{"id":331635,"date":"2026-05-09T04:07:51","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T22:37:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=331635"},"modified":"2026-05-09T04:07:51","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T22:37:51","slug":"jerry-seinfeld-claims-friends-copied-his-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/05\/09\/jerry-seinfeld-claims-friends-copied-his-show\/","title":{"rendered":"Jerry Seinfeld Claims &#8216;Friends&#8217; Copied His Show"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><strong>Jerry Seinfeld<\/strong> has stirred up fresh debate over two of television\u2019s biggest sitcoms after taking a playful but pointed swipe at \u201c<strong>Friends<\/strong>\u201d during a live appearance in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<p>The comedy icon joked that NBC copied the formula behind \u201c<strong>Seinfeld<\/strong>\u201d and easily replaced the solid with more attractive stars.<\/p>\n<p>His remarks quickly reignited the longtime comparison between the 2 legendary series.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t<!-- TargetVideo video matching --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large caption_belowImage credit_onImage mobile-image-full-width\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">LIROPE \/ MEGA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Jerry Seinfeld made the eyebrow-raising comments while appearing on the \u201cNetflix Is a Joke\u201d festival on the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>In the course of the event, the comedian reflected on the huge success of his own sitcom before joking that NBC borrowed the identical formula when creating \u201cFriends.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHere\u2019s my theory on Friends,\u201d Seinfeld said, per <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/tv\/tv-news\/jerry-seinfeld-friends-nbc-good-looking-people-netflix-1236589389\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"(opens in a new tab)\">Variety<\/a><\/em>. \u201c My show got here on \u201989, \u201990. Friends got here on a couple of years later.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He then delivered the road that immediately got fans talking online: \u201cI feel NBC was watching my show and went, \u2018Hey, that is working pretty much. Why don\u2019t we try the identical thing with good-looking people?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The comedian doubled down on the joke by adding, \u201cAnd that was a fairly good idea. I feel that type of worked.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Although the remark appeared lighthearted, it quickly reignited old arguments amongst sitcom fans who&#8217;ve spent many years debating which show had the larger cultural impact.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-jerry-seinfeld-jokes-about-watching-himself\">Jerry Seinfeld Jokes About Watching Himself<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large caption_belowImage credit_onImage mobile-image-full-width\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1121\" src=\"https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Jerry-Seinfeld-2-768x1121.jpeg\" alt=\"Jerry Seinfeld arrive to the 2018 CFDA Fashion Awards at Brooklyn Museum in New York\" class=\"wp-image-600192\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Jerry-Seinfeld-2.jpeg 1089w, https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Jerry-Seinfeld-2-1052x1536.jpeg 1052w, https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Jerry-Seinfeld-2-768x1121.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Jerry-Seinfeld-2-701x1024.jpeg 701w, https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Jerry-Seinfeld-2-205x300.jpeg 205w, https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Jerry-Seinfeld-2.jpeg 428w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 430px) 100px, 100vw\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">MEGA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The subject surfaced after Seinfeld asked audience members to guess his all-time favorite television series.<\/p>\n<p>One fan shouted out \u201cSeinfeld,\u201d prompting the comedian to poke fun on the suggestion.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSeinfeld? I&#8217;m Seinfeld. Why would I watch Seinfeld?\u201d he joked.<\/p>\n<p>He then compared the concept to admiring yourself within the mirror daily.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWould you go as much as your bathroom mirror and go, \u2018That is incredible. I like this show. I\u2019m in every episode.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Seinfeld never actually revealed what his favorite show was, though he acknowledged that fans guessing \u201cCurb Your Enthusiasm\u201d and \u201cBreaking Bad\u201d were on the best track.<\/p>\n<p>The legendary comic co-created \u201cSeinfeld\u201d alongside Larry David, who later went on to create and star in HBO\u2019s \u201cCurb Your Enthusiasm.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The NBC sitcom premiered in 1989 and ran until 1998, becoming one of the vital successful comedy series in television history.<\/p>\n<p>The show followed 4 single friends navigating life in Recent York City and starred Seinfeld alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, and Michael Richards.<\/p>\n<p>Its final episode became a television event, drawing greater than 76 million viewers in the USA alone.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-friends-became-a-cultural-phenomenon-too\">\u2018Friends\u2019 Became A Cultural Phenomenon Too<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large caption_belowImage credit_onImage mobile-image-full-width\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"855\" src=\"https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/cast-of-friends-e1751822286760-768x855.jpg\" alt=\"Cast of Friends at 1998 Golden Globes\" class=\"wp-image-700429\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/cast-of-friends-e1751822286760-1839x2048.jpg 1839w, https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/cast-of-friends-e1751822286760-1379x1536.jpg 1379w, https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/cast-of-friends-e1751822286760-919x1024.jpg 919w, https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/cast-of-friends-e1751822286760-768x855.