‘Friends’ Reboot Is Not Happening ‘Ever’ Despite Rumors
Friends was an insanely popular show that ran for an entire decade. It dominated the ratings, dipped into pop culture, and influenced the way people acted and looked. There were haircuts named after the fictional characters, Halloween costumes designed for them, and several headlines written about who the cast was dating. It has been over a decade since Friends left NBC, and with the all of the other television shows being rebooted, there was hope that the series would jump on the bandwagon.
During the Friends era, there was so much happening. The actors were able to wrangle a million dollars per episode, which was virtually unheard of at the time. Casting directors used only semi-known actors to play the six key roles, which turned out to be a big break for those who were a part of the cast. The fandom was huge, and it appears there is still some want for more.
According to an exclusive report from Us Weekly, Friends will never come back to television. A reboot is not in the works despite rumors that have swept across social media over the last few months. Co-creator Marta Kauffman confirmed to the publication that the show is “not happening” and never will.
News of the confirmation that Friends will not be brought back is sad for fans who had hoped the gang would reunite, even for just a small update. There was a lot left open-ended, and a few episodes could easily have been written. Unfortunately, that isn’t going to happen. Central Perk is part of the past, and re-runs are the only things left for fans to hold on to. “The Rachel” haircut is a thing of the past, bringing fond memories to the women who ran out to get the haircut Jennifer Aniston reportedly hated. There is so much nostalgia connected to Friends that it is hard for some to accept the decision made by Marta Kauffman.
Television is not the same as it was a decade ago. News of a Friends reboot was highly publicized after a rumor was spread about it coming back to NBC in 2018. In order to shut down the rumor and constant questions, Marta Kauffman decided to speak out. She talked about how she had just exited the time in her life where Friends was set when it began. It was an era, one that should be left in the past. Currently, Kauffman is working on Grace and Frankie, which is something she notes. While Friends is never coming back, the lessons it taught people and the dynamic it brought into the world of television will never be forgotten.
The actors who were cast in Friends have all since moved on. Jennifer Aniston moved on to a big movie career with an incredibly high-profile marriage and subsequent divorce. Courteney Cox also went on to do movies and get married and divorced, Lisa Kudrow has been in and out of television, Matthew Perry is still working on comedies, David Schwimmer is doing the same, and Matt LeBlanc is also still in the business. The six of them remain closer than most know, though there have been rifts between them a time or two.
Now that the notion has been put out there that a Friends reboot will never happen, fans can work on focusing their energy elsewhere. While it is true that several popular shows are coming back for a second shot at life, this one will remain buried for good. Friends was a show relating to people, and there will likely never be anything of this caliber to grace the small screen again despite several attempts at replication.
[Featured Image by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images]
