Many networks have found success in reuniting and rebooting some of their classic shows. Some of these reboots have been runaway hits (Will & Grace) and some have been…well, not as big (Murphy Brown) but they have all generated buzz and (at least initially) a ratings spike.
But the white whale of these reboots has always been Friends, NBC’s monstrously successful 90s sitcom that people still obsess over. Due to Netflix and syndication, Friends is seemingly more popular than ever. People still give a damn about Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey, Phoebe and that monkey from Outbreak. People are dying to see them together on screen again. NBC is definitely on board with the idea and can practically taste the advertising revenue. But there’s just one missing component to a proposed reunion: the cast and crew.
Co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane appeared at a special anniversary panel for the show at the Tribeca TV Festival this week and put yet another nail in the coffin of any possible reunion.
Said Kauffman: “We will not be doing a reunion show, we will not be doing a reboot.”
Said Crane: “We did the show we wanted to do. We got it right, and we put a bow on it.”
Said fans: “Damn.”
And that’s that, this thing really isn’t happening so people can stop pining for it. It’s not like the cast has ever shown much interest in the project either. All of the stars have repeatedly said they didn’t think it would happen nor did they really want to step into those roles again, even for a one-off reunion episode. Everyone involved is very happy with the entire run of the show, including the ending, and don’t see a need to come back together for an episode that would please fans and NBC but not themselves as performers and creators. And I totally get that! Not everything has to have a reboot or reunion. Some things end and end for good, that’s completely natural. Artists shouldn’t feel obligated to return to material, even if legions of eager fans are pleading with them. Stay true to your vision, Kauffman and Crane!
Kauffman made a nice, touching point about the idea behind the series that really hammers home why a reunion isn’t necessary and actually antithetical to the show. “The show was about that time in life when friends are your family,” Kauffman said. That’s totally true and made doubly true by the show’s finale, which had the friends all starting to go in different directions. That chapter of their lives was over.
Even though Kauffman, Crane and the entire cast is continually shooting down the idea, you can bet that talk of a Friends reunion will go on as long as people have brains, mouths and access to the series. But don’t blame the people behind the show, they’re not mincing any words. We’ve seen the last of Central Perk’s favorite customers.
