Friendsarrived in the 1990s to change the sitcom genre and has an incomparable legacy, but it was almost sued due to how similar it is to a 1992 rom-com with 79% onRotten Tomatoes. The 1990s is home to some of the most memorable and successful sitcoms, all of them offering something unique and fun.Friendspremiered on NBC in 1994 and became one of the most successful TV shows ever, running for a total of 10 seasons and ending in 2004.Friendsbroke various records and continues to be regarded as one of the greatest TV shows ever made.
The concept ofFriendsis simple, but was very effective as it deeply connected with the audience: six friends with different personalities, goals, and backgrounds navigate adulthood together. Throughout 10 seasons, Monica (Courteney Cox), Chandler (Matthew Perry), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), Joey (Matt LeBlanc), Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), and Ross (David Schwimmer) won the audience over with the many ups and downs in their stories, and their chemistry was key to the show’s success. However,Friends’ legacy was almost tainted before it premiered due to its similarities to a 1992 rom-com.
Friends Is Very Similar To Cameron Crowe’s Singles (Which Was Almost A TV Show)
Singles Almost Made It To TV
After writingFast Times at Ridgemont High, Cameron Crowe made his feature-length directorial debut in 1989 withSay Anything…, which he also wrote.Say Anything…was only the beginning of a successful career as a filmmaker for Crowe, and it was followed by the rom-comSingles. Released in 1992,Singlesfollows a group of young adults in Seattle, Washington, at the beginning of the grunge phenomenon. The group is formed by coffee bar waitress Janet (Bridget Fonda), aspiring grunge musician Cliff (Matt Dillon), couple Linda (Kyra Sedgwick) and Steve (Campbell Scott), and Debbie (Sheila Kelley), who’s looking for her perfect partner.
Most of them live in the same apartment block, where a sign advertises its single-bedroom apartments as “Singles” for rent – but the title is obviously also about the love lives of the characters.Singlesexplores the ups and downs of two couples and the love lives of their friends, giving the audience a look at the grunge scene in the city that saw its birth and how dating was back then.Singlesgot positive reviews from critics, and Warner Bros. wanted to seize its success by turning it into a TV series.
The description of the show was a group of six 20-something roommates who are looking for love, so Crowe had his attorneys look into it.
However, Crowe declined the offer, but months later, when he saw ABC’s fall schedule, he found a show titledSingleswith a very familiar premise (viaJim Dero). The description of the show was a group of six 20-something roommates who are looking for love, so Crowe had his attorneys look into it. The show’s producers claimed it was a mistake and their show wasFriends– still, there were some similarities that raised alarms for Crowe. However,Friendschanged many details aboutSinglesthat saved it from a lawsuit, so Crowe didn’t go further with it.
Singles Would Have Appealed To A More Specific Audience
Of course,Friends’ creators Marta Kaufman and David Crane have their own origin story for the show, so whether there was someSinglesinfluence in it or not is something that only they know.Friendswent on to become one of the best TV shows of all time and one of the most influential ones, popularizing “hangout sitcoms”, as seen with shows likeHow I Met Your MotherandNew Girl, representing alternative family lifestyles, changing how actors are paid, and more.20 years after its end,Friendscontinues to be quite popular, and new generations can still relate to the characters.
10 Shockingly Dark Friends Moments That Have Aged Terribly
Friends is a cultural phenom with funny and iconic bits. However, there are shockingly dark moments that have aged terribly and made viewers cringe.
However, hadFriendsactually beenSingles, the show might not have had the legacy it now has.Singlesis a fun look at dating and young adulthood in the 1990s and, given its setting, it’s more grunge-like. This might not have appealed to everyone and just a very specific group of people, leadingSinglesto feel outdated pretty soon. It’s hard to say ifFriendswould have still happened had Crowe agreed to aSinglesTV show, but ultimately, it was good that the latter wasn’t made.
Source:Jim Dero.
Friends
Friends is a television sitcom that debuted in 1994, revolving around six young New Yorkers navigating the complexities of adulthood. The series highlights their friendship as they support each other through personal and professional challenges, encapsulating the ups and downs of life in a comedic and relatable manner.
