If you, too, were inconsolable after Netflix announced that Friends was leaving the platform earlier this year, then this one’s for you. There isn’t much else fellow fans can do these days except wait for that long-anticipated reunion, and well, try to find other shows like Friends to fill our aching days with.
Dramatic? Maybe. But with all the mixed messages about the Friends reunion special on HBO Max, consider us just a little desperate for updates. And at this point, it’s looking like those “updates” will have to take the form of new series to enjoy altogether, as production for the Friends special episode is on hold indefinitely in light of recent social distancing safety measures. It most certainly hasn’t been your day, your week, your month, or even your year.
But I’ll be there for you…with this list of five shows like Friends available to stream now. Get streaming, folks!
How I Met Your Mother (9 Seasons)
HIMYM is a sitcom classic in the same vein as Friends where a group of best buds tackle all the twists of love, work, and family in New York City. But it’s also an answer to the best of Friends‘ romantic plotlines: Narrator Ted, an architect, is like Ross on steroids—as if it were even possible for him to be any more hopelessly romantic.
New Girl (7 Seasons)
If the roommate shenanigans are what really make Friends special, consider New Girl your modern take. Jess (Zooey Deschanel) ends up moving into a loft with three single bros—Nick, Schmidt, and Winston—after a messy breakup, not yet realizing that she just found her new (admittedly bizarre and hilarious) family.
Happy Endings (3 Seasons)
Think of Happy Endings as the edgier update on Friends. With an ensemble cast of the same size, Happy Endings follows a group of besties in sister city Chicago where, like Friends, some of the group are siblings, some are engaged (or…sorta), and some are forever single and ready to mingle. If you’re looking for a quick treat, you’ll blitz through its three seasons.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (3 Seasons)
Phoebe Buffay is no doubt a standout on Friends, and if she’s your favorite, you’re bound to love Kimmy Schmidt. Like Phoebe, Kimmy has a wildly tragic past but manages to mine her experience into the whacky new life she builds in New York City, living with her fabulous unemployed actor roommate and hilarious landlord.
Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.