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[viciouskillersquirrel]

I really love How I Met Your Mother and it's been described as the Friends of this decade. I love the characters of HIMYM, their on-screen chemistry, the tone of the show and the cleverness of the writing (foreshadowing/flashbacks a la Arrested Development). Then I start thinking about the comparison to Friends.

Back in the 90s, when Friends was new, I started watching it (though I might've been too young to really appreciate it at the time, being only 9 back in 1994) but abruptly stopped circa the "Phoebe having a baby" storyline, which may have been in 1999 or 2000. I had just gotten done watching an episode (I think just before Frasier came on) and realised that I hadn't laughed once throughout the whole episode. It was like an epiphany - I had stopped enjoying the show ages prior and only kept watching it out of habit and as a function of how popular the show still was.

The effect lingers to this day. I occasionally catch a rerun on TV, sit down to watch it and think: eh.

Is this because the show was always terrible and I was too young to realise (a la The Nanny)? Is it because I grew up and my tastes changed? Is it because in a post-TV-renaissance world, Friends just isn't up to the much higher standard of today's TV? Did the last few seasons take a massive nosedive in quality and did that taint my memory of the whole series? Help me out here.

 

[brianjones]

i never really liked it

 

[IGotBillySoSpooked]

I never found it that funny in the first place.

 

[Fusebox]

Never liked it, I always thought it was mostly for mums and 30-something chicks anyway.

 

[AceBandage]

It was always just so-so and it went on for far too long.

 

[Harry Potter]

Growing up I watched this show every Thursday. In my adult life I've had no desire to watch reruns, like I do with Seinfeld.

 

[Narag]

Never liked it when it was first airing but caught it all in syndication and appreciated it thereafter. There are definitely some lulls in there that bore me to death though.

 

[NGAMER9]

It didn't even hold up at the time.

 

[Carlisle]

I remember thinking it was hilarious back in the day. I've caught a couple syndication episodes here and there recently, though... not so good imo.

Also love HIMYM btw.

 

[legacyzero]

Mathew Perry was the best thing in the show. I watched it regularly and he was the primary reason I found it entertaining TBH.

 

[SolKane]

Funny how your post (and subsequent posts) apply equally to HIMYM.

 

[Slayven]

Yeah, it wasn't funny then and it isn't funny now.

 

[British Monsoon]

It was the Two and a Half Men of it's day, only marginally better. And it's aged quite badly.

 

[Shurs]

Probably.

My favorite part of sitcoms is watching people grow into the characters.

Friends had its moments.

 

[Ferrio]

It never was, but their outtakes are freaking hilarious

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQohwBRP5b8

 

[Krowley]

The show was great then and it's still great. It's just not for you.

 

[Large Professor]

It like it more than HIMYM.

 

[Massive Nights]

It's on every fucking day on E4, about 6 times a day. The early episodes have aged HORRENDOUSLY, however the later series actually aren't bad, there's definitely some genuine laughs in there.

 

[smokeymicpot]

Never liked Friends but it does make a good drinking game. I really like How I Met Your Mother though.

 

[The Technomancer]

I thought it was a great show. Some episodes were pretty lame, but some were absolutely hilarious.

 

[Krowley]

It like it more than HIMYM.

It's about a million times better than HIMYM, and I sorta like HIMYM.

 

[woodchuck]

fell off a cliff after Monica/Chandler hooked up

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

Growing up I watched this show every Thursday. In my adult life I've had no desire to watch reruns, like I do with Seinfeld.

So you had a TV in Griffindor Tower? Mind blown.

 

[bill.cosby]

I never found it funny at the time, so no, probably not now either

 

[Magnus]

I still watch and chuckle at reruns. How I Met Your Mother wishes it had a fraction of the chemistry between characters that Friends did. I find the show borderline unwatchable, mostly because of its terrible lead.

On topic, I don't think it's as timeless as something like Seinfeld, but there's a reason it was as huge as it was.

 

[Hydranockz]

I watched it growing up and I watch it whenever it's on the tv. I fucking love that show. So many great jokes. Me and my brother quote it all the time. Great cameos throughout the series that don't come off as overbearing and a solid storyline with some great character development over the years. I love it

 

[ClosingADoor]

Only the first few seasons are good.

 

[Garou]

 

[jwluther]

My tastes don't match up to GAF's apparently.

Was amazing when it aired, is still amazing now.

Spoiler

Big Bang Theory is awesome, by the way.

 

[bathala]

I was Team Seinfeld

 

[ramyeon]

Not comprehending the amount of hate here. I love the show.

 

[Harry Potter]

So you had a TV in Griffindor Tower? Mind blown.

At least spell it right

 

[Blair]

i'm still waiting on a gunther spin off


they should call it 'gunther'

 

[Magnus]

Not comprehending the amount of hate here. I love the show.

It's a popular show to shit on.

 

[pompidu]

The Joey and Chandler characters were the only reason I did watch that show. The others ones were meh.

 

[Poimandres]

I suppose the cast had decent chemistry, and it's not horrible or anything.

I guess it's just thoroughly average. It always was pretty middle of the road.

 

[Souldriver]

I like the show. I wouldn't buy a dvd of it or anything, but when I catch an episode and I've got nothing to do, I enjoy it.

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

At least spell it right

Sorry. Gryffindor Tower.

Spoiler

Y is not a vowel, damn it!

 

[witness]

Still think its really funny and one of my favorite shows ever. I watch it regularly and it still holds up for me.

 

[Harry Potter]

Courteney in her prime was pretty nice.

 

[shuri]

I felt it was incredibly campy at the time and I could never understand why people watched this.

 

[Complex Shadow]

i watched like one or two episodes. chuckled. then just stopped watching it. the laugh track ruined it imo. show would've been funnier without the laugh track.

 

[Bleepey]

Friends was shit.

 

[brianjones]

i watched like one or two episodes. chuckled. then just stopped watching it. the laugh track ruined it imo. show would've been funnier without the laugh track.

are you sure?

 

[Firestorm]

Still like it. It along with HIMYM and Big Bang Theory are what I call comfort tv. Great to just sit down and even if it's a re-run I can have an enjoyable time. Not much thinking / on your seat stuff, but just a nice way to spend the time when you just want to veg out.

 

[DarkKyo]

i never really liked it

Same... always thought it was kinda lame. I was more of a Seinfeld guy.

 

[Krowley]

Courteney in her prime was pretty nice.

For me, it was Aniston.

In fact, IMO Jennifer Aniston in her prime on Friends is one of the top 5 hottest chicks ever to grace a television screen.

 

[Nelo Ice]

still one of my favorite shows i could watch most any episode and laugh

 

[pompidu]

i watched like one or two episodes. chuckled. then just stopped watching it. the laugh track ruined it imo. show would've been funnier without the laugh track.

It would have been horribly unfunny. Some of the jokes and punch lines were god awful.

 

[Typographenia]

I never liked the show, but I still love hearing the intro song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKP8nset6oA

I usually flip right after it goes off, though. Wish the show was as good as the opening.