Televised Déjà Vu

Not unlike the many generic sitcoms about a group of (mostly)single and exceedingly codependent friends that's raging through televisions these days, How I Met Your Mother and Friends manage to take co-dependence to a WHOLE other level. They run along similar lines, portraying relationships, love, friendship that is accompanied by mindless bickering over trivial issues and the very often showcased meddlesome behavior.

Now for the reasons WHY these two shows evoke an undeniable sense of  déjà vu:


#1 Both the shows are about a group of (mostly)single friends. What's with all these shows these days? Seriously. ALL of them revolve around the concept of marriage and the complications of relationships and dating. And by 'all' I mean almost EVERY sitcom that is aired on Indian television, such as Rules of Engagement and Better With You and um.....Cougar Town(These are the only ones that almost immediately popped up in my head)!

#2 The popular hangout spot. If it's MacLaren's in How I met Your Mother, it's Central Perk in Friends. The particular in-groups seems to spend a suspicious amount of time with each other  in their respective spots than at their own places or their jobs, which makes me wonder if they are ALL on whimsical, protracted sabbaticals.

#3 There is this one guy in the group who is the over-enthusiastic womanizer who seems to harbour the sexual impulse of  a deranged, isolated sociopath and just HAS to spend every night with a model-like(often blonde) woman that he picked up at the bar using an asinine pick up line due to his raging need for preserving his self worth.

#4  Next, both the shows have this couple-Lily and Marshal in How I Met Your Mother and Monica and Chandler in Friends- who are in a relationship at the beginning of the series and end up getting married(with a baby on the way, even if it IS a surrogate baby)in one of the following seasons.

#5 Then, there is this ONE chick who has to learn that she is incapable of having  a baby( This works the first time around, but just comes off as predictable when weaved into the plot of How I Met Your Mother, regardless of the fact that these two shows were developed over a decade apart).

Well, that's it. These are a few things that often readily float through my head while watching any one of these shows. These fictional details are irrelevant, yes. But the similarities are noteworthy. So, here's the note!

(PS: Excuse the sorry excuse for a joke, I was only trying)