Friends with Benefits is an American television sitcom created by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber which follows a group of friends living in Chicago and involves a very close friendship between two of the friends, who are each looking for the perfect mate, and the others who question their relationship, but at the same time have their own romantic problems to deal with.
The series aired in the USA on NBC from 5 August to 9 September, 2011. There are 13 half-hour episodes in one season.
Friends with Benefits premiered in South Africa on DStv's M-Net Series channel on Tuesday 10 January 2012, at 19h30. New episodes broadcast weekly.
Synopsis
From Oscar and Emmy winner Brian Grazer, Friends With Benefits is a half-hour comedy revolving around a group of twentysomething singles as they navigate the difficult, sometimes rewarding, often confusing world of dating.
Loyal and devoted to one another, these friends are never too busy to help a member of the group who might be in need. In fact, their companionship often extends into a more intimate setting - the bedroom.
Ben Lewis (Ryan Hansen) is on the hunt for the perfect woman who meets his impossible set of high standards, while his best friend, Sara Maxwell (Danneel Harris), a busy young doctor, is just looking for a nice, compatible man to settle down with and raise a family.
Ben and Sara have fallen into the habit of turning to each other for moral and physical support as they wait for Mr. and Ms. Right to arrive.
Their friend Aaron Greenway (Zach Cregger) a successful tech genius, is not quite sure what to make of Ben and Sara's complicated friendship, but he, along with the smooth ladykiller Julian "Fitz" Fitzgerald (Andre Holland) and the gorgeous, free-spirited Riley Elliott (Jessica Lucas), are all distracted with their own dating trials and tribulations.
Brian Grazer is executive producer for Imagine Television. Ira Ungerleider serves as executive producer and show runner. Also serving as executive producers are David Dobkin and Jeff Kleeman.
The show was created by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, who served as writers and executive producers for the pilot. David Dobkin directed the pilot.
Friends With Benefits is a production of Imagine Television, 20th Century Fox Television, and Big Kid Pictures.