HIMYM v Friends

Which tv show do/did you enjoy watching the most, How i met your mother or friends?

Friends definitely, How I Met Your Mother has neither the heart or the humour.

Friends for me. It was a show I grew up with, so will always associate periods of my childhood with certain seasons.

Have enjoyed HIMYM when I've seen it, but just never made the effort to watch it like I used to Friends.

Crimey wrote:Friends definitely, How I Met Your Mother has neither the heart or the humour.

I would completely disagree with the second part of this statement.

Mother has heart and humour in spades. I would actually say it has way more heart than friends ever did, although the humour (certainly in the later seasons) got a bit too out there at times.

How can you say a series which was fundamentally about finding true love over 9 years had no heart? It tugged on my heart strings more than friends ever did.

Friends was fantastic and is rewatcheable, however, I would give it just to HIMYM for a better narrative throughout the seasons. Even thought the last season (and especially the finale) were not great, there were some outstanding episodes in season 9 as well.

For the record, I absolutely hated the ending of Mother.

For me, Mother just pips it.

Loved friends.

Never watch HIMYM.

*Dips into various prejudices*

Both a load of Yankee twaddle.

No contest. Friends hands down.

Tbh I never really got into either. HIMYM is a reasonable decent watch I suppose.

Expect nostalgia to carry Friends through though.

Adam D wrote:

Crimey wrote:Friends definitely, How I Met Your Mother has neither the heart or the humour.

I would completely disagree with the second part of this statement.

Mother has heart and humour in spades. I would actually say it has way more heart than friends ever did, although the humour (certainly in the later seasons) got a bit too out there at times.

How can you say a series which was fundamentally about finding true love over 9 years had no heart? It tugged on my heart strings more than friends ever did.

Friends was fantastic and is rewatcheable, however, I would give it just to HIMYM for a better narrative throughout the seasons. Even thought the last season (and especially the finale) were not great, there were some outstanding episodes in season 9 as well.

For the record, I absolutely hated the ending of Mother.

For me, Mother just pips it.

Not that HIMYM had no heart or humour, simply that it didn't have the heart or humour of Friends. While the main premise of HIMYM means the show should really be more emotional, I am not sure it ever actually was. Also, it could be argued that Friends main premise was Ross and Rachel's relationship.

Friends by a country mile.
HIMYM certainly had more belly laugh funny moments, but Friends gave you characters you felt more emotional connection with., you wanted Ross & Rachel to get back together, you wanted Chandler and Monica to have kids, you wanted Joey to end up somehow with Phoebe.
The entire premise of HIMYM revolved around Ted finding the mother but quickly everyone cared about Barney far more and you just didn't really give a hoot what everyone else did.

For me it's complete opposite away around. HIMYM provided more laugh out moments that had running gags running for numerous seasons such as the Slap Bet, The Pineapple and Robin Sparkles just to name a few...

I also completely disagree with the comments that HIMYM lacked heart or emotional character investment. Sure it was mostly funny moments but the writers were more than capable of providing emotional situations that didn't just last half or even a full episode. The death of Marshall's farther is just one prime example that was a serious situation and that took time before the characters moved on. Emotional, I felt invested and apart of Ted's journey in his quest to find the mother, there was always that lingering question of it being Robin, but the connections that played throughout numerous seasons such as the yellow umbrella or fact that the mother attended one of Ted's lecturers (Alright Mistaking) were genius that rewarded the viewer for paying attention on this journey.

Perhaps it was just me as I could never really get into friends. Although Friends had a better last season.

Sounds like there's been a mass sex change taken place whilst I was off yesterday

The_Enigma wrote:For me it's complete opposite away around. HIMYM provided more laugh out moments that had running gags running for numerous seasons such as the Slap Bet, The Pineapple and Robin Sparkles just to name a few...

