Fansided

20 best sitcom squads we want to be friends with

By Reed Gaudens

FRIENDS -- Season 2 -- Pictured: (l-r) Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay (Photo by NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
FRIENDS -- Season 2 -- Pictured: (l-r) Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green, David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay (Photo by NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) /
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SAVED BY THE BELL — Pictured: (l-r) Lark Voorhies as Lisa Turtle, Ed Alonzo as Max, Tiffani Thiessen as Kelly Kapowski, Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Zack Morris, Dennis Haskins as Mr. Richard Belding, Elizabeth Berkley as Jessie Myrtle Spano, Dustin Diamond as Screech Powers, Mario Lopez as A.C. Slater (Photo by NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
SAVED BY THE BELL — Pictured: (l-r) Lark Voorhies as Lisa Turtle, Ed Alonzo as Max, Tiffani Thiessen as Kelly Kapowski, Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Zack Morris, Dennis Haskins as Mr. Richard Belding, Elizabeth Berkley as Jessie Myrtle Spano, Dustin Diamond as Screech Powers, Mario Lopez as A.C. Slater (Photo by NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) /

13. Saved by the Bell

Members: Not to diminish the legacies of any other shows, but would there be sitcom friend groups without Saved by the Bell? Today’s generation could never understand the impact of Zack (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), Kelly (Tiffani Thiessen), Slater (Mario Lopez), Jessie (Elizabeth Berkeley), Lisa (Lark Voorhies), and Screech (Dustin Diamond). If you grew up watching Saved by the Bell on weekend mornings, you dreamed of going to Bayside High and hanging at The Max.

Memorable moments: Unlocking the biggest moments from Saved by the Bell in the recesses of your mind is like remembering that cringe-worthy thing you did in fourth grade and feeling it deeply all over again. This issues-heavy show was something of a fever dream, featuring episodes where the group formed a band called Zack Attack and performed a song called “Friends Forever,” and trapped themselves in a mall with mobsters all for U2 concert tickets. But the sitcom’s well-known anti-drug moment — Jessie’s caffeine pill addiction — is the iconic cherry on top.

Running gags: The show relied heavily on the dynamics between the main group of teenagers to bolster the narrative and drive the comedy. Screech’s crush on Lisa and Lisa’s general disdain for the “nerd” fueled hours of episodes. Likewise, Zack and Slater’s crush on Kelly made for an interesting love triangle, and Jessie’s feminist push-back against Slater taught us all not to say “chicks.” Not to mention, Zack breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to the audience created a recurring element full of ’90s cheese.

Key episodes: “The Lisa Card,” “The Mamas and the Papas,” “The Prom,” “House Party,” “Jessie’s Song,” “Zack’s Birthday,” “All in the Mall,” “Palm Springs Weekend,” “Rockumentary,” “The Bayside Triangle.”