Did coupling inspire Friends?

Did Coupling inspire Friends, no, Coupling did not inspire Friends because Friends premiered first, Friends aired from 1994 to 2004 on NBC, created by Marta Kauffman and David Crane, became global hit about six friends in New York. Coupling is British sitcom created by Steven Moffat that aired from 2000 to 2004 on BBC, about dating and relationships of six friends in London, so Coupling came six years after Friends started, so it could not have inspired Friends. Instead, opposite often discussed, whether Coupling was inspired by Friends, as both shows have six friends, three men and three women, navigating relationships in city, but Moffat has said Coupling was based on his own relationship with producer Sue Vertue and was inspired by his earlier work and personal life, not directly copy of Friends, though similarity in structure inevitable. Some British critics called Coupling British answer to Friends but with more explicit sexual humor and complex narrative structure with split screen and time jumps. So timeline makes it impossible for Coupling to inspire Friends, Friends inspired many shows after including Coupling in terms of ensemble format, but Moffat's show had distinct writing style and humor that differentiated it from American sitcom.