There's No Way You Will Know If It Happened On Friends Or On How I Met Your Mother
- by Rose Moore
- – on
- in Movies and TV
When it comes to sitcoms set in New York City, about a group of attractive young people who often live together, there are plenty of titles that come to mind... and Friends or How I Met Your Mother are sure to be two of the most obvious choices!
Friends was on the air a little earlier than How I Met Your Mother, which means that there are some gags that haven't aged quite as well (not to mention some of the outfits!!), but both are filled with hilarious adventures in living and working in the greatest city in the world. Some of those adventures just couldn't happen to anyone else... but some of them end up being extremely similar... there are things that have even happened on both Friends and How I Met Your Mother - although there's no way of knowing if that's just because it's too good a sitcom joke to pass up, or if it's because that's just the way that life ends up happening in New York City...
Do you know both shows so well that you can tell which is which, just from a description (and a screenshot that reveals a little about the event in question)? Or would you struggle to place the zany sitcom scenario, because they are all just so darn similar sometimes? Take our quiz and find out how well you fare!
In which show does someone buy a boat at an auction?
In this episode, some of the characters head to a fancy silent auction in order to try and support someone's career... and not everyone understands that it's a silent auction, not a guessing game! As a result, someone ends up accidentally buying a boat - even though there is no way that they can actually afford it. Despite this, they do end up keeping the yacht in the end, even though the second-highest bidder, Mr Beaumont would be happy to actually buy it as well.
Where was a character was a goth in high school.
In both Friends and How I Met Your Mother, we get to see lots of characters' lives in high school, thanks to the magic of TV flashbacks. We see who used to be popular, who used to be fat, who got a nose job, who was a cringeworthy college student... and one character who used to be a goth kid. You would certainly never expect it from this super-fashionable New Yorker now, but which show had a main character with a serious goth phase?
Which series saw Anne Dudek appear as an ex-girlfriend?
Both Friends and How I Met Your Mother have plenty of jilted exes, bad dates, and lovelorn missed connections that the main characters deal with over the years. Actress Anne Dudek appears as a particularly unlucky lady, who has to deal with being unceremoniously dumped on her birthday!! Although the man in question has good reasons for wanting to end the relationship, that still doesn't seem to be much consolation to the poor girl... which show did this happen on?
Which show has a main character with a popstar past?
As well as highschool flashbacks, one of these sitcoms has multiple flashbacks to an earlier career as a pop star in Canada - at first, she tries to convince the rest of the gang that it was just a one hit wonder, but eventually they learn the full extent of the truth - that she didn't just have one hit. She also had a follow up ballad, a disastrous performance when she went from pop to goth, and even a TV show!
When did someone rap to their baby?
Although the crew of both How I Met Your Mother and Friends start out as slightly lost New Yorkers in their twenties, by the end of both series, most of them have figured things out - with solid careers, new homes, and even cute little babies... which show had some new parents making their cute baby girl laugh by singing them the deeply inappropriate Baby Got Back... and even doing some dancing for her as well, despite the judgement of the rest of the gang.
Which show saw someone lose their virginity to this woman?
We get to find out a lot about the histories of the various friends over the years, including several of their virginity stories... one of which was revisited! When this main character learned that Rhonda 'The Manmaker' had lied to him about how good he was in bed when he first lost his virginity to her, he was blown away - and it put him completely off his game... until he was able to go back to bed with her.
Which show did Charlie Sheen appear in?
Both of these amazing sitcoms have had lots of guest stars over the years, but where did Charlie Sheen appear? He was a guest star for a single episode, as a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy who one of the female main characters referred to her 'submarine guy', because he only resurfaced every few years for a wonderful romantic night, and then had to go back underwater again. Which show was it that he appeared on for that single episode?
Which show did Katy Perry guest star in?
Another guest star was Katy Perry, who showed up for an episode as the naive and gullible cousin of another character. We never learned her name, though, because she was so gullible that all her stories ended up with one of the gang saying, in a pitying tone 'oh, Honey'... so they just called her Honey, instead of by her real name. Honey even had the episode she appeared in named after her, while two of the guys competed to get her attention.
Which season saw a main character get their identity stolen?
Identity theft is never something that you want to deal with, but when it happened to one of the gang on this sitcom, she dealt with it in a very unique way... by becoming her friend and actually taking inspiration from the identity thief on how to make her own life better. The two ended up day drinking, taking tap classes, and generally having a whole lot of fun in New York City before she was caught by someone else and headed to prison...
Which show saw someone nearly marry a stripper?
Although this pair didn't make it all the way down the altar, one of the characters did have a serious relationship with Quinn, a stripper who works at the Lusty Leopard. The two met outside of the strip club, and although he was excited about dating a stripper at first, he did struggle with her job at times. However, they were perfect for each other in a lot of ways - but just didn't trust each other enough in the end.
Which show saw someone get a drunk tramp stamp?
Most of the gang from Friends and How I Met Your Mother are tattoo-free, or at least, have a very small and very well-hidden tattoo somewhere... until one drunken night, when this main character got a butterfly tramp stamp tattoo - and didn't even remember it in the morning. It all worked out in the end, though, as the dermatologist who removed the tattoo ended up becoming a big part of his life - and even helping him meet the love of his.
Which gang dealt with this nosy neighbor?
