Is Coupling based on Friends?

Is Coupling based on Friends, no, British sitcom Coupling created by Steven Moffat is not based on Friends, though both shows are about group of friends navigating relationships and were compared due to similar premise of six friends, three men and three women, in urban setting. Coupling aired on BBC from 2000 to 2004, while Friends aired 1994 to 2004, so Coupling came later and was sometimes called British Friends by media due to superficial similarity of ensemble cast of friends in their late 20s and early 30s dealing with dating, but creator Steven Moffat stated Coupling was based on his own relationship with producer Sue Vertue and his own experiences, not on Friends, and has distinct style with more complex narrative structure, non linear storytelling, and frank discussions about sex and relationships with British humor. Coupling is more sexually explicit and uses innovative storytelling techniques like split screen and time jumps, while Friends is more traditional sitcom with laugh track and broader humor. Moffat has said he admired Friends but did not base Coupling on it, instead inspiration came from his own life and Seinfeld style observational comedy. So while compared, Coupling is original creation not adaptation of Friends.