We can’t quite believe it ourselves, but it’s now been 25 years since
Friends first debuted on TV, making household names of its central cast members.
But as any Friends fan – and there’s a lot of us – will tell you, the much-loved sitcom is about so much more than its core six characters.
And while we do love Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey and Chandler (Ross was also present), we can’t help but feel that the real charm of Friends lay in some of its minor characters, and we’d have loved to have seen more of them, rather than the measly two or three appearances they made.
Obviously, some characters like Janice went on to be appear many times, but others simply fizzled out, never to be heard from again.
To mark the show’s silver anniversary, here are 11 of our favourite minor Friends characters who we’d definitely like to have seen more from…Jack and Judy Geller (Elliott Gould and Christina Pickles) Whether they're being wildly sexually inappropriate, insensitive to their daughter or putting everybody in their place, the arrival of Monica and Ross's parents always guarantees an eventful episode.While Jack and Judy are the recurring characters with the most guest appearances (20, if you're interested), we'd still like to have seen them a little more often. Warner Bros via friends.wikia.comSusan Bunch (Jessica Hecht) Sadly, Susan was never seen past the sixth series of Friends, which is a real shame as we loved her long-standing frosty relationship with Ross.We particularly enjoyed her blasé putdowns, which she managed to deliver with an iciness we aspire to. Warner BrosBonnie (Christine Taylor) A woman who will shave her head in the middle of a beach holiday just because someone planted the mere suggestion in her mind. Amazing.We know Rachel wouldn't have been thrilled by the prospect, but we definitely wouldn't have minded Bonnie sticking around for more than two episodes. Warner BrosEddie Menuek (Adam Goldberg) As Chandler's brief time living with Eddie grew to a close, he became an even more odd creation, but it would have been great if the writers had cranked things up another notch with his strangeness, or at the very least showed us what happened when he was shown the door.Where did he go? Who does he live with now? How is his cherished pet, the goldfish cracker? These are the questions we need answers to. Warner BrosAmy Greene (Christina Applegate) It's always great when one of the characters' family members arrive, because they remind you of how they used to be – and that's never more true than when Rachel's sister Amy arrives on the scene.Amy is even more spoilt, and cares less about other people's feelings, than Season One Rachel, though with slightly less iconic hair. (No offence to Christina Applegate, of course). Warner Bros via friends.wikia.comFrank Buffay Jr and Alice Knight Buffay (Giovanni Ribisi and Debra Jo Rupp) Joey was the character who went on to end up with his own spin-off, but we think it definitely should have been Frank and Alice. Who honestly wouldn't want to watch a show about a man who marries his home-economics teacher, then raises triplets – that his sister gives birth to – with her? It would have been an
Emmys shoo-in. Warner Bros via friends.wikia.comAmanda Buffamonteezi (Jennifer Coolidge) Phoebe and Monica made the unwise decision to "cut out" Amanda, but frankly we'd have happily seen her stay until the finale, for the dancing alone. Warner BrosMr Heckles (Larry Hankin) The great thing about Mr Heckles, especially watching earlier series back, is that it reminds you just how young the characters were – and what a nightmare that group of twenty-somethings would have been if you lived near them... Warner BrosErica (Anna Faris) ...conversely, by the time Erica arrives in the tenth season, her youthful naivety proves just how far the six principal characters have come.We can't help but feel the fabulous and funny Anna Faris was criminally underused, and it would have been nice to see her stay around exploring
New York for a while longer, rather than her few fleeting appearances. Warner Bros via friends.wikia.comGunther (James Michael Tyler) True, Gunther did feature in quite a lot of episodes, but how much do we know about the man behind the fluorescent hair?What does he do at night? Where does he live? What are his hopes? His dreams? His fears?Actually, it's probably best not to know... Warner BrosMarcel (Katie the Monkey) Just because. Warner Bros via friends.wikia.comREAD MORE... Friends Scriptwriters Were Banned From Using The Word 'Condom' – But Is Today's TV Any Better? Friends Star Lisa Kudrow Explains Why She Found The Show's First Three Series A 'Struggle' Friends Star Lauren Tom Describes How The Show's Die-Hard Fans Used To Give Her A Hard Time Friends Creator Admits Regret Over The Show's Transphobic Jokes