Cool, but it's still not the norm, that's my point. It was the most popular show at the time so regardless of what the intricacies of the backstory were, people

Cool, but it's still not the norm, that's my point. It was the most popular show at the time so regardless of what the intricacies of the backstory were, people got the impression that was normal. "This must be what it's like for the avg 20 something in New York." Almost every show does this. No one wants to watch a show about someone struggling to get by in a shithole. It's just how TV works. You see only the nice stuff with people thriving. The fat dumb husband with a hot wife is another unrealistic trope.