The Reunion Of The Friends Series Who Never 'Matched'

JAKARTA - The television series Friends is one of the most popular shows of all time. Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, Friends is the most-watched series in history.

Aired since 1994, Friends tells the story of six friends who meet at a cafe called Central Perk. Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) runs away on her wedding day and meets Monica Geller (Courtney Cox) at Central Perk and moves into Monica's apartment.

Since then, he has been friends with Monica; Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow) is a masseuse, Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) a struggling actor, Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) an IT manager and Ross Geller (David Schwimmer), Monica's younger brother and a paleontologist.

Each episode of Friends presents a comedy setting on a romantic journey. Their love problems are also at the center of the Friends story and cannot be separated from their relationship with each other.

This story is very popular with the Indonesian people. At the broadcast of its final episode on May 6, 2004, Friends was watched by more than 52.5 million viewers. Friends was also named the most watched series of the 2000s.

The television series Friends influences today's pop culture. Starting from the dress styles of the players to the iconic serial conversations are very well known today. Due to this popularity, not a few viewers are expecting the Friends players to reunite. However, the idea was not received positively by neither the players nor the creators.

They got together in 2016 without Matthew Perry to celebrate the contribution of one of its creators, Jeff Burrows, in broadcasting television shows. They also have no plans for a real reunion.

James Michael Tyler, who played Gunther, had said that the idea of a reunion would be something strange. “Do you really want to watch a television series about a group of people in their 40s who are still struggling? "It will be a tragedy, not a comedy," he told Good Morning Britain.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2016, Crane and Kauffman explained the reunion would not happen because the "timing" had changed. “The series is a time in your life when your friends are your family. When you start having a family, that time ends. "

Jennifer Aniston also thought that if Friends were made in the present, cafes like Central Perk (which is inside Friends) were only full of people looking at their cell phones and there was no conversation.

David Schwimmer also hated the popularity he achieved. “It was shocking and it messed up my relationships with other people over the years. I think it takes time to adjust and become comfortable, ”he told The Hollywood Reporter.

Courtney Cox, who plays Monica Geller, also admitted that it was very difficult for the six main characters to just get together. When they were young, they could have gone and watched together but right now those in their 40s don't have the time for that. Moreover, some of the Friends players are preoccupied with starring in a number of serial projects and films.

The reunion request that fans always expressed has finally come true. In February last year, HBO Max, the streaming service made by HBO, confirmed a reunion of the Friends players which was originally due for release in May 2020.

Through a special episode, the main players will be here to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Friends series. Not only that, David Crane and Marta Kauffman were confirmed to work on the story for this special episode.

Led by director Ben Winston, the cast will gather without a script and visit the original Friends set to tell the shooting process at that time.

Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, and Lisa Kudrow also appeared at the Emmy awards ceremony in September 2020. The three of them greeted the audience from home and told about the reunion process that was being made.

Matthew Perry also assured that filming for Friends would begin in March 2021 but the broadcast continued to be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The production team will do it once conditions are safe.

Recently, Lisa Kudrow said the production process is already underway. "I've already done a pre-shot, so we're going to do it," said Kudrow via the Literally! with Rob Lowe.

Kudrow also said the Friends special for HBO Max would not feature the six actors as their characters in the series. However, they follow the concept of a Fresh Prince of Bel-Air player reunion where the players reminisce about the creation process and the series' popularity.

Fans looking forward to the Friends reunion, viewers can expect to see the special episode this year through the release on HBO Max exclusively.