Jerry Seinfeld quips 'Friends' copied his formula with 'good-looking people'
Synopsis
Jerry Seinfeld took a playful jab at 'Friends' during a Netflix comedy event, suggesting NBC simply remade his hit formula with a more conventionally attractive cast. The quip is his latest volley in a decades-long, good-natured rivalry between two of television's most influential sitcoms — one rooted in observational humour, the other in aspirational ensemble drama.
Key Takeaways
Jerry Seinfeld , 72, joked at the Netflix Is a Joke event in Los Angeles on May 6 that NBC greenlit Friends by copying his show's formula with "good-looking people." Seinfeld aired from 1989 to 1998 ; Friends premiered in 1994 and ran until 2004 , both on NBC .
Both shows centred on friend groups navigating life in New York City , establishing a parallel format.
In 2024 , Seinfeld made a similar jab in a Pop-Tarts commercial, suggesting Friends "stole" his ideas.
Seinfeld and co-creator Larry David , 78, discussed the show's rocky early seasons at The Rushmore Podcast taping during the same festival.
Jerry Seinfeld, 72, took the stage at Netflix Is a Joke Presents Jerry Seinfeld event at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on May 6 to revisit a decades-old Hollywood debate: the creative overlap between his groundbreaking sitcom and Friends. The comedian offered a tongue-in-cheek theory about how NBC may have greenlit the latter.
"Here's my theory on 'Friends'. My show came on 1989-1990. 'Friends' came on a few years later. I think NBC was watching my show and said, 'Hey, this is working pretty well. Why don't we try the same thing with good-looking people?'" Seinfeld quipped from the stage, drawing laughs from the crowd.
The parallel formats
Both shows centred on the lives of a tightly-knit group navigating New York City. Seinfeld, which aired from 1989 to 1998, became a cultural touchstone with its ensemble cast including Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, Jerry Stiller, and Wayne Knight, alongside co-creator Larry David. Friends, which premiered in 1994 and ran until 2004, starred Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, the late Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, and Matt LeBlanc. By its finale, Friends had become one of television's highest-rated shows.
A running joke
This is not the first time Seinfeld has publicly mused on the subject. In 2024, a satirical Pop-Tarts commercial featuring the actor included a jab: "Tell me, how does it feel when people steal your ideas and then do whatever they want with them? You mean like 'Friends'?" The quip underscores a long-standing, if playful, tension between the two shows' legacies.
Recent reflections on 'Seinfeld'
The Los Angeles appearance came a day after Seinfeld and David, 78, participated in a live taping of The Rushmore Podcast, hosted by Ari Emanuel and Ben Persky, also part of the Netflix Is a Joke festival. During that conversation, the pair discussed the show's difficult early seasons and how it eventually became a phenomenon.
Cultural legacy
Both shows remain seminal works in American television, each influencing sitcom formats for decades. While Seinfeld pioneered the "show about nothing" with observational humour rooted in everyday absurdities, Friends perfected the aspirational ensemble dramedy. The friendly rivalry between their creators continues to amuse audiences and underscore how closely the two properties are intertwined in pop culture memory.
Point of View
While framed as comedy, touches a real creative truth: both shows did pioneer the New York ensemble sitcom, and both became cultural juggernauts. But the quip undersells what made each distinct. 'Seinfeld' was about the comedy of nothing — neurotic minutiae elevated to art. 'Friends' was aspirational escapism dressed in Central Perk aesthetics. The 'good-looking people' line is funny because it's reductive. In reality, 'Friends' succeeded not by copying 'Seinfeld's' formula but by inverting its philosophy: where 'Seinfeld' found humour in life's awkwardness, 'Friends' found it in glamour and belonging. Both worked. That's the real story.
NationPress
10 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Jerry Seinfeld say about 'Friends' at the Netflix event?
Seinfeld joked that NBC greenlit 'Friends' by watching his show succeed and deciding to 'try the same thing with good-looking people.' The quip was made during his performance at the Netflix Is a Joke Presents Jerry Seinfeld event at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on May 6.
When did 'Seinfeld' and 'Friends' air?
'Seinfeld' aired from 1989 to 1998 on NBC. 'Friends' premiered in 1994 and ran until 2004, also on NBC. Both shows overlapped for a decade.
What are the similarities between the two shows?
Both centred on the lives of a close-knit group of friends navigating New York City. Each ran for a decade and became cultural phenomena. However, 'Seinfeld' was rooted in observational humour about everyday absurdities, while 'Friends' leaned into aspirational ensemble dramedy.
Is this the first time Seinfeld has joked about 'Friends'?
No. In 2024, Seinfeld made a similar jab in a satirical Pop-Tarts commercial, where a character asked him how it felt when 'people steal your ideas,' to which he replied, 'You mean like Friends?' The comparison has been a running theme in his commentary.
Who were the main cast members of each show?
'Seinfeld' starred Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, Jerry Stiller, and Wayne Knight, with Larry David as co-creator. 'Friends' starred Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, and Matt LeBlanc.