I also completely disagree with the comments that HIMYM lacked heart or emotional character investment. Sure it was mostly funny moments but the writers were more than capable of providing emotional situations that didn't just last half or even a full episode. The death of Marshall's farther is just one prime example that was a serious situation and that took time before the characters moved on. Emotional, I felt invested and apart of Ted's journey in his quest to find the mother, there was always that lingering question of it being Robin, but the connections that played throughout numerous seasons such as the yellow umbrella or fact that the mother attended one of Ted's lecturers (Alright Mistaking) were genius that rewarded the viewer for paying attention on this journey.

Perhaps it was just me as I could never really get into friends. Although Friends had a better last season.

The episode where Marshalls father dies was really sad and I thought it was great acting and written very well. HIMYM is very funny but it also has great emotional scenes like marshalls dad dying or ted being stood up at the altar or the destrution of Robin and Barney's marriage.

Friends was something I enjoyed massively as a kid ( I was 15/16 when it ended). Whilst I think HIMYM copied Friends ( Barney = Joey, Ross= Ted, Monica and Chandler = Marshall and Lille not to mention the coffee shop = the bar) I do think I enjoy watching it that little bit more.

F**k me, what's next....Desperate Housewives vs Cougar Town?

DAVE667 wrote:F**k me, what's next....Desperate Housewives vs Cougar Town?

The tension is unbearable!

Duty281 wrote:

DAVE667 wrote:F**k me, what's next....Desperate Housewives vs Cougar Town?

The tension is unbearable!

And that's just the strain on those surgically enhanced faces

DAVE667 wrote:F**k me, what's next....Desperate Housewives vs Cougar Town?

if you don't like it you don't need to read the thread, it is very simple

This is an interesting one. HIMYM had better episodes, and probably higher peaks. Yeah, they lifted a few ideas from Friends, but I don't think there's been an original idea in the entertainment industry in 100 years, so I give that a pass. But here's the big issue - HIMYM was in essence a story about Ted finding the woman of his dreams, we were along for the ride for nine years to find out how Ted met bis soulmate, and for her to then have as much of an impact on the narrative as Ted's Car in season five was almost insulting. So Friends wins.

Champagne_Socialist wrote:

DAVE667 wrote:F**k me, what's next....Desperate Housewives vs Cougar Town?

if you don't like it you don't need to read the thread, it is very simple

Other opinions are available.

I've never laughed at HIMYM but i still laugh at Friends today.

DAVE667 wrote:F**k me, what's next....Desperate Housewives vs Cougar Town?

Cougar Town all day long  

westisbest wrote:Loved friends.

Never watch HIMYM.

 
Did actually watch a couple of episodes of HIMYM.
 
Didn't really find it funny.
Although Cobie Smulders is hot.

Prefer HIMYM, however the final series was a train wreck and has spoiled the entire show somewhat. Friends had the perfect finale, and going in to it's final season HIMYM had a chance to top it, or at least match it. Instead they spent the entire season focussed on the wrong thing and basically stuck two fingers up to the viewers.

hampo171 wrote:Prefer HIMYM, however the final series was a train wreck and has spoiled the entire show somewhat. Friends had the perfect finale, and going in to it's final season HIMYM had a chance to top it, or at least match it. Instead they spent the entire season focussed on the wrong thing and basically stuck two fingers up to the viewers.

Whilst I somewhat agree with your summation of series 9, I also think it lost probably had some of the best episodes too. The episode that focused on the mother was possibly the best episode of any season.

I think looking at both shows overall I preferred the creativity showed in HIMYM. Friends was sometimes a little tired and obvious where as HIMYM tried new things and didn't pander to audience desires.

I didn't enjoy the final HIMYM episode but there were bits of the final season that was some of their best work.

My test is whether or not I watch the re-runs even if I have seen the episode 3,4 even 10 times. Friends is a definite no where as HIMYM still makes me laugh out loud

Can I just say that this is a great thread. A really good contest between two excellent, classic comedies.

I personally would have thought that friends would run away with this but I am so pleased that mother is getting support. Friends was aired at a time in the uk when American sitcoms were uncommon meaning that there will always be a bit of nostalgia ini it's favour.

However, mother has everything going against it in those terms. A million and one channels to choose from, each featuring another American comedy ( mike and Molly? Really?)

