A popular idea for a Friends reboot has made it to the ears of the show’s creators, and while they’re right in shutting down all possibilities for it, there’s one way it can work, but it’s still tricky. Although the 1990s saw the rise of different sitcoms that are now considered classics, Friends continues to stand out for its legacy and place in TV history. Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, Friends premiered in 1994 and ended in 2004 after ten seasons, but its popularity hasn’t decreased, even if the show has faced some criticism nowadays.
Although Friends gave total closure to the stories of Phoebe, Chandler, Monica, Ross, Rachel, and Joey (though the latter’s story officially ended in his spinoff TV show), the current trend of TV reboots has increased interest in a potential revival. Bringing a show like Friends back to life after two decades is tricky, though fans have suggested one way it could be done, and while Crane and Kauffman aren’t interested in it, it could work with one change – but it’s still a tricky situation.
A Friends Reboot Should Still Focus On The Main Cast, Not The Kids
The Kids Will Be Grown Up, But Not The Focus Of The Show
By the time Friends ended, Ross and Rachel already had Emma (and Ross had Ben, too), and Monica and Chandler became parents to twins. Because of this, many fans have suggested a Friends reboot should focus on the group’s kids now grown up, either as teenagers or young adults (after all, the timeline in Friends was confusing at times). In an interview with TODAY in September 2024, this idea was addressed by Friends creators Crane and Kauffman along with executive producer Kevin Bright.
While talking about the legacy of Friends and how there’s a younger audience interested in the show and asking if there will be more episodes, Kauffman shared that she gets emails about a reboot all the time. Kauffman said that “everybody has a great idea”, and that idea is the group’s kids all grown up and starring in their own Friends show. Crane immediately shut down that possibility, saying “oh, no, no, no”. However, one way this idea could work is by still focusing on the main group rather than on their kids.
What the audience wants from a Friends reboot is to reunite with the characters they know so well.
The only way a Friends reboot could work is by still focusing on the original group, and now as parents of teenagers/young adults, they surely have a lot more stories to share. What the audience wants from a Friends reboot is to reunite with the characters they know so well, and seeing them in a completely different phase in their lives now as parents would be a lot more interesting and fun than watching their kids.
A Friends Reboot Is A Lot Trickier Without Matthew Perry
Friends Wouldn’t Be The Same Without Chandler
A Friends reboot has always been tricky due to the show’s legacy and immense popularity, but it’s even more now without Matthew Perry. Sadly, Matthew Perry passed away on October 28, 2023, and rebooting Friends without him wouldn’t feel right. Friends wouldn’t be the same without Chandler, and having to explain his absence in-universe would be too heartbreaking for the cast and fans of the show. Friends is unlikely to be rebooted, but fans can imagine how the group would be as parents of teenagers.
