Early reviews of the series were mixed. Tom Feran of The Plain Dealer wrote that the series traded "vaguely and less successfully on the hanging-out style of Seinfeld",[1] while Ann Hodges of the Houston Chronicle called it "the new Seinfeld wannabe, but it will never be as funny as Seinfeld."[2] In the Los Angeles Daily News, Ray Richmond named the series as "one of the brighter comedies of the new season",[3] and the Los Angeles Times called it "flat-out the best comedy series of the new season".[4] Chicago Sun-Times' Ginny Holbert found Joey and Rachel's characteristics to be underdeveloped,[5] while Richmond commended the cast as a "likeable, youth ensemble" with "good chemistry"[3] Robert Bianco of USA Today was complimentary of Schwimmer, calling him "terrific". He also praised the female leads, but was concerned that Perry's role as Chandler was "undefined" and that LeBlanc was "relying too much on the same brain-dead stud routine that was already tired the last two times he tried it".[6] The authors of Friends Like Us: The Unofficial Guide to Friends thought that the cast was "trying just a little too hard", in particular Perry and Schwimmer.[7] "People Magazine" said that the "saving grace" is that the characters become more likable as time goes on.