Friends is one of the most iconic TV series of all time, and its impact 30 years later proves it. However, the loss of one of the group's six members last year, due to the sudden and shocking death of Matthew Perry, will put a damper on the celebrations.
The show's creators, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, and executive producer Kevin S. Bright spoke about Matthew Perry's death in a new interview with the Today's show. Perry, who played Chandler Bing on the show’s 10 seasons, died less than a year ago, in late October 2023, from an overdose of the anesthetic ketamine. The series, which has remained popular since its 2004 finale, debuted on September 22 and is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
Friends followed the lives of six twenty-somethings living in New York City, and audiences got to see them deal with low-paying jobs, dates, and unsuitable partners, but also grow and form meaningful relationships. The series starred Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer, who played Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Chandler, Joey, and Ross, respectively. While each character had their own quirks and devoted fans, one character became a quiet favorite: Matthew Perry’s Chandler Bing, and the 30th anniversary just isn’t the same without him.
It's a huge loss and makes the 30th a bit of a tense day.
“He had fought the good fight for so longand it really seemed, from [2021 cast] “After the reunion, he finally found some peace,” Bright said of Perry’s long struggle with addiction.
“It's a huge loss and makes the 30th a bit tense.,” Kauffman said. Bright added, “He made us laugh every day,” and Kauffman added, “David always said he was the funniest man in the room.”
The creators have spoken about a possible Friends reboot
The creators also addressed the fact that, over the years, audiences have consistently demanded more Friends. As they admitted, young fans approached them and told them how flattering the show was, and they always rejected the idea of continuing the story, even with the characters' children. The impact of the series is undeniable, but the six main actors have always rejected a possible reboot, and that's for the best.
One of the reasons why Friends It worked so well because it happened in a time when technology wasn't a big deal, and they connected and dated when they were young. Since four of the six characters had families by the end of the main series, with Chandler and Monica having twins Erica and Jack, and Rachel and Ross having Emma, plus Joey moving to Los Angeles, things would have been different, even with a spinoff featuring their kids.
Now, with Matthew Perry gone, the other five actors would never have reprised their characters without Perry's Chandler. Luckily, the actors reunited for a Friends reunion in 2021. Long in the works, the special reunited the six actors for an interview, which included numerous cameos from their beloved co-stars throughout the show’s ten seasons, as well as looking back at the show’s most iconic moments.
The ten seasons of Friends AND Friends: The Reunion are available for streaming on Max.
Source: Today Show