At long last, we finally have a straight answer about that long-rumoured Friends reunion.
Reports about the much-loved sitcom’s six key actors coming together for a reunion special have been circulating pretty much since it went off the air in 2004, but things have gone into overdrive in the last 12 months.
First off, there was Jennifer Aniston’s Instagram debut, which saw her posing with her castmates for the first time since The Last One was shown on our screens.
Shortly after this, she let slip that she and the rest of the cast were “working on something”, but refused to offer any more information.
However, since then, Ross actor David Schwimmer has suggested the Friends reunion may not be happening any time soon, insisting he “just didn’t think it was possible”.
Well, we’re happy to announce that he’s wrong, and all six of the main Friends cast will officially be getting back together for a reunion special later this year.
As was previously reported, the special – which will be available to stream on HBO Max in the US – won’t be a new scripted episode of the sitcom, but rather a fun look back at the smash hit series, featuring all of the original cast.
The news was confirmed by all six cast members, who shared the same post on Instagram simultaneously, saying simply “it’s happening…”.
The special – dubbed a “celebration of Friends” – will be available to stream in May, alongside all 10 series of the show, which HBO Max has acquired the US streaming rights to.
HBO Max chief Kevin Reilly said: “Guess you could call this the one where they all got back together – we are reuniting with David, Jennifer, Courteney, Matt, Lisa, and Matthew for an HBO Max special that will be programmed alongside the entire Friends library.
“I became aware of Friends when it was in the very early stages of development and then had the opportunity to work on the series many years later and have delighted in seeing it catch on with viewers generation after generation.
“It taps into an era when friends – and audiences – gathered together in real time and we think this reunion special will capture that spirit, uniting original and new fans.”
For the time being, Friends is expected to continue streaming on Netflix here in the UK, following its debut on the streaming platform in 2018, gaining the classic sitcom a new generation of fans.
Soon after, though, many younger viewers watching Friends for the first time began pointing out more problematic aspects of the show, namely a distinct lack of diversity and homophobic jokes about the character Charles Bing.