If "Friends" goes off the air next year still within the top ten in the Nielsens, it will be the only long running sitcom besides "The Andy Griffith Show" and "I Love Lucy" to never finish outside the top ten throughout its entire run. I think this is pretty impressive considering how difficult it is for a sitcom to do well nowadays with competition coming from both cable and the internet. Even popular hits like "All in the Family"; "The Cosby Show"; "Cheers"; "Seinfeld"; "Home Improvement"; "Roseanne"; and "Three's Company" have never done this.

actually yes, SEINFEILD did, it was the number one rated comedy on the air when it went off the air and it was still a top ten show.

You misunderstood. I'm saying "Friends" has never finished out of the top ten for all seven years it's been on TV. "Seinfeld" may have finished number # 1 in its final year, but there were years where it wasn't a top ten show.

Cheers was still top 10 it's final season also

I am sorry but i still think you are wrong, because from what i understand SEINFEILD never left the top ten EVER!

Seinfeld debuted May 31, 1990 and ended September 10, 1998. Here, year by year is the Neilsen numbers for it.

90-91 season--DID NOT make the top 10, nor the top 30.

91-92 season--Also, DID NOT make the top 30

92-93--#25
93-94--#3
94-95--#1
95-96--#2
96-97--#2
97-98--#1

We're not talking about how many shows finished in the top ten during their final year on the air. What I'm trying to explain is that throughout their entire run (from the time they started until the time they ended), their have only been two long running sitcoms so far ("The Andy Griffith Show" and "I Love Lucy") to never leave the top ten. "Cheers" may have finished in the top ten it's final year, but it never made the top ten it's first year, therefore not qualifying in this category. If "Friends" remains a top ten show next year, it will join the above two shows as one of the few sitcoms in history to never finish outside of the top ten as far as year end nielsen ratings go.