stereotypical notions of race and class with a group of white men and women who live in .ew "ork &ity. The audience is able to identify with the program through the troubles
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seen on weekly episodes. It portrays a new way of living life and developing relationships which are not normally seen in conventional society. +ccording to pop:culture expert at the <niversity of /uffalo, !riends is Eone of those rare shows that marked a change in +merican cultureE. The images of youth and the roles they portray are better defined and represent a lifestyle that centers around creating and sustaining relationships between friends running their own lives and seeking help from each other.

The Cuardian=s TV and radio blog stated that !riends has impacted the creation of other television shows such as Gow I et "our other. The similarities between the two consist of both sitcoms taking place in anhattan, a group of white adults who are funny and have similar character traits. $eaders of TV Cuide voted the cast of !riends their /est &omedy cast of all time, ranking at 13M of the votes, beating 0einfeld, which registered 2>M.

III. 2. Tri#ia

&ourteney &ox was originally asked to play $achel, but she asked to play reading the parts.

onica instead after

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Fther titles considered for the show were E!riends ;ike <sE, E0ix of FneE, E+cross the GallE, and EInsomnia &afe.E /ecause of a bet between atthew %erry and /ruce 8illis on the set of The 8hole .ine "ards @which %erry wonA, 8illis appeared in his two:episode guest role for free 'oey=s pick:up line, EGow QyouQ doin=IE was ranked R4 in TV Cuide=s list of ETV=s 16 Top &atchphrasesE @12:1D +ugust 166B issueA. /efore the show was cast, the main love interest was intended to be onica and 'oey.

The theme song performed by The $embrandts became a R2 single on the +merican pop charts. The original idea for the show was going to focus on four characters with %hoebe and &handler in supporting roles. In the early stages the creators toyed with the idea of &handler being gay. They changed their mind when they met atthew %erry. They did, however, insert many jokes about &handler having gay mannerisms @not knowing about sports, loving show tunes, etc.A. The orange couch used in &entral %erk was found in the basement of the 8arner /ros. studio !or almost the entire first season, there wasn=t a street outside of &entral %erk, just a painted backdrop. They made the window a little blurry and put many plants in front of the window to hide it. onica says the first lines of the series and &handler says the very last lines of the series. The color of the keys laid down at the end of the episode by each friend corresponds to the colored dots between the letters in the Friends title @red, yellow, and blueA.

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&handler says the final phrase of the show. 8hen the friends decide to get coffee, he ironically says E8hereIE /y the end of the show, all six of the friends have been married at one time or another except for 'oey.

III. Conclusion

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!or ten seasons, !riends made me witness one of the greatest TV series in the world. !rom the years 2334 to 1664. This comedy was voted R2 from viewers and critics. 0ince the show had high ratings, towards the end of the season every co:star earned around S2 million per episode. 8hat makes this show wonderfulI Every character has a great personality, along with the ama(ing writing and scripts to each episode. 8ho could have though how simple a show can beI This is as simple as it can getK six friends mingling at an apartment and a coffee house. Each )friend* shows different sides to themselves. !rom drama: filled characters, they bring simplicity to life. They each take on different adventures. The three male charactersK chandler, 'oey, and $oss play amusing parts. &hadler always sets off a sarcastic tone and is a smart:ally, but, it keeps the viewers laughing. Fn the other hand, 'oey doesn#t know right from leftK he is basically that dumb friend everyone has. Ge isn#t the smartest guy, but he is one of the funniest guys. !rom all six friends, I would say $oss is my least favorite. I do get some laughs out of him at times, but he#s too smart and wise. It seems to me he tries too hard. Gowever, all three guys seem to come together and make the whole show work. The three female charactersK $achel, onica, and %hoebe each create different vibes. I feel as if $achel gives off of trying too hard also. There#s not much character to her part, she is just a spoiled woman becoming independent in the big city. +long with her friend, onica is Huite the opposite. 0he always intended on being independent her whole life. +long goes with %hoebe. I was impressed how ;isa -udrow played her part as a weird woman who believed in many superstitions. I feel as if the women characters should have been played a little bit differently. +ll in all, I must say, as a subjective opinion, that !riends gave me more lessons about life than any other television series could have given me. It gave me hope, it gave me laughter, it made me reali(e that friendship can have any color and shape. Each role fits perfectly into the simple plot and can turn an awful day into a bright and shiny one. Even though there have been made many copies to these series, it will never be made an eHuivalent.

-I-.IO/RAPH0

2. )!riends and !riendship* appeared in )The Times* @1669A written by /ill ,enton
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1. )The /est TV 0eries* appeared in )Empire @1622A written by ichael +very 9. I ,b? http?77www.imdb.com7title7tt626>DD>7 4. 8ikipedia? https?77en.wikipedia.org7wiki7!riends

aga(ine*

B. !riends Ffficial 8ebsite? http?77www.friendstv.com

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