Everyone wants a Gen Z version of Friends. Here’s why it isn’t happening
- New sitcoms about Gen Z friendships are struggling to recreate the cultural impact of the hit show Friends.
- Streaming has fragmented audiences, while Gen Z also spends a major share of its time on YouTube and social media instead of traditional TV.
- The shows also face an authenticity problem, with older writers trying to capture Gen Z’s language, humour and experiences.
- Economic anxiety, Gen Z’s diversity and its deeply online lives make it harder to recreate the simple friend-group formula that made Friends a hit.
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