For fans of the 90s hit TV sitcom, Friends, we have some good news for you. For those who detest the show and the odd expectations it set for a whole generation of people, though, we have some bad news for you. The sitcom, arguably the most popular and successful of all-time, is set to return on May 27th via streaming platforms.
The series might have ended over 15 years ago, but Friends is something that so many of us grew up with or grew into adulthood watching. It’s one of the most enjoyable TV shows of all-time, and the fact that Netflix paid a whopping $150m for a TV show that is well and truly finished speaks volumes for its audience. They bought the streaming rights for one year only, and they expired at the tail end of 2019. Well, it looks like upcoming rival HBO Max has been busy in the boardroom as they’ve just announced that they will have the TV show upon release.
With the claim that they’ve paid a fee of around $425m to claim exclusive five-year usage of Friends on their streaming platform, HBO Max will offer something totally different to the normal. This is going to be the perfect chance for people to try out a major Warner Media digital release. It’s also another sign that we have another streaming subscription service coming our way – one to add to the list that we already have of the likes of Hulu, Netflix, and Disney+.
HBO Max to bring Friends back to our TV screens in May
The aim is to try and bring the service to life with some major finds from back in the day as well as some new content. Prime to their new content, though, is the talk of a new one-off unscripted reunion special among the Friends cast.
While the COVID-19 outbreak means this will be delayed for some time, with “late” 2020 now the aim, it’s still penciled on the old diary. From May 27th, though, you can watch the 236-episodes long TV series from start to finish. This means that if you want to catch a certain season, a specific episode, or watch it all from day one to the end, you can do so come to the end of next month.
So, you’d better get used to the idea that Friends quotes are going to be doing the rounds again in quote a major way. If you aren’t a fan of the show, be prepared to grit your teeth as the next generation gets acclimatized to the cast and their litany of catchphrases and one-liners.