Friends’ 20th Anniversary means fun gifts for fans: There’s the pop-up exhibit currently running in New York (through October 9). Several of the show’s most popular episodes are playing in theaters (September 23, September 28, and October 2). And Pottery Barn is offering its Friends 25th Anniversary Collection (not an ad) for everyone who wants to imagine that they live in some of the most famous rent-controlled apartments in New York City. One wish that many fans have had over the years is for a reunion, and it’s always been nixed by members of the cast. Lisa Kudrow is the latest Friend to tell fans not to get their hopes up:
Given the immense popularity of Friends, the show’s stars have been asked numerous times over the years about a potential reboot or revival. The latest to weigh in was Lisa Kudrow, who played Phoebe. She said on Kevin Nealon’s hiking show that she would be interested in coming back for a new version of Friends, but it won’t happen.
“If everyone else was doing it, I would do it; yeah. But it’s not happening,” she said, adding that she’s heard [creators Marta] Kauffman and [David] Crane talk about how Friends will never come back.
In March this year, Kauffman talked about why bringing back Friends is a bad idea.
“One, the show is about a time in your life when your friends are your family. It’s not that time anymore. All we’d be doing is putting those six actors back together, but the heart of the show would be gone,” she told Rolling Stone. “Two, I don’t know what good it does us. The show is doing just fine, people love it. [A reunion] could only disappoint.”
I went looking in the archives because I could have sworn I read somewhere that Lisa was one of the people who wasn’t ever interested in a reunion. She basically said the same of Marta and David back in 2009, though she also wasn’t sure about it then. Everything that Marta said makes sense: The show was about people who were in a particular stage of their lives, and they aren’t there anymore. A reboot would disappoint. Plus, fans can still imagine that the 6 Friends and their children are all still hanging out together. (Joey has obviously come home from California.)
I understand why fans who enjoyed the show would like to see it brought back, especially in our currently chaotic times. The show took place in an alternate reality in which the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, didn’t happen. The Season 8 premiere was dedicated to “The people of New York City” (and Joey and Chandler’s Magna Doodle featured several relevant doodles). It would be nice for the show to take place in a world where Trump wasn’t president, for example. But, it’s probably better for Friends to stay in the past, and for people to binge the series on Netflix (through the end of the year), or with their DVDs.
photos credit: WENN and via Instagram
I bought that pottery barn apothecary table and it’s magnificent. I am in love with it. So is my niece. I told her she can have it when I die, but not to root for it.
With its white only cast, a reboot probably won’t go down well.
It’s a classic and they should leave it at that. Maybe a special Thanksgiving episode would be lovely but not a full reboot.
I also wouldn’t mind a thanksgiving special but this show and the humor are firmly rooted in the 90s.
Congrats on the commenter above on the table!
I am not white, and I personally have never understood why there would need to be a non-white main castmember in shows like FRIENDS, SATC etc. Most white people are FRIENDS with other white people; there are few, if any non-whites in their close friend circles, just like I wasn’t bothered by LIVING SINGLE having an all black cast, or MARTIN etc.
I think reboots in general only work if it’s a continuation of the story. I don’t see how FRIENDS 2020 could be a continuation of the story because the friends were all moving towards different points in their life at the end of the series. Monica, Chandler & Joey all moved away from NY. Ross/Rachel/Monica/Chandler would all still be connected because they/their children are related, but I don’t actually see Phoebe & Joey being as tight with the group (unless Phoebe/Mike had kids shortly thereafter). IMO Joey would’ve been the odd man out until he had kids; Ross and Chandler simply wouldn’t have had time to hang out with him because they would be doing dad stuff.
A FRIENDS reunion special would be good to catch up with the characters but a reboot of the series wouldn’t work IMO.
As much as I love the show, and would watch more in a heartbeat, in a way I’m glad that they have the sense to not try and bring it back. Their attitude when they say it could only disappoint is probably the right one- so many people adored the show that there would be impossible expectations on it. It couldn’t be all things to all people, and there’s nothing worse than seeing something brought back just for the sake of it, just to milk it. None of these people need to milk it, and they know it, so I’m glad they value and have enough respect for the show and what they did together to leave it on the beautiful note they ended on rather than cheapening that.
Unpopular opinion: I’ve never liked Friends. Not then, not now. I thought it was really mean to anyone who was even remotely “different” in any way.
I did like it, in my youth it was one of the big watercooler shows and I enjoyed that. I would not have any interest in a reboot though. It was of its time and its place, and that’s over. I did read this really fascinating take recently that Friends becomes a true tragedy when viewed as a story of a really smart, decent guy (Ross) who is slowly driven mad by 5 absolute morons. You know, there is something to that!
Ross sucks!
went and read the article. so true. Thanks for mentioning it.
Same. I’ve tried to watch several times, but I never thought it was that funny. Great cast though.
Phoebe was consistently hilarious.. Loved how Lisa played her
If someone asked me what my most controversial opinion is, I would probably say it’s Phoebe is the worst Friend. And I’m for open borders, for real. Yet, I probably get more outrage when I say Phoebe is the worst Friend.
Oh really? Why do you think that? I always kind of thought it was Rachel.
Joey or Ross was easily the worst, IMO. Phoebe cracked me up and I thought Rachel had her moments.
Personally, I think it’s quite pathetic. Why the f**k are they rebooting all these show? Can’t they come up with anything new and different?
No reboot please!!!! I loved FRIENDS… I always will. its in a place in my heart… yh the ” Don’t go there, it’s my personal space ” part.
I agree that it should not be rebooted. It’s about a particular time in those characters’ lives, and its about a particular time period. It was so…90s/early 2000s. Some things are better left as they were.
(Also, the more I watch old episodes of it, the more and more I realize how problematic it was, especially how homophobic.)
Homophobic, yes, and the whole Monica in a “fat suit” was awful. Especially the scenes where they had her dance for the audience, wiggling her ass at them while eating a chocolate bar, and then collapsing on the coffee table in exhaustion. It was so WTF.
Leave it alone, not everything needs to be extended or rebooted. Everyone is doing their own thing now, and people who want to can just watch the 200+ episodes that already exist. I loved the show in its time, but I don’t want to see more. She’s right, we’d just be disappointed.
Love that the 3 ladies remained real friends all these years and get together for girls nights.
Of the six friends, Kudrow’s non-Friends work has been the best. “The Comeback” was wonderful.
I liked the Comeback, and Web Therapy too. She also did some guest spots on Grace and Frankie and produces Who Do You Think You Are?
Okay, am I crazy or is the suit she is wearing in the header image the spitting image of the Chanel suit Marge Simpson found at an outlet store and reworked like 3 times while pretending to be rich?
I remember how much I LOVED Friends when it first came out and I was like, 18. I defined that certain point in my life. I still go back and watch it sometimes and enjoy it, but I see how problematic it was in hindsight. But it was what it was. It’s a classic. We don’t have to reboot EVERYTHING.