TV Debate: Is Seinfeld More Popular Than Friends?

Which is more popular: Seinfeld or Friends? Both are massively successful TV series born of the 1990s era; both have become indelible cultural icons for everything from their comedic styles, characters, fashion, and general glamorization of New York City life. Both Seinfeld and Friends have each retained their respective relevance and popularity in the decades since airing on TV: through syndication, then home video/DVD collections – and now into the era of streaming, in which both series have become major high-value content blocks. 

But which one is the MOST popular? 

During the latest episode of the ComicBook Nation show, the question of whether Seinfeld or Friends is more popular came up at random in discussion; it was meant to be an example of a question with an obvious answer but turned out to be anything but. ComicBook Nation host Matthew Aguilar was quick to say Friends was the answer, while host Kofi Outlaw said Seinfeld in the same breath. The entire show went off the rails for a second, as the hosts had a genuine moment of heated debate – one that quickly drew in the commenters as well. 

Both sides have good points to make, check those out below: 

Friends Is The Most Popular Because...

As Matt pointed out, Friends has been one of the most recognized and celebrated TV programs of all time. The ultimate testament to its popularity, according to Aguilar, is the fact that an entire generation of teenagers and adults alike still seem to know its name and characters. Friends has even made it to TikTok, and seems to be doing quite well there. It's arguable if Seinfeld has penetrated the digital age of social media as deeply and prevelently as Friends has. 

Aguilar also points out just how much influence Friends had on all the series that would go on to try to imitate its young urban roommates formula in different ways – from How I Met You Mother in the 2000s, to the nerdier spin of The Big Bang Theory in the 2010s – those big hits (and many others) arguably owe their existence to Friends leading the way first. While Seinfeld is groundbreaking in its own right, it's harder to argue that it spawned an entire line of copycats (if that's even possible). 

Finally, Friends arguably turned out a bigger group of stars. While Jerry Seinfeld pretty much works where and how he wants, and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss went on to own TV for decades after Seinfeld, all six of Friends stars (Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry) went on to be worldwide stars and made hit TV and/or movies thereafter.

Seinfeld is More Popular Because...

Kofi Outlaw argues that Seinfeld is by far a more watched, recognized, and celebrated TV show than Friends ever was. Both Outlaw and a few commentors pointed out that Friends has certain... demographic challenges when it comes to reaching a wider audience, even if it's intensely popular in the pop-culture circles it does reach. Outlaw also countered that it's debatable whether Seinfeld has relevance in the digital age, as there are plenty of memes and gifs that suggest its power as a cultural touchstone is still very much intact. 

Outlaw also argued that not inspiring an entire wave of clones after it, wouldn't exactly be a point against Seinfeld: truly original work shouldn't be so eastily imitated. That said, Seinfeld's quirky ironic humor,  morally quesitionable characters, and meta-layered look at entertainment and Jerry's comedic career clearly inspired other original comedic works, from The Office, to 30 Rock, to It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia.