12 Shows You Can Binge on Netflix and Hulu Until ‘Friends’ Returns on HBO Max
It’s been a rough month for devout “Friends” fans who used to stream the show religiously on Netflix. The streaming service removed the sitcom off its platform on Jan. 1, as it will be exclusively be available on WarnerMedia’s upcoming streaming service HBO Max come May.
Speculation of the move started back in January 2019 when a glitch made it appear as though the hit TV show would no longer be available on Netflix. The glitch created a frenzy on social media, prompting the streaming giant to announce that the series will be available on the platform at least through 2019.
In July, news that the show would no longer be available on Netflix was made official. Robert Greenblatt, chairman, WarnerMedia Entertainment and Direct-to-Consumer, confirmed the news in a statement, saying, “HBO Max will bring together the diverse riches of WarnerMedia to create programming and user experiences not seen before in a streaming platform. HBO’s world-class programming leads the way, the quality of which will be the guiding principle for our new array of Max Originals, our exciting acquisitions, and the very best of the Warner Bros. libraries, starting with the phenomenon that is ‘Friends.’”
HBO Max will also be the exclusive streaming home for “The Big Bang Theory.” The service also secured exclusive rights to “Sesame Street,” bringing the franchise’s entire 50-year library to a streaming platform for the first time; they also have the U.S. streaming rights for Japan’s Studio Ghibli and have ordered two unscripted kids competition series—”Karma” and “Craftopia.”
With three more months left until HBO Max launches, there is still a void to be filled until we have access to “Friends” again. Below is a list of sitcoms currently available to stream in place of the hit show.
Available on Netflix
Cheers
Take it all the way back to the ’80s with the gang at “Cheers”. The show follows “regulars of the Boston bar as they share their experiences and lives with each other while drinking or working at the bar where everybody knows your name.”
Parks and Recreation
Leslie Knope is quirky, but she has heart. The show chronicles the adventures of Knope, played by Amy Poehler, as she leads the Parks and Recreation department of Pawnee, Indiana, in their pursuit of “sundry projects to make their city a better place.”
The Office
Like “Friends,” “The Office” has easily become one of the most popular shows watched on Netflix. However, Michael Scott’s wild and inappropriate office antics will also leave the streamer come January 2021 and will move to NBC Universal’s Peacock.
Arrested Development
“Level-headed son Michael Bluth takes over family affairs after his father is imprisoned. But the rest of his spoiled, dysfunctional family are making his job unbearable.”
New Girl
Zooey Deschanel plays Jess, a doe-eyed girl who moves into an apartment with three single men right after her bad break-up. Though she seems offbeat, Jess finds her place in the boyish dynamic of the apartment, offering a different perspective from the guys.
Fuller House
“A continuation of Full House (1987), D.J. Fuller is a mother of three young boys and is a recent widow. D.J.’s sister Stephanie, her best friend Kimmy and Kimmy’s teenage daughter all move in to help raise her sons.”
Available on Hulu
Will and Grace
Go back to the ’90s with the groundbreaking show which followed, “gay lawyer Will and straight interior designer Grace who share a New York City apartment. Their best friends are gleeful and proud gay Jack and charismatic, filthy-rich, amoral socialite Karen.”
30 Rock
“Liz Lemon (Tina Fey), head writer of the sketch comedy show “TGS with Tracy Jordan,” must deal with an arrogant new boss and a crazy new star, all while trying to run a successful television show without losing her mind.”
Community
“A suspended lawyer is forced to enroll in a community college with an eclectic staff and student body.”
Modern Family
This light-hearted mockumentary brings humor to the trials and tribulations of three different families. The show follows patriarch Jay Pritchett, played by Ed O’Neill, who is married to a younger, Colombian woman, (Sofia Vergara) as he navigates the dynamics between his daughter Claire (Julie Bowen), and her family as well as his son, Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), who lives with his partner, Cameron (Eric Stonestreet).
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Keeping in the theme of friendship, this show follows “five friends with big egos and slightly arrogant attitudes” as they run an Irish pub in Philadelphia.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
The 99th Precinct of the NYPD has a different way of getting the job done, but they get the job done. The show follows Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg), the officer who dances to the beat of his own drummer, as he desperately vies for the approval from his new captain, Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher), who is a stickler for protocol.