`Friends' at the end: Will audiences ever see the likes of it again?

Byline: Aaron Barnhart

A wedding killed "Frasier." Parenthood ruined "Mad About You." Fonzie jumped over the shark and that was the beginning of the end of "Happy Days."

"Friends" has had more jump-the-shark moments in its 10-year run than any TV show ever. But they say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and "Friends" is proof of that.

After roaring back to life time and again, it gets to leave the airwaves this Thursday on its own terms. Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe and Joey may or may not be "friends to the end," but they certainly learned how to work together as negotiation partners.

Not only did each of them earn $1 million for each of the last 18 episodes of this season, but they also were able to cancel their own show while it was still going strong and move on to new things. (Matt LeBlanc will star in "Joey," a spin-off comedy for NBC next season based on his "Friends" character.)

Marta Kauffman, one of the co-creators and executive producers of "Friends," said recently that Thursday's finale "will not be an aberration." There may or may not be one last wedding, but clearly the people responsible for "Friends" learned their lesson watching "Seinfeld's" final season _ remember the Puerto Rican parade episode? _ and have no intention of alienating their fan base just before the final curtain.

The sendoff of "Friends" probably should have happened a year ago, but NBC executives were still waiting for ...