TV Throwdown: Friends vs Seinfeld

What, in your opinion, is the better show? Is it Friends or is it Seinfeld? Is it both? Do you hate both shows with such a passion that you'd rather watch The Voice on repeat?

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I think Friends is the better show. Overall, I find it funnier, more entertaining and with more enjoyable performances. I've seen every episode of Friends, some multiple times. I never finished watching Seinfeld, but I have seen most of the seasons.

I like both shows, but Friends is better. It was extremely good for 8 seasons. Seinfeld jokes, on the other hand, were more repetitive.

I watched Friends from the start and loved it. Seinfeld, I've never seen, sorry...

Hilarious, probably the only soul that has never seen an episode of either.

It was a strange dichotomy that most people either liked one or the other, but few liked both.

I come down in favor of Seinfeld.

I don't know a whole lot about Friends, but the characters always seemed rather "normal" or average (and thus not all that interesting, although, as a kid, I wanted to be a paleontologist like Ross).

The Seinfeld characters seemed far more quirky and almost bordering on pathological at times (as the last episode seemed to try to point out by accusing them of being sociopathic). The situations on Seinfeld, although often unrealistic, seemed far more outrageous yet still relatable. The themes of Seinfeld seemed to be about neuroses, how to navigate social norms and how to interpret the intricacies of social interaction.

Again, I'm not as familiar with Friends, but to me the situations seemed very typical of TV comedies at the time, while Seinfeld seemed different - like it was catering to a less-secure segment of society that was always questioning whether their thoughts & behaviors were appropriate to the modern norms.

I will agree there was something of a repetitive nature to the Seinfeld comedy, yet for fans it never seemed to grow old. As far as redundancy, it seems very evident if you watch Curb Your Enthusiasm, where Seinfeld co-creator Larry David recycles numerous jokes, plots, tropes, and situations from Seinfeld.

Ironically, I did not watch either show during their original network runs, but discovered both in syndication and really enjoyed them both, but I would have to give a slight edge to Friends because the characters a lot more likable. I find the four principal characters on Seinfeld to be the most self-centered and self-absorbed people who have ever been on television, who don't give a damn about other people unless there's something in it for them. George was at a party where he discovered a fire in the kitchen and knocked old women and small children out of the way so that he could get out. I don't see anyone on Friends doing something like that.

Friends and it's not even close. Seinfeld sucks.

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

Seinfeld and its not even close.

Friends is fine though.

Hm. Seinfeld got the stronger laughs, much stronger. It's comedy was in what's relatable to us all, and yet what we've never noticed for ourselves. After an episode we would be thinking "Why didn't I think of that?!" as it was right in front of us the whole time. Larry David was a genius with Jerry Seinfelds material. That last season without David though was the drizzling s***s.


Friends was safe. Very ...very..safe and tame. Shallow, and pasteurized. All that Network TV represents. Even the shows theme song. Friends is a Big Mac from McDonalds, and Seinfeld a porterhouse from a 4 star restaurant. Both are good, one is more popular, but the others undeniably better. Unless you can't appreciate 4 star restaurants

Seinfeld anyday over Friends. It was smarter & had the better humour.

Friends also declined in quality in the final few seasons. When you indulge in fart, pee jokes, you know you don't have much good stuff to show.

Most importantly, there were quite a few stories plagiarised by Friends from Seinfeld. People who have watched both the shows will recognise them.

I won't hate on Friends. It was a decent show.

& if you're fan of Friends, I would recommend checking out the first two seasons of the British sitcom Coupling, which is an edgier, British version of Friends.

Disliked both equally.

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