The impossible is (kinda) happening. While fans have been clamoring for years for some type ofFriendsreunion, be it a movie or TV special, the cast of the iconic sitcom routinely shot down such notions as, frankly, bad ideas. However, NBC can now claim to have aFriends“reunion” as the cast is set to come together next month for a TV special honoring legendary sitcom directorJames Burrows, who was a principal director during the show’s first season and helmed 15 episodes ofFriendsin total.
Revealing the news at the NBC panel for the Television Critics Association, the network’sRobert Greenblattdid caution that it’s possibleCourteney Cox,Jennifer Aniston,Lisa Kudrow,Matthew Perry,Matt LeBlanc, andDavid Schwimmerwon’t all be in the same room during the special, but they’ll all take part:
“[We’re] hoping that all six of them will be in the same room at the same time, but I’m not sure we can logistically pull that off.”
Indeed, there have been many mini-Friendsreunions over the years, with Cox and Perry appearing together on the short-lived (and underrated) sitcomGo On, and multiple actors popping in for appearances on Kudrow’sWeb Therapy. They all keep in touch more or less, but as is the case with six incredibly busy actors/co-workers, a full reunion has yet to take place. This TV special could certainly be it, which would be a huge ratings draw for NBC given thatFriendswas, you know, the biggest thing in network TV for quite some time.
As a big fan of the sitcom, the prospect of seeing everyone together again is certainly exciting, and I’m glad it’s not for an ill-conceived “reunion episode”—I don’t need to see what Monica and Chandler’s home life with a teenager is like, or find out what Joey’s up to. The show ended on the perfect note, so let’s keep it at that.
The special, directed bySean Hayesand also featuring the cast ofWill and Grace(Burrows helmed 188 episodes of that sitcom), will air on NBC on February 21st.
And for moreFriends,check out my ranking of all 10 seasons from worst to best.
