TV Revivals: Could a ‘Friends’ reunion really happen with Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, cast?
Over the past couple of weeks, there has been a whole heap of conversation regarding a “Friends” reunion coming up on NBC, with the reality being that this is not actually what it is. The headlines have been a tad misleading. Instead, we’re going to see Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc come together for a salute to director James Burrows airing on the network Sunday night. (Matthew Perry sent in a taped appearance.) It’s not really about seeing Ross and Rachel or any other member of the Central Perk crew in familiar settings.
We know that this is a question that has been brought up many times before, but for the sake of this TV Revivals series, it’s worth exploring one more time: Is this a show that really needs to be brought back for more? Would audiences appreciate it?
How it ended – Basically, life goes on. Ross and Rachel decided to give their relationship a go at the last minute, Joey obviously moved away to do his “Joey” spin-off (this is the last we shall speak of it), and Monica and Chandler moved out to the suburbs. It gave closure to most of the storylines, and the implication was that despite the changes in their lives, everyone would remain at least reasonably close.
How to bring it back – This isn’t really that hard to think about. Joey is back in New York, many of the characters are parents, and they somehow still find time to hang out once more. This is the prime example of an ending, while satisfying, that does leave the door open for the cast to band back together and make more of the show if that is something that they really want to do. All you need are the six leads and some of the folks behind the scenes, and you’re in good shape.
Will it happen? – Given that more than 50 million people watched the series finale over a decade ago, NBC would probably die with glee if there was more of this show. Unfortunately, there’s almost no way it will happen. Everyone has separate projects now, and trying to round everyone from Jennifer Aniston to Lisa Kudrow to Perry up would be very expensive, especially given that there may be a sentiment that there is nothing more to really say. Of course, we’d love it if there almost a six-part revival that aired over the course of one summer with each episode focusing on a different character almost like the “Arrested Development” season over at Netflix, but the difference here is that “Friends” got its proper ending. “Arrested” needed something more.
Do you want more of “Friends”?