This blog was originally published on elkharttruth.com on April 2, 2015.
Two successful shows. Two decades. Two unique premises?
Maybe not.
Some people say popular comedies “How I Met Your Mother” and “Friends” are similar in nature. They aren’t wrong.
Just look at these parallels:
- A married couple in the friend group (Lily and Marshall vs. Monica and Chandler)
- A will-they-or-won’t-they couple (Robin and Ted vs. Rachel and Ross)
- A central hangout (McLaren’s vs. Central Perk)
- Multiple weddings
- A main living space (Ted’s/Lily’s/Marshall’s apartment vs. Monica’s apartment)
- New York City setting
- Friend who uses numerous tricks or plays to get women (Joey vs. Barney)
- Dating within the friend group (Robin dated Ted and Barney vs. Rachel dated Ross and Joey)
And, both sitcoms ran for more than 200 episodes, in nine seasons for “How I Met Your Mother” and 10 for “Friends.”
But there are also differences, such as:
- The theme of the show. “How I Met Your Mother” focuses on finding love, while “Friends” focuses on navigating life
- Marshall and Lily date through most of the show (except for those sad episodes in season 2), while Monica and Chandler don’t start dating until the end of season 4.
- “How I Met Your Mother” is narrated by older Ted (voiced by Bob Saget), while “Friends” is never narrated.
- “Friends” had more flashback episodes that used prior footage, but “How I Met Your Mother” filmed material that was supposed to span decades.
- “How I Met Your Mother” had fantasy episodes thanks to the imagination of the characters (and writers), and the show had an episode filled entirely with rhyming dialogue. “Friends” stuck to what was happening in the moment, for the most part.
Do these differences and similarities make the shows bad? Do they cheapen the value of these iconic shows? I don’t think so.
Yes, they have similar concepts, and some people like both shows equally, but they have enough differences to keep interest.
And, both shows handled relevant issues, even though they aired over a 20-year period.
If these shows had premiered in the same year, it would’ve been hard to choose. Fortunately, they didn’t.
I’m glad I can enjoy both shows over and over again.
What do you think? Is “Friends” better than “How I Met Your Mother,” or vice versa? Why?
