There is enough television series
already produced and aired for several decades for some of them to be acclaimed
as among the greatest shows ever made. One of these small-screen legends would
have to be “Friends,” which gave NBC some solid ratings for ten seasons from
1994 to 2004. Even long after its conclusion and despite its creeping
datedness, the timeless humor and character dynamics from the cast helped “Friends”
land a solid binge-watching spot on Netflix in 2014, until it was removed this
January to HBO Max. But late last year there was word that the “Friends” cast
might get together for a reunion one-shot, with an unspecified date.
Well, HBO Max hinted that such a
reunion special for “Friends” might be released for streaming in the early part
of this year. But first a deal to produce it must be ironed out. Deadline however reports that an
arrangement to reunite the cast for a fun special one-off might be very close
to being finalized. Should that become so, this reunion special will make a
special companion for the entire series library of “Friends,” which is expected
to be made available for streaming on HBO Max this coming May.
Although there has been nothing
definitive to share about the “Friends” reunion special, there have been some
details made known since talks were reported to be initiated in November 2019.
The special will be an hour long and apparently with minimal scripting if any.
Warner Bros. TV and HBO Max have been working in overdrive to somehow bring
together the iconic cast and the creative show-runners behind “Friends” for
this one big hurrah. Unfortunately negotiations regarding talent fees for the
stars hit a stumbling block as 2019 came to an end, such that the prospects of
the special seemed dim.
But it seems some common ground
was found after all, since the main six cast of “Friends,” namely Jennifer
Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and Matthew
Perry, have reached an accord with Warner Bros. TV to appear in the special, in
return for fees ranging from 3 to 4 million dollars. They would also be joined
by the show’s co-creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane, in some capacity. Already
WBTV and HBO Max is said to be investing no less than $20 million to get this
reunion special off the ground.
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