We might owe the success of the likes of Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother to Friends, but for every good show that followed in the show's wake there was The worst thing about Friends' legacy is that it stops other models for new shows from really thriving. Consider the lasting impact of Frasier: more interesting, supposedly higher-brow comedies and dramas are smashed into the ground by more disposably entertaining shows, even when their quality flags. Instead of us getting more episodes of Boss and Community, we're forced to endure a Big Bang Theory that has gone well beyond its sell-by date, while long established, but "quirkier" shows like Parks And Rec and Archer are viewed as somehow offbeat, despite the commitment of their fanbases. The problem is that every new show that isn't made by HBO, or isn't a massive high-concept drama is silently judged on the Friends matrix, and if they don't immediately match up to the show's impact, they will perpetually flirt with the dreaded cancellation axe. And that is not a healthy position for any new shows to be in, especially considering the fact that the first series of Friends now probably wouldn't pass the Friends test.
