How I Met Your Mother vs Friends

Discussion in 'TV & Media' started by EmoBorg, Dec 6, 2012.

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How I Met Your Mother vs Friends

Poll closed Dec 20, 2012.
  1. How I Met Your Mother has a better cast

    21 vote(s)
    48.8%
  2. Friends had a better cast

    14 vote(s)
    32.6%
  3. Both cast were equally as good

    9 vote(s)
    20.9%
  4. How I Met Your Mother has better comedic writing

    28 vote(s)
    65.1%
  5. Friends has better comedic writing

    14 vote(s)
    32.6%
  6. Both's comedic writing were equally as good

    2 vote(s)
    4.7%
Multiple votes are allowed.
  1. EmoBorg

    EmoBorg Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Apr 2, 2012
    Location:
    in the 10 dimensions of reality
    This is a poll for the How I Met Your Mother vs Friends to see whose cast and writing was better.


    [​IMG]

    How I Met Your Mother Characters

    Barney Stinson
    Robin Scherbatsky
    Ted Mosby
    Lily Aldrin
    Marshall Eriksen

    [​IMG][​IMG]

    Friends Characters

    Rachel Green
    Monica Geller
    Phoebe Buffay
    Joey Tribbiani
    Chandler Bing
    Ross Geller
     
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2012
  2. Mr Light

    Mr Light Admiral Admiral

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    Friends is a great show (well starting in the middle years) but Mother is one of my all time favorite sit-coms and wins in every category.
     
  3. Guy Gardener

    Guy Gardener Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Friends was clever when we didn't expect shit from sitcoms.

    How I met your mother is clever in an age where we have much, much, much higher standards.

    That being said, my feelings on looking at those cast photos?

    I want to shoot Ross and I don't care who is caught in the crossfire.

    Meanwhile in the other snapshot, I have to commiserate that Josh Radnor is still a nobody.
     
  4. Skywalker

    Skywalker Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2005
    Barney alone makes HIMYM's cast better. I can't comment on the writing, though; it's been too long since I last watched any of Friends when it was good.
     
  5. RoJoHen

    RoJoHen Awesome Admiral

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    Both awesome shows, but I find HIMYM to be much more relatable. It has become one of my favorite shows of all time.
     
  6. Luisiana Jones

    Luisiana Jones Ensign Red Shirt

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    Dec 4, 2012
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    Altho Barney is just the new Joey i have to agree with that statement. He's just awesome!
     
  7. Beagleman

    Beagleman Commodore Commodore

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    Yup, I don't see too much of a career for him after the show is over...
     
  8. highlander

    highlander Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    I was a huge fan of Friends back in the day, but I have become an even bigger fan of How I Met Your Mother. I watched the DVDs a few years a ago and got caught up to date and haven't missed an ep yet. The writing is great both funny and romantic and the character development is better in my opinion as well.
     
  9. trekkiebaggio

    trekkiebaggio Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Friends for both. I really like How I Met Your Mother, but I think in years to come I won't be able to re-watch them endlessly like I can with Friends.
     
  10. Spot's Meow

    Spot's Meow Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Friends, definitely. I've tried really hard to like How I Met Your Mother, jumping into the DVDs several times over the years. I just don't enjoy it. The characters kind of annoy me, especially Alyson Hannigan who I am normally a huge fan of, and I didn't really laugh very much. I do like Barney though, he is the only thing that makes the show watchable for me, but one character does not a show make (excepting Mr. Ed).

    Friends, on the other hand, I can rewatch all day long. The jokes are still really funny to me, not always in a laugh out loud sort of way but often some thought or concept will just be so damn amusing (for instance, Chandler's TV guide being delivered to "Chanandler Bong," it still makes me chuckle thinking about it now!). I also love all of the characters (okay, except for Phoebe), which makes a huge difference. I cared about seeing their lives unfold every week, and seeing the hilarious shenanigans they got into. I just can't say the same for HIMYM - there's no connection there, I just see actors trying too hard to be funny.
     
  11. Admiral2

    Admiral2 Admiral Admiral

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    You should have included an "I hate both equally" option.
     
  12. FPAlpha

    FPAlpha Vice Admiral Premium Member

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    Location:
    Mannheim, Germany
    Friends overall is the better show from my point of view for a few reasons:

    - overall better/more interesting characters

    Mother has Barney Stinson.. i give them that and he's hilarious and often enough carries the episode/show by himself but the others share good scenes.. one episode it's Marshal who's awesome, the next one it's Lily etc.

    I feel Friends had the more well rounded cast and no breakout character who carried the show

    - Mother has dug itself too deep by dragging out the main storyline

    Mother was.. well, about Ted's journey to find the Mother. For the first few seasons it was fun to see little tidbits revealed (i even dug Ted and Robin even when they spoiled the fact that she can't be the mother in the pilot episode!) and some glimpses but by season 4 or 5 i became fed up with it. It's season 8 now and they've even put the whole Mother storyline besides to drag out Barney's and Robin's relationship/supposed wedding :rolleyes:

    So overall Friends wins for me.. not because it has better writing or better actors but because Mother made too many bad choices to take away the spot from Friends (whose quality dropped a bit after season 3/4 but still remained on a good level).
     
  13. marksound

    marksound Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Ms. Chanandler Bong.

    Friends has held up even though it's been nearly 20 years since the premiere (and Jennifer Aniston is still a babe). I just don't foresee the same for HIMYM.
     
  14. Kirby

    Kirby Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    HIMYM has better writing, and I like the creativity of the time jumps, and different versions of the same scenes. I think it makes the storytelling aspect of it more fun. Plus HIMYM can sometimes can go to a very weird place, which I like. On the negative side, they're really dragging the Ted/mother thing out waaaaaaaay too long. Friends is your standard three camera sitcom, and had some very good, fun, memorable moments in it, but I still prefer HIMYM. For a cast, everyone on Friends had some great moments which made for a great ensemble. Neil Patrick Harris just blows away the rest of the HIMYM cast and too frequently is the best part of the show. I'll give the Friends cast the edge on acting.
     
  15. RoJoHen

    RoJoHen Awesome Admiral

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    QC, IL, USA
    I decided about 3 seasons ago that "How I Met Your Mother" works so much better if you just ignore the premise. So now I don't care at all how long it takes for him to meet their mother.
     
  16. Spot's Meow

    Spot's Meow Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I was hoping someone would come along with this. :lol: The episode that's from (The One With the Embryos), where they have the trivia contest over the apartment, is probably my favorite Friends episode.
     
  17. RoJoHen

    RoJoHen Awesome Admiral

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    That is easily one of the best episodes of any sitcom ever.

    Rachel: "He's a transpons--transponster!"
    Monica: "THAT'S NOT EVEN A WORD!!!"
     
  18. the G-man

    the G-man Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I'd put them as about equal. Both had some great seasons and both of them ran too long.
     
  19. Guy Gardener

    Guy Gardener Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    In the lap of squalor I assure you.
    I still think that The Bings is a viable spinoff.

    Goon is treading water.

    Drown Goon! Drown!

    Chandler trying to live happily ever after with Monica while secretly have an affair with Janice who lives next door.
     
  20. Goji

    Goji Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I'm probably alone in this, but I can't stand "Friends".

    I've never seen the other show, but if it has Neil Patrick Harris, that's a point in its favor. I didn't vote in the poll though.