Mother however, has broken through.

And the reason is it's heart. It's a love story.

And although the love story ultimately was heartbreaking it still offered the hopeless romantics a story to cling to. Not all love stories have happy endings and although I hated (and I mean detested) the ending, it was brave and real. Let's not forget that friends teased is with a Joey/ Rachel storyline. Mother lost reality in it's last two series which was it's greatest fault. Yes I hate the ending. But it was real.

I believe in true love and that's why I believe that other, in it's purest storytelling sense, was better than friends.

Adam did you channel the spirit of Ted for that final line?

I did.

I've always been a dreamer (and I guess I'm not the only one ).

All the best things are when you have a muse or passion. Whether it's trying to make this forum live or find your true love. You gotta hope, dream and aim high. The essence of other was all those things. Friends was about a group of people doing nothing really. A bit like Seinfeld but nowhere near as good. But that's a whole different thread altogether.

HIMYM is alright but must say I prefer Friends and think over all it is the better show, you've got to remember it did start a long time ago when thinking about the nature of the comedy, social scene etc at the time.

Friends is interesting with the movement away from the drinking/partying scene in episode one - where HIMYM is somewhat based on that scene imo.

A few interesting snippets about viewing figures etc, (granted times have changed).

Friends actors managed to demand $1million (about 1.3 million if corrected for inflation) each for the final season in 04, HIMYM $225k.

Friends managed 53 million viewers in USA for the finale, HIMYM 12.9.

Here friends was getting between 400k-800k for repeats 7 years after it ended on e4 prior to moving to comedy central. HIMYM gets 1.4 million views in the latest season - Big bang theory gets double that.

Friend's finale did 8.6 million views here, can't find any numbers for HIMYM.

Whilst the landscape might have changed, Friends is a generational show, sparking worldwide trends and gossip column inches - had a tv moment everyone remembers (I take thee rachel) etc

HIMYM is just another show swimming around with a glut of US sitcoms, behind 2 and a half men, big bang theory etc for following and popularity.

How I Met Your Mother actually does have a good storyline, and is quite watchable. The one problem is, it really isn't very funny and the comedic timing is rather poor in comparison to Friends, who hit the nail on the head most times and also had a fun storyline. Friends is a genuinely great sitcom, whereas How I Met Your Mother is quite average in my view.

Friends hands down

The celeb cameos in Friends were brilliant too.
Brad Pitt as a Rachel hater was genius.

Hulking_up wrote:The celeb cameos in Friends were brilliant too.
Brad Pitt as a Rachel hater was genius.

Only a few of the cameos worked for me.

I preferred how cameos were used in himym

HIMYM IS ABSOLUTE CACK.

The_Enigma wrote:For me it's complete opposite away around. HIMYM provided more laugh out moments that had running gags running for numerous seasons such as the Slap Bet, The Pineapple and Robin Sparkles just to name a few...

I also completely disagree with the comments that HIMYM lacked heart or emotional character investment. Sure it was mostly funny moments but the writers were more than capable of providing emotional situations that didn't just last half or even a full episode. The death of Marshall's farther is just one prime example that was a serious situation and that took time before the characters moved on. Emotional, I felt invested and apart of Ted's journey in his quest to find the mother, there was always that lingering question of it being Robin, but the connections that played throughout numerous seasons such as the yellow umbrella or fact that the mother attended one of Ted's lecturers (Alright Mistaking) were genius that rewarded the viewer for paying attention on this journey.

Perhaps it was just me as I could never really get into friends. Although Friends had a better last season.

Yep, pretty much how I see it. HIMYM gang meet in a bar while the Freinds lot a coffee house. Snobby *****s!
Friends was good but imo, HIMYM was more legen...





wait for it....







dary.

To be fair though the coffee shop used to be a bar...

friends easily, im surprised its even a contest.

friends finale got 52 million views in the US and is the fourth highest in US tv history, himym got 10mil nowhere near any rivals for best sitcoms. himym is in a category way below the likes of cheers, friends and frasier