Jerry Seinfeld said NBC created the sitcom "Friends" as a copy of his own show but with "good-looking people."
The comments highlight the competitive nature of 1990s network television and the enduring legacy of two of the most successful comedies in U.S. history.
Seinfeld made the remarks on Tuesday, May 5 [2], during the third Netflix Is a Joke festival in Los Angeles, California. The 72-year-old comedian [1] addressed the crowd after an audience member asked him to name his all-time favorite television series.
During the exchange, Seinfeld suggested that the network's programming strategy was based on the success of his eponymous show. "I think NBC was watching my show and went, ‘Hey, this is working pretty well. Why don’t we try the same thing with good-looking people?’" Seinfeld said.
He further described the development of the other hit series as a calculated effort by the network to replicate his show's appeal. "Friends was NBC trying to duplicate Seinfeld with good-looking people," Seinfeld said.
The observation came as part of a larger set at the festival, where the comedian interacted with fans about the evolution of the sitcom genre. Seinfeld did not specify which aspects of the production or writing he believed were duplicated, only that the network sought a similar result with a different aesthetic for the cast.
“"Friends was NBC trying to duplicate Seinfeld with good-looking people."”
While Seinfeld's comments were delivered in a comedic setting, they reflect a long-standing industry discussion regarding the 'must-see TV' era of NBC. By framing 'Friends' as a visual upgrade of the 'Seinfeld' formula, he underscores the shift in sitcom trends from the observational, neurotic humor of the early 1990s toward the more idealized, ensemble-driven romantic comedies that dominated the latter half of the decade.
