The show Friends continued almost halfway through the '00s, yet the show continues to be primarily associated with '90s pop culture.  While viewership did peak during its second and third seasons, the show remained consistently popular all the way until the show ended in 2004.  Still, you are likely to see people dressed up as Friends characters at a '90s party but you are less likely to see them at a '00s party.

I think The Office is a comparable show for the '00s.  It began mid-decade much like Friends did in the '90s.  Unlike Friends, The Office didn't immediately catch on and it took until the 2008-09 season (Season 5) for viewership to peak.  It then stagnated through the early '10s before dropping off significantly during the final two seasons.  The show ended in 2013, which was deep enough into the '10s for it to qualify as a '10s show.  With that said, I think I will always associate the show with the '00s, especially the late '00s.  I think much as Friends was a glimpse into '90s culture, The Office was really relatable to those of us who came of age during the late '00s, especially college grads who worked in similar environments.  What are your thoughts?

Even though the show technically ended in 2013, it really ended when Michael Scott left, which was in season 7 (2011). It's hella more 00s than 10s.

No, I did not laugh once during "The Office", but on the other hand "Friends" has many laughs, even several belly laughs.

No, I did not laugh once during "The Office", but on the other hand "Friends" has many laughs, even several belly laughs.

The exact opposite for me :o. Friends was OK but The Office always made me laugh.

The exact opposite for me :o. Friends was OK but The Office always made me laugh.
I put down to a generation thing, my son loved and like "The Office", and finds "Friends" hysterical.

No, I did not laugh once during "The Office", but on the other hand "Friends" has many laughs, even several belly laughs.

The Office had too much cheesy humor in it to be all that funny and I found the characters to act dumb most of the time.

The Office definitely leans 2000s, but I think a good case can be made that Friends is a defining 2000s show as well. The first three-four seasons definitely belong in the '90s, but those early 2000s episode (2000-2004, half the decade!) were also some of the most popular TV back then.

I generally associate a show in terms of the decade it spend the most time in. Thus we see Dif'frent Strokes as '80s, Full House as '90s, and Sex in the City as '00s, even though the first seasons of those shows clearly are a part of the culture of the decade they premiered in, but these shoes peaked in popularity around the "2" year of the following decade, just far enough into it where the identity of the decade starts to form.  Then you have long-runners like Law & Order which is a '90s and 2000s show.

Also, I feel that "30 Rock" was to the '00s to what NewsRadio was to the '90s (to what WKRP in Cincinnati was in the late '70s/early '80s IMO), all having that cheesy humor while being at a radio station.

If anything I think "How I Met Your Mother" was the "Friends" of the 00's. Both shows ran for about 10 years and spanned from the middle of one decade to the next. The NYC setting and characters were similar (especially Ted of HIMYM and Ross from Friends).

"The Office" on the other hand, was more strictly a mid-to-late 00's show. I think it's peak was around 2008/09, still popular in 2010, and went downhill ever since Michael Scott (Steve Carell) left.

If anything I think "How I Met Your Mother" was the "Friends" of the 00's. Both shows ran for about 10 years and spanned from the middle of one decade to the next. The NYC setting and characters were similar (especially Ted of HIMYM and Ross from Friends).

"The Office" on the other hand, was more strictly a mid-to-late 00's show. I think it's peak was around 2008/09, still popular in 2010, and went downhill ever since Michael Scott (Steve Carell) left.


Which is convenient because HIMYM never had a peak; it was always mediocre.

The Office definitely leans 2000s, but I think a good case can be made that Friends is a defining 2000s show as well. The first three-four seasons definitely belong in the '90s, but those early 2000s episode (2000-2004, half the decade!) were also some of the most popular TV back then.


I agree. Friends was the ultimate sitcom of the 1990s and the early 2000s. Frasier also ran at the same exact time as well, 1994-2004, and on the same network funnily enough. However, from what I remember Frasier's humor was a lot more dry than of Friends.

Anyways, I'd say that in relation to The Office the show was clearly more 2000s culturally than 2010s. Besides, when Mike left the show (season 7), the show's quality and popularity went down pretty fast. That was the 2010-2011 season.

I got tired of the whole stoic/serious face shtick by the end of Season 5. But then again, some people hate the comedy shows I watch, so I have no place to get too uppity about my criticism!  ;D  ;D  ;D

I always think of The Office as a 2000s show, even though it ended in 2013.

Yeah, Parks & Rec was the '10s sitcom (and one of the only good ones of the bunch).

The exact opposite for me :o. Friends was OK but The Office always made me laugh.


I always liked Michael Scott, he was funny. ;D