As their theme song says, they were there for us and each other for 10 years, but Thursday night’s much-anticipated final episode of “Friends” brought the popular TV sitcom to an end.

“This is the end of an era,” said Judy Horan, general manager of WLBZ 2 in Bangor, the NBC station that carried the show in much of Maine. “‘Friends’ and ‘ER’ debuted, and it was the start of ‘must see TV’ – the beginning of ‘must see Thursdays.'”

To mark the show’s finale, the local NBC affiliate hosted a “Friends” event at Cafe Nouveau on Hammond Street for about 50 friends and clients of the station.

With its contemporary furnishings and brick interior, Cafe Nouveau provided an intimate atmosphere similar to that of the famous “Friends” Central Perk coffee shop.

“It was the most urban feel we could get,” Horan said. The station began planning the event about three months ago and, after looking at a number of options, decided on the local cafe.

The sign on the cafe’s door was changed to read: “Central Perk, closed tonight for a private party.” Three TVs set up by the station ensured that everyone had a good view, even though the crowd wasn’t particularly interested in the one-hour recap of the last 10 years that preceded the main event.

“It will be a night where you can share some memories and some laughs and walk away with something from the ‘Friends’ era,” Horan said early in the evening. The station gave out “Friends” door prizes, including mugs, hats, and even a replica of the famous Central Perk couch.

A sitcom that ranks among such all-time hits as “Frasier,” “M*A*S*H” and “Cheers,” “Friends” had universal appeal and its audience spanned generations. Producers anticipated a viewing audience of 45 million for the show’s finale. Advertisers paid $2 million for a 30-second spot.

Each of the six “Friends” – Monica (Courteney Cox Arquette), Chandler (Matthew Perry), Joey (Matt LeBlanc), Ross (David Schwimmer), Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) and Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) – brought a different personality to the show.

All in their 20s when the show began, they were single in New York City and ready for whatever came their way. But no matter what happened, they always had friends they could count on. Much of the show’s appeal was based on the fact that anyone with friends could relate to it.

When “Friends” premiered on Sept. 22, 1994, it ranked 15th in TV viewership. It was tied for eighth place for the 1994-95 season and has been a top 10 show ever since, claiming the top spot for the 2001-02 season.

The “Friends” cast became so close that they negotiated their contracts together, each getting $1 million per episode in addition to a portion of the show’s syndication profits.

In its final season, “Friends” cost $10 million per episode. Most sitcoms run between $500,000 to $750,000 a show.

Cafe Nouveau owner Leslie Thistle is in her 50s and said she has followed “Friends” since the beginning and watches the show “all the time.”

“My VCR is set even though I’m going to be [at the cafe] and be able to watch it,” Thistle said on Thursday.

The owner said she enjoys the intelligent and quick humor of the show, and others agreed.

When asked who his favorite character was, Mike Wilson, 34, said “Joey, ’cause I can relate to him I guess. He’s a ding dong.”

Last week’s episode left viewers on the edge of their seats as they tried to determine whether Rachel would take a once-in-a-lifetime job in Paris or stay to be with her on-again-off-again love, Ross.

Viewers assume that Phoebe will settle down with her new husband, while Monica and Chandler are moving to the suburbs with baby in tow, and Joey is heading west to get serious about his acting career, which will provide the plot for a “Friends” spin-off next season.

“I haven’t a clue what’s going to happen,” Bud Cushman, WLBZ 2’s local sales manager said prior to the finale.

In small groups people chatted about what they thought might happen in the final episode. Some who hadn’t followed the show regularly weren’t making any predictions, while others had concrete opinions of what they wanted to see.

Cushman’s children were emphatic that Ross and Rachel stay together.

“Ross is definitely going with Rachel,” Audra Cushman, 18, said.

Her prediction was close. Rachel got off the plane before it left for Paris, only to show up at Ross’ door where the two declared their love for one another. They decided there would be no more “breaks” in their relationship and the “Friends” saga ended with “everyone happy,” just like Audra Cushman wanted.

“I think it had a huge role [in American society and media],” said Bud Cushman’s son, Craig DeForest, 17. “When it first started their style, fashion [impacted] the way people dress.” For example, women everywhere flocked to the salon to get the infamous “Rachel” haircut.

Before “Friends” there had never been a sitcom that showcased an ensemble of equals both in billing and by narrative design, and maintained that equilibrium throughout the show’s run.

After conducting hundreds of auditions, the six “Friends” were cast individually by David Crane, who created the show along with fellow executive producer Marta Kauffman. Crane has said in television interviews that his goal was to create a balanced cast where the characters wouldn’t overshadow each other, allowing the viewer to follow six different, but equal journeys.

“They didn’t think people would like it at all,” DeForest said of the show’s debut. “But because it was different, that’s why we started watching it.” DeForest said his goal is to own every season on DVD. His sister said she can’t wait to get her hands on the “Friends” trivia games when they come out.

“How can you replace ‘Friends?'” Betty Strout, WLBZ 2 sales coordinator said. “You can’t replace ‘Cheers’ or ‘Seinfeld.'”

If you missed the final episode, don’t worry. Warner Bros. isn’t wasting any time and plans to release a DVD of the finale next week. For $9.95, the “Friends” season finale DVD can be pre-ordered from the Warner Home Video Web site.

The disc includes the original pilot episode that introduced the characters along with exclusive behind-the-scenes material.

“You want to celebrate something that was that good for this long,” Horan said. “We thought it would be nice to have friends around you when you say goodbye to friends.”