One of the most popular comedies of all time is Friends. So much so that in 2021, the six stars reunited for a long-awaited reunion — remember that? Yes, Friends is great, and Friends will continue to be extremely popular forever, but it’s time to try something different. It’s good to expand out and explore what’s there, more shows like friends and if you don’t like it, you can always go back to Friends.
Wean yourself off of Friends with this list of the best hangout comedy, series inspired by Friends, and shows starring Friends cast members that fans will enjoy.
More Shows like Friends
- Seinfeld
Some may argue that you must choose between Seinfeld and Friends, but there is plenty of room for both to be enjoyed. Seinfeld, is one of the shows like Friends, was a huge hit for NBC, and it followed a group of friends as they faced the problems of twenty-something life in New York.
Seinfeld is an obvious classic sitcom, but if you haven’t seen it yet, now is the time! The series is quite similar to Friends, except for the absence of two women from the cast. The show depicts comedian Jerry Seinfeld’s hilarious existence as a stand-up comedy in New York City. There is a classic coffee shop on the spot. There is a historic apartment as well.
There are also enough inside jokes to keep you entertained (Festivus! Soup Nazi!) along the way.
Seinfeld is must-watch show on Netflix if you want to see another group of close and completely imperfect pals navigates New York, along with a few zany recurring characters. The humor is a little drier than Friends, and you shouldn’t go in looking at any of the characters to put on a fashion show, but if you want to see another group of close and completely imperfect pals navigate New York, along with a few zany recurring characters, Seinfeld is must-see TV (pun intended).
- Living Single
You may have heard about David Schwimmer’s recent feud with Living Single star Erika Alexander. When Schwimmer recommended that someone develop an all-Black version of Friends, the actress correctly pointed out that Living Single, which featured a sextet of best friends living in Brooklyn, launched before Friends. Living Single likewise placed its characters in close quarters with one another; three of the four female protagonists shared an apartment, while their two male companions shared an apartment in the same building. Living Single was famous for its sharp wit, rich relationships, and many enticing romance arcs, in addition to those similarities.
- Cougar Town
Cougar Town, which ran on ABC and TBS, not only starred Courteney Cox as the lead, but she and Busy Philipps also starred as a couple of silly, well-meaning women who’d be fast friends with Phoebe Buffay in one of Phoebe’s other lives. The sitcom had neighbors leaning on each other for moral support, odd romantic entanglements, and, yes, even a few emotional moments, making it one of the shows like Friends. (As an added treat, it includes several on-screen reunions between Cox and co-stars Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry from Friends.)
- Episodes
This one is highly recommended because it stars a member of the Friends cast and is one of the shows like friends. After the Joey flop, Matt LeBlanc plays a smarmier (we think) version of himself hoping to anchor a new TV program. David Crane, who previously produced Friends and Joey, co-created the meta-comedy sitcom, which concentrates on how LeBlanc and the network brass manage to ruin the hopes of a U.K. producer couple who migrate to Hollywood to oversee the American version of their show. Not only does LeBlanc dazzle as himself, but there are a couple of great cameos from James Michael Tyler (who, of course, portrayed Gunther on Central Perk) and David Schwimmer as well.
- Happy Endings
Listen, if you want to see a sitcom shows like Friends, skip the rest of this list and go watch Happy Endings instead. How about six people? Check. Three males and three females? Check. Hangout sitcom situations that are ridiculous? Check. A cast of characters who are all white and hetero? Thankfully, not quite. Happy Endings is what would happen if Friends was created 15 years later, and it is, in our opinion, far better than Friends while clearly, yet respectfully, imitating it (however, like Friends, some of the humor hasn’t aged well). The show ran for three critically acclaimed seasons before ABC made the blunder of canceling it, which no one can understand to this day.