FRIENDS TAKES THE CROWN, DARLING: Big Bang Theory Left Bazinga-ing in Second

Pour the coffee, darling, because the sitcom wars have started and nobody is being civil. Which half-hour comedy is the best ever made? Couch loyalists, Dunder Mifflin diehards and laugh-track lovers are all swinging, and the crowd on Morfi has already named a front-runner.

First, a little homework, because I'm a professional. According to Wikipedia's entry on Friends, the NBC show ran for ten seasons, and its finale pulled around 52.5 million American viewers. That makes it the fifth-most-watched series finale in American TV history and the most-watched episode of the 2000s. Meanwhile, The Office won five Primetime Emmys, including Outstanding Comedy Series, plus a Peabody, and Rolling Stone put it among the 100 greatest TV shows ever in 2016. Prestige on one side, a mountain of eyeballs on the other.

Now the tea. In this opinion market on Morfi, Friends leads at 38% consensus. The Big Bang Theory is second at 13%. Remember that these are conviction levels, not a headcount of fans. The rest of the ballot is 4 other sides. Trading opened less than a day ago, and so far 12 traders have put $32,316 behind their opinions.

Here's the delicious part, darling. The show with the Emmys and the Peabody is not the one wearing the crown, and the runner-up is a sitcom critics love to sneer at. Either the crowd values comfort over trophies, or the Big Bang army votes early and often. I'd say it's a bit of both.

My take, and this is pure opinion, so don't write angry letters: the crowd got it right, in the way a cozy blanket is right. Friends is the show you put on when your life is a mess and you want six beautiful disasters to tell you it's fine. Does it hold up in every joke? Honey, no. Does it still own the room? Absolutely. As for The Office, I suspect it is quietly plotting a comeback, with Michael Scott as the unlikely mastermind.

What to watch next: this market is still in its first day, so the standings can wobble the moment the Office faithful and the Brooklyn Nine-Nine squad wake up. Think your favorite deserves the throne? Join the market on Morfi, back your opinion, and let's see if Friends will be there for you when the votes pile up.