When Friends went off the air in 2004, it was one of the most popular shows of all time and it continues to be massively popular since its shown every day all around the world. Once concluded, the question became, what would the cast do next? Matt LeBlanc continued on with Joey for the infamously disappointing spinoff, and Jennifer Aniston found success in movies and has only recently dabbled in television again, while the others went back to TV with varying success.
However, based on the Seinfeld cast's struggles finding success again, audiences knew it would be an uphill battle for the Friends' cast to recapture the magic too. The post-Friends output is a mixed bag: some are very good, some are not and some got canceled way too soon.
12 The Odd Couple (2015-2017) - 6.4
Developed by Matthew Perry, The Odd Couple was a remake of the classic TV show and movie based on the Neil Simon play. Matthew Perry played slovenly sportswriter Oscar Madison while Reno 911's Thomas Lennon played neat freak, Felix.
The show received mixed reviews and not-so-stellar ratings but lasted three seasons before being canceled. Unfortunately, The Odd Couple proved to be too dated and unoriginal for 2015 audiences wanting a fresh concept, especially from someone who starred in one of TV's greatest shows. Currently, this is Perry's final sitcom.
11 Web Therapy (2011- 2015) - 6.6
Originally starting as a short web series in 2008, Showtime then turned Web Therapy into a TV series in 2011 that lasted four seasons. Lisa Kudrow plays therapist Fiona Wallace and the show is done entirely through Skype with Fiona interacting with different patients, including guest stars like Meg Ryan, Meryl Streep, and most of her Friends co-stars.
Web Therapy was mostly improvised by the actors and while some critics found the show funny, others found it wore out its welcome very quickly and should have stayed a short web show. Ultimately, Showtime canceled it after four seasons.
10 Mr. Sunshine (2011) - 6.8
In 2011, Matthew Perry co-created the ABC single-camera comedy, Mr. Sunshine. A mid-season replacement co-starring Allison Janney and, ironically, Joey's Allison Anders as operators of a Staples Center-like sports arena in San Diego called The Sunshine Center.
Unfortunately, despite the talent involved, viewers didn't find the antics of running an arena too compelling, and, so, ABC canceled Mr. Sunshine after just nine episodes due to low ratings.
9 Dirt (2007-2008) - 6.9
Courteney Cox's first stab at TV was the edgy FX drama Dirt. Cox starred as Lucy Spiller, the ruthless editor of a new magazine DirtNow, which is the product of a merger between magazines: a tabloid and a more respectable magazine, with the goal to make the first "respectable tabloid."
Dirt was about the dark side of fame and the show received mixed reviews, with many calling it trashy but entertaining. Jennifer Aniston appeared on the first season finale as Lucy's ex-lover and FX hyped the episode for featuring a kiss between the two. Ultimately, the ratings began to slip and FX canceled it after two seasons.
8 Man With A Plan (2016-2020) - 7.0
At the same time Matt LeBlanc was technically starring on the Showtime series Episodes, he dived back into network television with another multi-cam sitcom. Man With A Plan cast LeBlanc as a father who begins handling more of the household responsibilities after his wife goes back to work.
Man With A Plan received negative reviews from critics for being unoriginal as the "father taking over the traditional mother responsibilities" trope seemed tired and dated. It performed satisfactorily for four seasons but the show was expensive to produce and CBS, looking to cut costs, decided to ax it.
7 Cougar Town (2009-2015) - 7.0
Courteney Cox's next try at a show proved successful. Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence created Cougar Town, a single-camera comedy about a 40-year-old divorced woman re-entering the dating world. Initially, she dated younger men, hence the name "cougar," but the show strayed away from that angle, with her dating men her own age. For years, rumors floated of a title change to reflect this new direction but it never happened.
After airing with modest ratings for three years on ABC, Cougar Town was moved to TBS where more episodes could be produced and it could be greater publicized. At TBS, it aired for three more years for a total of six seasons before ending. As a joke, the last episode finally gave the show a name change with the title sequence calling it Sunshine State.
6 Go On (2012-2013) - 7.5
Matthew Perry's next attempt at a TV show was Go On, a show created by Friends writer Scott Silveri. Go On was a single-camera comedy-drama about a sports radio host who joins a support group following his wife's death. The show premiered with great reviews with some calling it one of the "best new shows of the season." NBC then gave Go On a full season pick-up, which included a guest spot from Courteney Cox.
However, despite the good reviews, the audience didn't show up for Go On, and it was criticized for being too much like NBC's Community. Ultimately, NBC canceled it after one season.
5 Episodes (2011-2017) - 7.8
Co-created by Friends creator David Crane, 2011's Episodes featured the trials and tribulations of a British couple, Sean and Beverly, adapting their TV show for an American audience and having to begrudgingly cast Matt LeBlanc in the lead. The show acted as a funny allegory for the way the two nations produce art as the couple is forced to change their respected show for the worse. LeBlanc plays an ultra-arrogant version of himself, who constantly causes problems for Sean and Beverly. The show often ridicules Joey, and David Schwimmer makes an appearance in one episode.
Episodes premiered on Showtime to terrific reviews, especially praising Matt LeBlanc's performance. Leblanc was nominated for an Emmy twice and won a Golden Globe. The show lasted until 2017, wrapping up after five seasons.
4 The Comeback (2005, 2014) - 8.0
In 2005, Lisa Kudrow returned to television with HBO's The Comeback, a found footage style documentary series chronicling the funny and tragic, but hopeful, comeback of actress Valerie Cherish. Initially, reviews were mixed and ratings were modest, but the show grew in popularity following its cancellation after only one season.
The Comeback became more appreciated as years went on and after nine years, HBO gave it a second season. The second season was met with critical acclaim, although, currently, there are no plans for a third.
3 Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip (2006-2007) - 8.2
Matthew Perry's first post-Friends show was 2006's Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip. Created by Aaron Sorkin and inspired by his experiences in television, the show took place behind the scenes of a fictional SNL-like show that Perry and Bradley Whitford's characters are brought on to improve.
Studio 60 premiered the same season as the similar 30 Rock. Despite receiving critical acclaim, Studio 60 failed to succeed in the ratings. Ironically, 30 Rock's ratings were worse, but Studio 60 was more expensive to produce, so NBC canceled it after one season. Ultimately, 30 Rock improved and ran for seven years.
2 American Crime Story: The People Vs. O.J Simpson (2016) - 8.4
After doing theatre, directing movies, and lending his voice to the animated film Madagascar, David Schwimmer finally returned to television in 2016. From American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy, his new show would focus on one true crime each season.
The first season covered the trial of O.J. Simpson and Schwimmer played one of his lawyers, Robert Kardashian, father of the famous Kardashian sisters. The show received critical acclaim and was a ratings hit, while Schwimmer earned himself an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
1 The Morning Show (2019- Present) - 8.4
After having success for many years in movies, Jennifer Aniston finally decided to follow in her co-stars' footsteps and venture into television. Retroactively inspired by the Matt Lauer scandal, The Morning Show revolves around a morning news show anchor (Aniston) whose co-anchor (Steve Carell) has been fired amidst a sex scandal. Thus begins a rivalry between her and her new co-anchor (Reese Witherspoon).
The show premiered on the fledgling streaming service Apple TV + in 2019 to good reviews and would go on to be nominated for several Emmy awards. Currently, a second season is set to premiere in the latter part of 2021.
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