Friends.jpg (Photo : Reuters)
Chinese fans celebrated the 20th anniversary of the American TV sitcom "Friends," which originally aired on NBC on Sept. 22, 1994.
Titled "20 years: Friends," a special web page on tv.sohu.com allowed viewers to post their favorite lines from the sitcom, while WeChat messaging service featured poplar articles titled "20 classic clips of Friends" and "Where are the six friends now?"
In 2012, major video websites gave "Friends" Chinese subtitles and since then, the 236-episode sitcom has drawn 420 million hits online, according to China.org.cn.
Even Chinese students use the sitcom when they study English. For example, American slang lessons were taken from the show in Taiwan in 1998.
According to China Foreign Affairs University Professor Lyu Hui, the sitcom "is good for English learners, who can get fresh and practical language materials for oral training and help them understand the cultural background."
English major graduate Lyu Huayang said that "Friends" helped her understand American culture, which includes how Halloween and Christmas are celebrated in the United States, and subjects related to homosexuality, surrogate mothers and bachelor parties with strippers.
Beijing also has its own version of the Central Perk coffee shop known as the place in New York City's Greenwich Village frequently visited by the six main protagonists of "Friends," namely Joey, Chandler, Ross, Monica, Phoebe and Rachel.
Inspired by Chandler who quit a job he disliked, Du Xin opened the cafe in 2010 after finishing his expensive overseas study.
On Sept. 22, Du offered a free cup of coffee to each customer in the coffee shop, which attracted hundreds of patrons since.
Meanwhile, "Friends" alums Lisa Kudrow and Courteney Cox reunited on Nov. 5, Wednesday, in Hollywood at an after-party for the premiere of the HBO series "The Comeback," E! News reported.
Premiering on Nov. 9, "The Comeback" is co-created and co-executive produced by Kudrow.
On the 20th anniversary of "Friends," Kudrow and Cox also reunited with Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc.
