A study of ‘Friends’ character development in the last decade

So how have our “Friends” changed since their 1994 debut?

Monica Geller

Then: Naive Manhattan cook; perfectionist, but always picked the wrong guy.

Now: Revealed to have been a fat kid whose parents (Elliott Gould, Christina Pickles) favored brother Ross; had an affair with older man Tom Selleck before discovering a late-blooming love for Chandler; married him, tried to have a baby, decided to adopt.

Chandler Bing

Then: Lived across the hall with Joey; worked dead-end office McJob; dated badly, danced badly; wielded mocking wit.

Now: Dated ever-returning loudmouth Janice; tried repeatedly to stop smoking; coped with his lusty mom (Morgan Fairchild) and cross-dressing dad (Kathleen Turner); fell for, moved in with and married Monica; took a job in Tulsa, Okla., returned, went house shopping in Westchester.

Rachel Green

Then: Ditzy, spoiled rich girl fled her wedding, encountered the real world for the first time.

Now: Made her way in the workplace; saw her parents (Marlo Thomas, Ron Leibman) divorce; dated everybody and his brother; connected with Ross, broke up with Ross, drunkenly married Ross, got pregnant, got annulment, had baby Emma; dated Joey; got a job offer in Paris.

Ross Geller

Then: Woebegone paleontologist, just left by his lesbian wife; major crush on Rachel since high school.

Now: Had a pet monkey, ex-wife had a baby; dated a fellow paleontologist; headed to the altar with a morose Brit; finally did marry Rachel in a drunken fling, got that annulled as she had their baby by herself; dated black friend Aisha Tyler; continued to pine for Rachel.

Phoebe Buffay

Then: Spacy new-age innocent; lived alone; played and wrote bad folk songs (blissfully); had tragi-comic past filled with odd family deaths.

Now: Twin to “Mad About You” waitress Ursula; found her real father (Bob Balaban) and real mother (Teri Garr); married a gay Canadian to get him a green card; had triplets for her brother and his wife; became a masseuse; married Mike.

Joey Tribbani

Then: Sweet, dim womanizer and hustling two-bit actor.

Now: Revealed a big heart; landed strange and small TV and movie roles; hit semi-soap stardom on “Days of Our Lives”; stumbled into affection and then love for Rachel; dated her until they realized they were better friends; moped horribly when pal Chandler prepared to leave the city.