Ever since the last episode of the beloved sitcom Friends aired in 2004, fans have been holding on to the possibility of a reunion, either for a TV special or a movie. Sadly, none of these options have materialized, nor is there any hope of them happening anytime soon – but there’s always hope of seeing the cast together once more.
NBC will celebrate the career of television director James Burrows (who has worked on series such as Cheers, Friends, and The Big Bang Theory) with a two-hour special, and initial reports stated that the tribute would feature six very special faces: Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer. However, this will not be the Friends reunion fans have been hoping for, as Matthew Perry won’t be able to attend the special.
During his appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Matthew Perry confirmed he won’t attend the special and reunite with his fellow Friends castmates. Perry is currently in London rehearsing the play The End Of Longing, written by and starring him and directed Lindsay Posner.
Five out of the six main cast members of Friends will attend Burrows’ special, with Perry introducing them all the way from London. Perry’s spokeswoman Lisa Kasteler has previously stated that NBC executives knew he wouldn’t attend when they made the announcement, adding he “may tape something for the tribute.”
Speaking about his play, Perry shared The End of Longing is “a good play for the Friends generation,” even though it’s a dark comedy – something the famous sitcom was not. The play follows four disparate people entering their forties and searching for meaning, who end up meeting in a bar one night. This gathering will force them to confront the darker sides of their relationships. The End of Longing reunites Lindsay Posner and Matthew Perry after working together on Sexual Perversity in Chicago in 2003. The play will run in London’s West End from February 2 until May 14.
While this might not be the reunion fans have been eagerly waiting for, it will still be a delight to see most of the main cast of such an important and beloved sitcom as Friends together again. More so if it’s for a TV special honouring one of the most important TV directors since the ’70s.
The NBC special in honour of James Burrows will be filmed later this month to air on February 21, at 9 pm ET/PT.
Sources: The Graham Norton Show / USA Today.
