Is the Friends reunion a new episode?
27 May 2021, 09:07
HBO release trailer for Friends: The Reunion
What format will the Friends reunion be and will it be a new episode?
The Friends reunion is officially here, and we're so excited to have our favourite gang back on our screens.
Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matt Le Blanc, and Matthew Perry will all be returning for a one-off episode next week, which will air in on May 27.
Read more: How can you watch the Friends reunion in the UK?
Many fans have been wondering what format the show will be in - here's what we know.
Will the Friends reunion be a new episode?
Sad news for anyone hoping to find out whether Ross and Rachel are still together in 2021 - the episode won't actually be a new episode of Friends.
While the main cast will be reuniting together on set, they will be doing so as themselves, and not acting as their characters.
HBO Max previously said in a statement: "Lastly, in order to avoid any misunderstanding about what this special is, we want to make it very clear that this is not a new, original episode of the series. The cast will be appearing as themselves, not as their beloved characters."
What format will the Friends reunion special be in?
Friends: The Reunion will see the cast reunite to reminisce about the sitcom, which ran between 1994 and 2004.
It will see them visit the show’s old sets, recreate scenes by doing table reads of the script, and also discuss their time on the show with some special guests including David Beckham and Lady Gaga.
The reunion was confirmed in February 2020, but filming was pushed back because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Jennifer Aniston previously said that the special would be 'more exciting' because of the delay.
She told Variety: "Unfortunately it’s very sad that we had to move it again. It was, 'How do we do this with live audiences?' This is not a safe time. Period. That’s the bottom line. It’s not a safe time to do it. [But] it’s going to be super. You know what? This has also given us more time to make it even more exciting and more fun than it would have been.
"So I choose to see it as the glass is half-full that it got postponed. Look, we’re not going anywhere. You’re never going to get rid of Friends, sorry. You’re stuck with us for life guys."
Who will host Friends: The Reunion?
As revealed in the trailer, James Corden will host the special.
What other characters will return for the special?
As well as the main cast, Maggie Wheeler (Janice), James Michael Tyler (Gunther), Elliott Gould and Christina Pickles (Jack and Judy Geller), Larry Hankin (Mr Heckles), Thomas Lennon (Joey's hand-twin), Tom Selleck (Richard Burke) and Reese Witherspoon (Jill Green) will be returning for the special.
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