Jerry Seinfeld has made his feelings regarding Friends well known over the years, and his opinion doesn’t seem have changed any. Seinfeld and the aforementioned sitcom overlapped in TV history, and it’s easy to see the comparisons, especially when the comedian points them out. Both sitcoms were about a group of friends and were set in New York City, along with being among the most popular '90s sitcoms. Seinfeld took aim at Friends during a recent discussion and, with that, it's hard not to think about the other times he's spoken out about the series.
What Did Jerry Seinfeld Say About Friends This Time?
The topic came up yet again during Netflix is a Joke festival (via Hollywood Reporter) in which the comedian asked the audience to guess his favorite sitcom. They gave the usual answers from his own comedy (which in true Seinfeld attitude, he swiftly denied) to Curb Your Enthusiasm. During the festival, Seinfeld also shared his theory on Friends:
I think NBC was watching my show and went, ‘Hey, this is working pretty well. Why don’t we try the same thing with good-looking people?’ And that was a pretty good idea. I think that kind of worked.
It's obvious that the comic is being playful here, though it's hard not to see the similarities between his show and that of David Crane and Marta Kaufman's. Sure, Seinfeld's eponymous show was successful, but it's clear that he has strong feelings about the sitcom's primetime counterpart.
What Jerry Seinfeld Previously Said About Friends
Seinfeld premiered on NBC in 1989 and ran for nine seasons, so it predated Friends which came on a “few years later” in 1994. When the latter debuted, it followed Seinfeld reruns. That fact seemed to elicit a cheeky - although very on brand - response from the comedian after he ran into Lisa Kudrow at a party. He had a funny response when the Phoebe actor told him hello:
You're welcome.
Well, that was direct and to the point, and Kudrow also recalled saying, "You're right. Thank you" after a moment of confusion. Given the overlap of the sitcoms, it's not surprising to think of the two as competitors. Both of the NBC Must See titles were known for having insightful and funny moments. I still hear quotes and see merchandise everywhere with those sayings. However, some fans have pointed out other ways in which the iconic series overlap
A fan list (shared via Vice) speculates that perhaps some of Friends' fame stems from storylines that are a little too similar to Seinfeld's, such as a battle with pants that are just a little too tight. Interestingly enough, this isn’t the first time the the Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox-headlined series has been considered a "little too similar" to another sitcom. It's also been compared to the Queen Latifah-led comedy Living Single.
On top of all that, both NBC sitcoms were shot primarily before a live audience, with Friends taking longer to film. So, needless to say, there's a lot of connective tissue between these two programs.
Despite the similarities between Friends and Seinfeld and the jokes from the latter's star, it's clear that both comedies hold special places in people's hearts and continue to be enjoyed by different generations of viewers. For that, the cast and crews of both sitcoms should be proud.
They also remain especially meaningful for the cast themselves. While the Seinfeld cast drifted apart for a time after the show ended, they have reunited off and on throughout recent years. And, of course, the Friends cast has remained quite tight, and they even gathered for a reunion a few years before cast member Matthew Perry's death.
Of course, fans can be reassured that they don't have to pick a favorite, as they're free to enjoy both. You can rewatch Seinfeld with a Netflix subscription and Friends using an HBO Max subscription.
