People are itching to create the Gen Z version of Friends. Here's five reasons it's impossible

The legacy of Friends can be seen in a new wave of US sitcoms about twenty-something pals hitting the small screen. But, unlike the classic show, they're struggling to make a mark.

No sitcom has defined its era quite like Friends, the '90s show about six twenty-something friends living in Manhattan which became the most popular portrait of Gen X (people born between 1965 and 1980). Across all ten seasons from 1994 to 2004, the show's average live viewer ratings never dropped below 20 million. The series finale alone drew around 52.5 million American viewers, making it the most-watched television episode of the 2000s. 

Beyond the numbers, Friends had a huge cultural impact. It birthed haircut styles ("The Rachel"), fashion trends (slip dresses) and catchphrases (Joey's "How you doin'?"). And its popularity is enduring: in UCLA's Teens and Screens 2025 Report, Friends ranks 16th on a list of Gen Z's favourite films or TV shows, alongside current hits like K-Pop Demon Hunters and The Summer I Turned Pretty. 

But is there a Friends equivalent for Gen Z (people born between 1997 and 2012) that can speak to their own lives? A wave of sitcoms have been trying to replicate its vibe, zoning in on the messy personal and professional lives of twenty-somethings today.

There's been Mindy Kaling's Not Suitable For Work, about five recent graduates in Manhattan, while the second season of FX's chaotic but cosy Adults premieres today, centring on a house-share of another quintet across the water in Queens. Beyond the Big Apple, other shows following a similar Friends-style template have included Kaling's show The Sex Lives of College Girls about four college friends in Vermont, and HBO's irreverent I Love LA: internet "It Girl" Rachel Sennott's show about West Coast wannabe influencers. 

However, none of these shows have really made a strong impression. Not Suitable For Work premiered in June to modest viewership and lukewarm reviews, and this week was officially cancelled, while The Sex Lives of College Girls was cancelled in 2025 after three seasons. Adults and I Love LA have both earned second seasons, without meriting anything like the cultural capital of either Friends or today's "watercooler" shows like The White Lotus or The Pitt. 

Here are five reasons why trying to make "the new Friends" seems to be an impossible dream:

1. Today's challenging TV landscape  

Gen Z sitcoms are competing for attention against a vast content pool and the internet's endless scrollability. When Friends debuted in 1994, the absence of multiple screen distractions no doubt worked to its benefit. According to Activate's 2026 Media Outlook Report, 43% of Gen Z prefer YouTube or social video platforms over paid streaming (37%) or traditional TV (12%). The second a show isn't enriching, personalised algorithms can immediately serve something more dopamine-hitting. 

Additionally, where traditional network sitcoms had over 20 episodes per season – in part so they could be profitably syndicated to other TV stations for daily re-runs – modern sitcoms generally have far less. All of the new Friends-style shows have between just eight and ten episodes per series – which means there's not a lot of time to actually hang out, let alone fall in love, with these new TV friendship........

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