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Friends is an iconic show. It is unforgettable. Be it Chandler’s sarcasm, Monica’s OCD, Ross’s divorces, Joey’s love for food. Everything was perfect. The cast, dialogues, storyline, humor, everything is unmatchable. Also, now that the FRIENDS reunion is here, we absolutely cannot wait to watch it. But while friends were everything, other shows were trying to be the new friends. Could it be any more desperate? Here are 9 shows that desperately wanted to be the new FRIENDS but fell flat.
1. How I met your mother
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How I met your mother was one of the fairly successful attempts to replicate Friends. It was embarrassingly comparative. Sure, the gang met at a bar rather than a coffee house, however, please. FRIENDS nailed the ‘pals hang out’ format so effectively that its replacements needed to raise their game.
2. New Girl
![](https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ng-s7_703-sc29-jg-cama_0157_hires2.jpg)
New Girl has consistently been somewhat of a hodgepodge. It started with the same plot as FRIENDS: an out-of-her-depth young lady bunking up with new flatmates after breaking a relationship. The show could never figure out how to be as reliably amusing or moving as Friends, however, one thing New Girl has nailed is the house-sharing dynamic..
3. Happy Endings
![shows who tried to be new friends](https://decider.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/happy-endings-5-years-later.jpg?quality=80&strip=all&w=646&h=431&crop=1)
Happy Endings may be the show that has come nearest to Friends in being reliably amusing, engaging, and heartwarming writing. It was simply one more FRIENDS “copycat”: a broken marriage to kick things off; relationships within the friendship group; a wacky one; a dumb one; a favorite bar (once more).
4. The Big Bang Theory
![shows who tried to be new friends](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/the-big-bang-theory-finale-3-1558535777.jpg?crop=1.00xw:0.723xh;0,0.122xh&resize=1200:*)
The Big Bang Theory needed to discover a method of staying away from the allegation that it was simply one more “Friends” – which it did by making everybody a nerd. In any case, the shows had plenty of similarities, be it characters, connections, and even cat tunes.
5. Coupling
![](https://tellyvisions.org/sites/default/files/styles/twitter_card/public/Coupling.jpg?itok=0zCGtLDv)
Otherwise called: “the British Friends”. Coupling consistently had direct correlations with its Stateside elder sibling. It zeroed in on a gathering of six companions, managing relationship dramas and also general growing-up issues. The thing about Coupling, however, was that it had a remarkably British sense of humor– darker, naughtier – that put it aside from FRIENDS.
6. Rules of engagement
![shows who tried to be new friends](https://www.wallpaperup.com/uploads/wallpapers/2014/11/09/511327/8fb5dc8dfe83511afea46db8646398c7-700.jpg)
Out of all the shows that attempted to be FRIENDS, Rules of Engagement is presumably perhaps the most explicit one. Certainly, it did appear to be something else, however, it was only to a point as having a wedded couple, a recently engaged couple, and their single mates hanging out. The characters were comparative – a womanizer with an expression! A person with a job in finance and an affinity for sarcasm! (basicbluesnation.com) – yet, vitally, not even close as FRIENDS.
7. Off centre
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Obviously, it’s another show about youngsters living in New York and their lives and loves. But Off Center is from the producers of American Pie. It put itself aside by being totally dirty and also discussing naughtiness constantly. What FRIENDS winked at, Off Center made the whole purpose.
8. Cold Feet
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Cold Feet came during the pinnacle of FRIENDS’ success, yet surprisingly, it switched things around a piece. The characters were somewhat older and more settled, and it was also undeniably a more dramatic show with heaps of funny pieces.
9. Joey
![shows who tried to be new friends](https://www.thewrap.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/joey.jpg)
Goodness. We had high expectations for Joey… they didn’t keep going long. What made FRIENDS function admirably was the connection between the characters; it turns out one all alone was slightly dismal. Then, we didn’t like that Monica and Chandler had arranged the Joey Room in their extravagant new house and afterward he buggered off to Los Angeles. Also, apologies, Joey – you didn’t live up to the expectations.