It’s Time To Be On A Break From ‘Friends’. Here Are 10 Shows You Should Pivot Your Attention To!

However I'm also the person who cannot always watch the same thing again and again, you know, I need some variety in life. And so, after watching the sitcom multiple times, it got me thinking that there have to be other shows who are as good as this one if not better.

I’m not going to lie, when I first watched Friends, it was under peer pressure and also because I did not want to be the only person in the room who had no idea what the one-liners were about. And it is safe to say that my decision of watching the show was not all bad. I mean, it is iconic for a reason and I totally get why. However I’m also the person who cannot always watch the same thing again and again, you know, I need some variety in life. And so, after watching the sitcom multiple times, it got me thinking that there have to be other shows who are as good as this one if not better. That very thought got me started on my hunt to find sitcoms that can most definitely give a strong competition to Friends.

And the first step towards the sitcom hunt was to make a list of all the reasons why I enjoyed and loved Friends enough to watch it more than 10 times already. And this is what I came up with:

1. Relationships

One of the things that I loved about Friends was how real they showed relationships to be – whether it was Monica and Chandler or the forever lobsters – Rachel and Ross. They beautifully portrayed the different phases of a relationship and how every single relationship is different from the others.

2. Friendships

 

I mean, this is the most obvious one. Whether it was Joey and Chandler, Joey And Phoebe, Monica and Rachel, Ross and Phoebe, or all of them together, the dynamics of their relationships were ever-changing. The sitcom didn’t just show how all 6 of them grew as people but also focused on how their friendships evolved over time. And the best thing about Friends was that they showed that everyone knew each other’s quirks that often caused conflicts but that didn’t break or make a dent in their bond.

3. Comedy

 

From Phoebe’s random thoughts to Chandler’s witty replies, there was never a dull moment on the show and for that, I would give a major chunk of the credit to the writers. It is very difficult to have comic writing running through and through without overdoing it or repeating it, and the writers did a brilliant job at that. No wonder, people still love quoting many of those dialogues.

4. Bite-sized episodes

 

One of the best things about Friends was that they had episodes that were around 25mins long and that made it easier for most (including me) to keep watching it without getting overwhelmed by it. Also, one of the perks of having bit-sized episodes is that you can watch it whenever you have a small break and need something to keep you entertained.

5. Individual episodes

 

Now, there is no denying that there is an overall story that runs through the sitcom as a whole but there is also no denying that you can randomly pick up any episode you want and watch it and don’t really need to have knowledge about what went on in the previous episode.

Now, that I had the things that I loved about the sitcom, there were also things that I did find problematic – lack of inclusivity and by the end of it the focus was more on relationships than friendships – and so wanted to search for sitcoms that more or less covered those problems. And after going through a bunch of sitcoms, I have finally got my top 10.

Yep, I have a list of top 10 sitcoms that are as good as (if not better) Friends and will maybe help you go on a break with the iconic sitcom. Check them out:

1. Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Does it get better than Brooklyn Nine-Nine? I think not. The sitcom has friendships that can give quite the competition to those in Friends – Boyle and Jake, Jake and Gina, Rosa and Amy, the list goes on. And the relationship between Amy and Jake reminds me so much of Monica and Chandler that I really can’t. And let’s not even get started on representation. As for the comedy, Andy Samberg’s Jake Peralta definitely comes very close to Matthew Perry’s Chandler. This sitcom is a whole package and there’s no other way of putting it.

2. Masaba Masaba

Just like Friends follows the life of 6 characters who have their own share of ups and downs, Masaba Masaba follows the life of Masaba Gupta and her mother Neena Gupta who goes through her own struggles with love, relationships, career, and more. And all of this, while keeping the sense of humour alive.

3. Never Kiss Your Best Friend

If you loved Ross and Rachel in Friends, you’re definitely going to love Never Kiss Your Best Friend. The show that Tanie and Sumer start out as friends, start dating, break up, become colleagues, and on it goes. You might think it gets hard to keep a track of it, but trust me, it is worth it.

4. Permanent Roommates

Permanent Roommates is a show with bite-size episodes and comedy-drama that will have you hooked. Just like Friends, this binge-worthy show is all about how two people who are poles apart come together only to fallout to eventually come together again. The couple’s fun, banter-filled relationship will definitely remind you of Monica and Chandler.

5. The IT Crowd

Similar to Friends, The IT Crowd has a group of nerds or dweebs who are trying to make the most so life in the world of IT. And it gets even more hilarious when the person managing them is a tech-illiterate and has no clue about how to run the corporation.

6. Community

What I love about Community aside from its comic timing, is the fact that it has so much representation. Every member of the study group is quirky and unique in their own way and when they are together it is a riot. Their bonding will take you to the time when all 6 leads of Friends hung out together and had fun.

7. Modern Family

Oh boy, what do I even say about Modern Family? The bond they share, the way they stick together irrespective of how different they are, the sometimes dry and all-time funny dialogues, and more make this one of my favourite sitcoms of all time. And the cherry on the top is that you can randomly watch any episode and don’t really need much context about what happened previously.

8. Schitt’s Creek

There are a lot of reasons I love Schitt’s Creek more than I love Friends but the one reason that stands out is the LGBTQ+ romance that goes on in the sitcom. That is something I haven’t gotten over and I don’t think I ever will. And that is also the reason enough why you should binge-watch it today.

9. Little Things

Little Things follow the relationship of Kavya and Dhruv who are as different as they are similar and that says a lot. It is funny, relatable, and most importantly real. There is no couple who are more of each other’s lobsters than they are – not even Rachel and Ross.

10. Four More Shots Please

If you loved the friendship between Rachel, Monica and Phoebe, then you’re so going to love Four More Shots Please. Just like Friends, even this show follows four girlfriends through their highs and lows and eventually focuses more on their relationship than their friendships.

And last but not least How I Met Your Mother – you knew this list was going to be incomplete without this iconic sitcom. Whether it was having an iconic place like how Friends had a coffee place and couch, HIMYM had the iconic bar where they would sit and chill. And their friendships and relationships almost had a similar premise.

First Published: August 23, 2022 3:44 PM