It seems that in these sitcoms, everyone just lives with each other - or at least, across the hall from each other. However, we do get to meet a few of the gang's neighbors throughout the seasons - including Mr Heckles, a quirky older guy who lives downstairs and absolutely hates his upstairs neighbors. He's always complaining about the noise, even when they aren't doing anything but sitting around and hanging out with each other. Which show does this neighbor appear in?
Which show does James VanDerBeek appear in?
Another guest star in the world of NYC sitcoms is James Van Der Beek... who certainly doesn't look like the handsome TV star that we all know and love. Instead, he appears as the ex-boyfriend of one of the main characters, who she is still inexplicably crazy about, despite the fact that he is now balding and completely unsuccessful. His character of Simon makes more than one appearance - and even briefly starts dating a main character, although once again, he ends up dumping her for Louise Marsh...
Which show sees someone shave their whole head?
In this show, one of the girls was feeling a little bit too jealous when her ex-boyfriend got together with someone new... especially when that someone new is fun, gorgeous, and extremely adventurous. She also used to be bald, and in a fit of jealousy, the ex-girlfriend convinces her to shave her head once more - so that the man in question won't find her attractive any more. It works, but it was a pretty shabby was to behave! Which show did this happen on?
When was someone left at the altar?
It shouldn't be too much of a surprise that in two sitcoms that track the lives of twenty (and eventually thirty) somethings, there are a lot of weddings (even if Ross is responsible for more than his fair share of those!). Most are beautiful, lovely events, which end with a bride and groom happily wandering off into the sunset to start their new lives together... some, however, don't end so well. In which of these shows was someone left at the altar?
Which series has an annual Halloween party on the roof?
Halloween always makes for a fun episode - whether it 's the one where Robin makes a commercial for adult diapers, or the one where Chandler dresses up as a big pink bunny! In both Friends and How I Met Your Mother, there are some great Halloween traditions and special episodes most years... however, which of these shows includes a tradition of the annual party on the rooftop of the building - and even sees one main character wearing the same costume to attend it for years?
Where did someone's Mom write erotica?
Throughout the seasons, we meet most of the characters' parents, and while they are often just sweet stereotypical moms and dads, sometimes they are very out there - especially this mom. Although she's lovely to her son, and his friends all think she's great, he's embarrassed by the fact that she writes erotica for a living, and dresses extremely provocatively... and even kisses on of his friends! Which show has this embarrassingly sexual parent of one of the main cast?
Which show saw a woman become a bridesmaid to her ex-fiancee?
There are a lot of complex relationships in Friends and How I Met Your Mother, and it's not uncommon for two characters to be have dated the same person - even if they are all friends together still. However, this show took things a step further, when someone who left her fiancee at the altar ends up becoming bridesmaid at his wedding... to one of her old friends! It was a situation made even more awkward by the most hideous pink dress, but she managed to get through it anyway.
Who has the 'front porch test'?
Because the characters (in both shows) have been friends forever, they often think about how they'll continue to be friends for the rest of their lives... and that can cause the occasional problem, when a new boyfriend or girlfriend doesn't fit into their long term plans. In this show, it all came down to the 'front porch test' - imagining them all together, retired on the front porch of a beach house. If the new girlfriend would fit in there, she could stay, but if not... it was time to go!
Which series includes a blackout episode?
There's something special about a blackout - the soft light of candles, the way that everyone huddles together and reacts to the storm raging outside... and often, in sitcom-land, the way that a blackout seems to be the perfect way to meet a stunningly attractive neighbor! Roaming the halls in a blackout in New York seems to mean having to bump into never-before-seen neighbors who are stunningly attractive and happy to come back to your candlelit apartment... which series did this happen in?
Which series does this actress appear in?
There's something about Christina Pickles that makes her so good at playing the Mom figure - especially one that is kind and loving, but also able to convey total disapproval with just one withering look! She appears in this sitcom multiple times over the course of the series, popping up to both help and freak out the main characters (depending on the episode), and is one of our absolute favorite sitcom relatives. Which of these shows does she appear in?
Which show features the annoying Sandy Rivers?
The core group from both How I Met Your Mother and Friends have dealt with some impressively annoying co-workers over the years (and some nice ones, of course) - including the one and only Sandy Rivers. Sandy was obnoxious, slimy, totally self-absorbed and always hitting on his colleague - although she was pretty persistent about turning him down. Despite his annoyances, he was great comic relief, though - and even popped up again several seasons later when his ex-colleague ended up working with him a second time.
Which show saw all of someone's stuff thrown out a window?
Relationships can get a little crazy - but none got quite so crazy as this one... Jeanette first appeared to be someone who just happened to keep showing up in the main character's life - but it was soon revealed that she was actually stalking him! He stayed with her despite it, and despite all his friends warning him that she was a little bit nuts (especially after she locked herself in his bedroom) - but he stuck it out until the night that she locked him out of the apartment and threw everything he owned into the street.
Where did someone get a turkey stuck on their head?
This actually happened twice in one series (you would think that they would have learned after the first time!), where two people got turkeys stuck on their heads at different points. The first time, someone put the turkey on their head to try and scare a friend, and couldn't get it off... but the second time, it was after hearing the first story, when someone else put it on their head to apologize to that same friend. Which show did this happen in?
Which show had a musical episode about suits?
Everybody loves a musical episode... and this one was about how much one of the lead characters loves suits! He's always in a suit - and even owns 'suitjamas' to sleep in... but he also loves women, and when a particularly hot woman revealed that she hates men in suits, he struggled to decide whether or not she was worth giving up the outfit that he loves... which of course, turned into a musical number in the streets of New York City!