The “Friends” co-creator just weighed in on the likelihood of a REAL reunion
Our emotions have been a whirlwind over the past week. First, we found out there’s an upcoming TV special that is getting the cast of Friends to reunite on February 21, and we were like, “YAAAAY REUNION.” And then we found out it wasn’t *technically* a reunion, and we were like, “Well, at least the gang can still get together, right?” But then we found out Matthew Perry can’t come because of a play he’s working on in London, and we were like, “What is life without Chandler Bing?!”
Even though Matthew won’t be there, we can’t help but be super pumped for the “reunion” next month. . . even if it’s not about Friends. It’s a celebration of legendary NBC TV director James Burrows, who directed not only 15 episodes of Friends (including the pilot) but a total of 1,000 episodes of various shows — a major feat.
At the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour in Pasadena, California, show’s co-creator Marta Kauffman spoke to Us Weekly yesterday about February’s special. “I will be there, but it is not a Friends reunion,” she told the publication.
And even though we’re pumped to see the honoring of Burrows, we can’t help but wonder if — dare we say, when? — a *real* Friends reunion is gonna happen. Are they just on a break, or. . . ? Kauffman also spoke to Us Weekly about the possibility of a reunion, and we’ve got some bad news, folks.
Although she finds the show’s widespread appeal after all these years “shocking,” she’s still not into the idea of rebooting the series — which we understand, TBH. After all, it’s been almost 12 years since the series finale aired in 2004, and there’s been a trend to reboot the nostalgic shows of our past — take Fuller House and Gilmore Girls,for example.
“For me, why go back to that territory again?” she told Us Weekly. “I get to do [on Grace] what I loved about Friends, which is, make a show that’s got some hope and joy to it and explore something completely new. That was about a certain time in your life, and I had just left [the] Friends time of my life. This is about the time of my life I’m looking towards.”
Kauffman pretty much confirmed that we can let go of the possibility of a movie altogether, too: “I will say there will never be a Friends reunion movie.”
OK, OK. Some things are better left in the past (and/or on Netflix to binge-watch). We’ll just look forward to February 21, when we get to see five of the six back together again — even if it’s not at Central Perk.
(Image via Warner Bros. Television.)