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/cast-of-friends-e1751822286760-269x300.jpg 269w, https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/cast-of-friends-e1751822286760.jpg 428w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 430px) 100px, 100vw\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">MEGA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>While Jerry Seinfeld\u2019s comments sparked laughter, \u201cFriends\u201d built a television empire of its own after premiering in 1994.<\/p>\n<p>The beloved sitcom followed six close friends living in Manhattan and quickly became a world obsession throughout the Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s.<\/p>\n<p>Jennifer Aniston led the solid as Rachel Green alongside Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and the late Matthew Perry.<\/p>\n<p>The sitcom ran for 10 seasons and continues to generate huge audiences many years after leaving the air.<\/p>\n<p>In 2021, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/tv-movies\/tv-movie-lists\/best-tv-sitcoms-1162237\/newsradio-nbc-1995-1999-1162398\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"(opens in a new tab)\">Rolling Stone<\/a><\/em> ranked \u201cSeinfeld\u201d because the third biggest sitcom ever made while placing \u201cFriends\u201d at number 38 on its list of the 100 best sitcoms of all time.<\/p>\n<p>Still, the financial success of \u201cFriends\u201d stays staggering.<\/p>\n<p>The solid famously negotiated their contracts together, boosting their salaries from $22,500 per episode in the course of the first season to $1 million each by the show\u2019s final years.<\/p>\n<p>In 2021, the celebrities reunited for an HBO Max special and reportedly earned around $2.5 million apiece for the nostalgic return.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lisa-kudrow-reveals-friends-still-makes-millions\">Lisa Kudrow Reveals \u2018Friends\u2019 Still Makes Tens of millions<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large caption_belowImage credit_onImage mobile-image-full-width\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"788\" height=\"1147\" src=\"https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/lisa-kudrow-2-788x1147.jpg\" alt=\"Lisa Kudrow at The 2019 Creative Arts Emmy Awards in Los Angeles\" class=\"wp-image-791764\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/lisa-kudrow-2-scaled.jpg 1758w, https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/lisa-kudrow-2-1407x2048.jpg 1407w, https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/lisa-kudrow-2-1180x1718.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/lisa-kudrow-2-1055x1536.jpg 1055w, https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/lisa-kudrow-2-788x1147.jpg 788w, https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/lisa-kudrow-2-428x623.jpg 428w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 430px) 100px, 100vw\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">River \/ MEGA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Lisa Kudrow recently revealed that the cash tied to \u201cFriends\u201d never truly stopped flowing.<\/p>\n<p>Talking to <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/culture\/tv-radio\/article\/lisa-kudrow-friends-matthew-perry-comeback-new-season-5nw086dx8\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"(opens in a new tab)\">The Times<\/a><\/em>, the actress admitted the show still generates enormous residual payments yearly through syndication and streaming deals around the globe.<\/p>\n<p>In response to Kudrow, the solid continues earning roughly $20 million annually.<\/p>\n<p>She also reflected emotionally on revisiting the series after Matthew Perry\u2019s death in October 2023.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter Matthew died I watched the show again. Before, I only saw what I did incorrect or could have done higher, but for the primary time I really appreciated just how great it was,\u201d Kudrow explained.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lisa-kudrow-pays-emotional-tribute-to-matthew-perry\">Lisa Kudrow Pays Emotional Tribute To Matthew Perry<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large caption_belowImage credit_onImage mobile-image-full-width\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1186\" src=\"https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Matthew-Perry-768x1186.jpg\" alt=\"Matthew Perry smiling\" class=\"wp-image-672951\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Matthew-Perry-scaled.jpg 1658w, https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Matthew-Perry-1326x2048.jpg 1326w, https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Matthew-Perry-995x1536.jpg 995w, https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Matthew-Perry-768x1186.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Matthew-Perry-663x1024.jpg 663w, https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Matthew-Perry-194x300.jpg 194w, https:\/\/media.theblast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Matthew-Perry-scaled.jpg 428w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 430px) 100px, 100vw\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">ZUMAPRESS.com \/ MEGA <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Kudrow credited the show\u2019s success to the chemistry between the solid members and the creative team behind the scenes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause there was a genius at work. And whatever any of us do in the long run, we are going to never experience something like that again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kudrow also praised her co-stars while remembering Perry\u2019s unforgettable comedic timing.<\/p>\n<p>She said, \u201cI felt I did OK, but Jennifer and Courteney? Amazing. David and Matt? They&#8217;d me laughing so hard. After which Matthew \u2013 he was just beyond us all.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jerry Seinfeld has stirred up fresh debate over two of television\u2019s biggest sitcoms after taking a playful but pointed swipe at \u201cFriends\u201d during a live appearance in Los Angeles. The comedy icon joked that NBC copied the formula behind \u201cSeinfeld\u201d and easily replaced the solid with more attractive stars. His remarks quickly reignited the longtime [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":331636,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[337],"tags":[1464,14608,517,4061,19782,483],"class_list":["post-331635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-claims","tag-copied","tag-friends","tag-jerry","tag-seinfeld","tag-show"],"aioseo_notices":[{"message":"The permalink for this post just changed! 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