BEIJING, Nov. 6 -- Two decades ago, costume and kung fu dramas dominated China's TV screens and the United States was still an "alien country" despite 16 years of opening up.

So when Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler and Ross became a global phenomenon in Friends in 1994, Chinese people were largely unaware of the sitcom that followed the lives and loves of six young New Yorkers.

Two decades later, the "alien country" has attracted more than 2 million Chinese immigrants, and its most-watched sitcom - which notched up 236 episodes with its tenth and final season in 2004 - has a massive Chinese following.

It has drawn 420 million hits online and an army of fans who can recite the scripts by heart - even more since 2012 when major video websites gave it Chinese subtitles.

And the 20th anniversary of the series is creating a whole new generation of fans. A special web page on tv.sohu.com - "20 years: Friends" - invited viewers to post their favorite lines. Articles titled "20 classic clips of Friends" and "Where are the six friends now?" are popular on the WeChat messaging service.

CHANGING VALUES

Friends is far more than a comedy in China. Since the late 1990s, it has been a textbook for students of English. Teachers play episodes without subtitles as a warm-up for comprehension or speaking lessons. In 1998, Taiwan added U.S. slang tips at end of each episode.

"It is good for English learners, who can get fresh and practical language materials for oral training and help them understand the cultural background," said Professor Lyu Hui, of the China Foreign Affairs University.

Liu Chang, began watching Friends addictively when she was a freshman in college four years ago, but she felt uncomfortable when actors talked about sex. "I almost skipped all the sex dialogue."

In 2004, state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) considered importing the series, but abandoned the idea after a director conceded that "it talks about sex in every episode, which a Chinese audience would not accept."

Lyu Huayang, an English major graduate, said the sitcom helped her understand U.S. culture. She has vivid images of how Americans dress for Halloween parties or prepare gifts for Christmas, but some subjects she had never encountered before, such as homosexuality, surrogate mothers, and strippers at bachelor parties.

Today, Chinese are more familiar with these topics. Shen Ruoyi, 17, thinks Friends is a very "safe" program and she watches it with her father. "We laugh together, without any problems."

BEING FRIENDS

The show's depiction of life and friendship in New York and the independent spirit of the characters also inspire Chinese youth. "The issues they face in the series are common to Chinese young people too," said Lyu Hui.

The "Central Perk" coffee shop in bustling downtown Beijing is famous for its furniture and decor replicating the famous Friends hangout. The owner offered a free cup of coffee to every customer on Sept. 22, the day Friends began broadcasting in 1994. Hundreds of people poured in.

Du Xin opened the cafe four years ago after finished his costly overseas study - to the disapproval of his parents who hoped for better from their son. Inspired by Chandler who had quit a job he didn't like, Du stuck with Central Perk and a job he loves.

After running away from her wedding, Rachel learned to be independent, instead of relying on her rich father. Her friend Monica told her, "Welcome to the real world - it sucks, but you will love it." The storyline inspired Lyu Huayang, who went to Britain alone to study in her early 20s. Lyu insisted on working part-time while studying to pay her own way.

"I have grown a lot with the show," said Zhi Zunyu, 28, a scriptwriter and director of a popular online Chinese sitcom. "If you watch the drama over time, you feel that the six characters are actually your own friends."

IMITATORS & CRITICS

However, as in other countries, Friends has its detractors in China too. "It's full of nonsense," said Guo Rui, a legal worker. His English is good, but he seldom laughs at the jokes.

Some critics think it's unrealistic, based on the impossible premise of a circle of friends joking around together all day.

But Chinese sitcom makers regard it as a flawless classic, and their works pay homage to the show.

Viewers criticize Chinese sitcoms for copying plots and jokes, and lacking inspiration, even though stories have very Chinese backgrounds.

Zhi Zhunyu is under pressure. With more foreign sitcoms, from America, Britain, Japan and the Republic of Korea, coming into China, audiences are becoming pickier and looking for more interesting ideas and images.

In August 2012, sohu.com began importing large numbers of U.S. sitcoms. "Almost all American TV drama producers want to broadcast their work to millions of Chinese web users," said Ma Ke, a senior director of the leading video online service.

"Chinese viewers of American sitcoms used to be people with better pay, and higher education and social positions, but now they tend to be younger groups," said Ma.

Western sitcoms have a standard production process, with teams of scriptwriters. But Chinese sitcoms always follow the director's instruction, and invest more in the cast than the scripts, Zhi said.h "We not only face challenges from domestic competitors, but also from other countries," Zhi said.

(Shen Anni contributed to the story)