‘Friends’ Finale Celebrates 10th Anniversary, Reunion Rumors Persist
It’s been just over 10 years since the ‘Friends’ finale brought an end to Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe and Joey’s lovable antics.
Of course, millions of viewers were left heartbroken by the culmination of the beloved sitcom, which developed into a worldwide phenomenon over its 10-year run.
Because of this success, fans have been pining for the show to return in some form, and rumors that Courtney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and Matthew Perry might reprise their characters have been ever present since it went off air. However, its stars have always insisted that it won’t make a comeback – at least in the near future.
Matt LeBlanc, who played Joey Tribbiani in the comedy, has now confirmed that Friends’ popularity means that any spin-off probably wouldn’t stand a chance, and would, in fact, only ruin the original’s reputation. Which is kind of an odd thing to say because he starred in his own short-lived spin-off, Joey, which was roundly lambasted and was cancelled after only two seasons.
“As far as I know, I spoke to David [Crane] about it,” he explained. “It’s the case of ‘the books better than the movie.’ That show was about a finite period of time in life, after college and before your relationship and family starts and where your friends are your support system and that’s what the magic of the show was, everyone goes through that and can relate to that.”
LeBlanc then noted that it wouldn’t work to see the characters as older incarnations. “No one wants to see Chandler at his kid’s soccer game talking to other people. It was those characters in a room relying on each other and past that it’s not the same environment so I don’t see it happening.”
Courtney Cox recently echoed this sentiment during an appearance on David Letterman, where she proclaimed, “It’s not gonna happen,” after the talk show host had asked her when this “Friends thing” might happen.
David Crane and Marta Kauffman, who created Friends, also told Entertainment Weekly last month, “The show is over. What was at the heart of the show is done. And let’s be honest, it’s 20 years later. Nobody looks like they did then. And you’re going to spend the whole time going, ‘Wow, he’s aged.’ ”
Crane then added, “If anyone wants Friends, turn on your TV! Marta and I have talked about this a lot, and the more that we say it’s a bad idea, people disagree. But I think if we actually gave it to people, there would be such backlash.”
[Image via NBC]
