Friends reunion special delayed – and the coronavirus pandemic is to blame for that
16 years after the 236th episode of the beloved sitcom was screened, Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler and Ross will reunite, but not as early as planned
Friends, which aired its final episode 16 years ago, recently found a new home on HBO Max – and Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc were expected to return for a new episode. But thanks to the coronavirus outbreak, fans are going to have to wait a little longer to see them again.
The much-awaited reunion special was supposed to be filmed in April but, along with a whole raft of other television shows and movies, shooting has been delayed as the coronavirus sweeps the globe. Here’s what we know about when we might be seeing your favourite friends again, and what the reunion special will be about.
Are Ross and Rachel still on a break?
After 236 episodes, 83 hours, 10 seasons, 62 Emmy nominations and global stardom for the six real-life Friends actors, the beloved sitcom ended its run on May 6, 2004. The pivotal moment in television history was followed by much speculation and unofficial reunions as fans pleaded for the comedy series to return. Finally this coming May, the original six cast members will stream back into HBO’s new platform for an exclusive episode. Here’s what we know so far.
Unscripted episode
When Friends joined Netflix in 2014 (on its 10th anniversary) for a US$80-US$100 million deal, it went on to become the second most-streamed show on the platform, as reported by The Economist. So, it’s understandable when a higher offer comes through, Friends once again finds a new home on HBO Max.
Owned by WarnerMedia, the new streaming service shelled out US$425 million to secure exclusive rights to all 10 seasons, said The Hollywood Reporter. All the shows will be available for streaming in May 2020 along with a one-off “untitled unscripted episode”, which by the sound of it will see the six original cast members return to chat about life after Friends instead of a new episode.
Making millions