The majority of shows depicting adults are dramadies, and the clear cut friend group sitcom is beginning to feel like a lost art. The comedies left mostly live at work, where the people on screen are coworkers first and friends second.
So when a show is purely about a group of friends, it’s worth looking at how their lives are represented.
The pilots of “Friends”, “New Girl” and the recent FX show “Adults” reflect how twentysomethings’ sense of direction has changed, from where they live to what they do for a living, and what that says about the generation on screen and the one watching.
In the “Friends” pilot, everyone is around 26 and already living like complete adults. They all have real jobs, with Rachel as the one exception. Chandler has an office job, and Joey, a struggling actor, can still afford to share an apartment with him. Monica has a two bedroom with no obvious roommate. They all live in New York City, hanging out in ways that basically only involve spending money whether at a coffee shop, over dinner or shopping. They are meeting the traditional adult milestones.
Even Rachel, the group’s biggest mess, had her whole life set up for her. She leaves a man at the altar, ending what she thought her life’s direction was. Marriage was her plan.
“New Girl” is the middle step. The characters are in their late 20s with clear careers: Jess is an elementary school teacher, Nick is a bartender, Coach is an athletic trainer and Schmidt works in some sort of corporate job. They live in one loft in Los Angeles, the guys having to actively search for another roommate to fill an empty room. They still live away from home in a relatively big and nice place, but now with three roommates.
Jess is the epitome of “millenial optimism”, and the pilot centers around the power of friendship. The guys help Jess get back on her feet, they do it by going out to bars and parties. The group is still spending money, but they are pushing through their own struggles together.
“Adults” is the next step down, the characters are 24 and 25, all living rent free in Samir’s parents’ house outside New York City. His parents don’t know and probably wouldn’t appreciate that his friends are staying there, forcing them to avoid the front door to not trigger the Ring Doorbell.
The group barely buys anything or spends money. They hang out at home, or go together to complete errands. No one is in a long term relationship or seems to have dating as a real priority.
Anton seems to have a “real job”, but the pilot is centered around him lying to his coworkers about running a marathon, and the entire group pulling off an elaborate scheme to cover for him.
The lying about hobbies points to something larger than a punchline. Younger generations often work multiple jobs. Hobbies cost money and time, so there is less room for them. These plotlines seem absurdist, but they reflect the struggles and confusions twentysomethings are dealing with today.
Put the three shows side by side and the generational divide is clear. “Friends” has the city, the job and the milestones. “New Girl” keeps the jobs, but moves everyone into a shared space. Adults has the parent’s house, the coveted free rent, but barely real careers.
Who these shows are made for changes too. “Friends” is clearly written for the mainstream, with a laugh track and clear sitcom tropes so anyone can tune in at any point and follow along. “Adults” is clearly created for streaming, viewers are expected to watch in order.
All three lean on the sitcom formula, but the characters inside are losing their direction.
The dream has shrunk from a New York apartment to living rent free in someone’s parents’ house, and the friend group sitcom is just mirroring real life.