monkeemania said this, and I think any fan can apply it to their favorite shows:

“Like for me, they are like my best friends. They have taught me so many things like you don't need to know someone for them to be your friend. all they have to do is be there for you always, cheer you up when your down, and help you get through tough situations. the monkees do all this for me, a girl they don't even know. And that's why i love them so much.”

And the people who aren’t fans, the people who put us down for “living in your parents’ basement” or whatever, they just don’t get that. Some people just don’t make friends easy, or have trouble keeping friends, or they can’t find someone to be there for them all the time, anytime they need them. Let’s face it: that kind of relationship just doesn’t happen that often. And that’s why we use TV shows, or books, or movies, or music, or whatever. You get to know these people, fictitious or not, and you can learn from them. Seeing their problems helps you get through yours. It sounds strange, but it’s true. My best friends, aside from the Monkees, include the Winchesters, the original Enterprise crew, Dr. David Banner, the Clampetts, the Skywalkers, Eragon and Saphira and all their friends, Bugs and Daffy and their pals, Sid and Manny and Diego, Hiccup and Toothless and the rest of the Riders of Berk, and many, many more. And I know I’m not the only one who can name off a similarly long list of best friends that they’ll never meet.