Throughout our childhood, teenage years and young adulthood, we are constantly seeing different representations of friendship through TV shows and movies. We are exposed to different ages, dynamics, cultures and many other forms of friendship. After watching countless shows and movies, I developed a list of top three female friendships that show us the true meaning of friendship.
Monica Geller & Rachel Green: Friends
Friends is one of the most iconic TV shows of all time and offers viewers many incredible friendship duos. Joey and Chandler, Phoebe and Joey, Chandler and Ross and more. However, the duo that always stuck out to me was Monica and Rachel.
Monica and Rachel were friends from a young age, but had a disconnect later in their lives. They reconnect after Rachel runs out on her wedding and has to start her life over. Even though it appears that they haven’t spoken in years, Monica doesn’t hesitate to take Rachel in and help her get her life going. She gives Rachel a place to stay, invites Rachel into their group and offers her genuine support.
As the seasons go on, Monica and Rachel truly show up for each other in good times and bad. They show compassion, grace and true happiness for each other’s accomplishments. While their friendship isn’t perfect (none can be), they show that true friendship can stand the test of time.
Hannah Wells & Allie Hayes: Off Campus
Off Campus is a much newer show than Friends, making its debut in May of 2026. This show mainly revolves around Hannah and Garrett, the main couple of the first season. However, when watching this show I wasn’t as focused on Hannah and Garrett or Allie and Dean as I was on Hannah and Allie.
Hannah and Allie met in college, so their friendship doesn’t stem from a childhood connection, making it that much more mature and true. Hannah and Allie both deal with obstacles and past traumas during the show, but they consistently are happy for one another. When Allie is going through a break-up with her long time boyfriend, she does nothing but support Hannah and her relationship with Garrett. We also never see these two pick a guy over each other. They never cancel on one another or put each other aside to go hang out with their boys. These two have an unbreakable bond and show that true friendship is valuable.
Anne Shirley & Diana Barry: Anne with an E
Anne with an E is a show that I watched heavily throughout middle school. While the main love story happens between Gilbert and Anne, I saw the truest form of love through Diana and Anne.
Anne and Diana have significant class differences and come from very different upbringings. Anne is an orphan and spent most of her life being mistreated by families, while Diana grew up with a more stable and wealthy family. However, these differences never seem to get in the way of Diana and Anne. While they do deal with conflict throughout the show, they still show up for each other time and time again. Not only do they show up, but they stand up for one another no matter the circumstance. They show that true friendship is never a chore.