Friends reunion: HBO Max announces air date and unveils first video teaser for long-awaited special

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The Friends reunion special officially has an air date and a first teaser.

HBO Max announced on Thursday that the long-awaited programme – now titled Friends: The Reunion – will air on 27 May 2021.

The streaming service unveiled a first video teaser featuring all six of the sitcom’s original stars, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer. It also announced a string of guest stars including Lady Gaga, David Beckham, James Corden and many more.

HBO Max confirmed that the special was taped on the original Friends soundstage on the Warner Bros Studio lot in Burbank, California – in accordance with what was planned when the reunion special was first announced in February 2020.

The special, which will mark the first time the full cast is reunited in front of the cameras, has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

HBO Max confirmed last month that taping for the programme had taken place. It was directed by Ben Winston, with Friends executive producers Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane all returning.

Aniston, Cox, Kudrow, LeBlanc, Perry, and Schwimmer also executive-produced the special.

Producers held back on hosting a Zoom reunion during the pandemic, preferring instead to wait until the show could be filmed in person.

The streaming service has described the special as “a real-life unscripted celebration of the beloved show”. This means the cast won’t be in character, but rather are expected to discuss their time on the sitcom in a regular conversation.

Friends aired for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004. For our ranking of all of the show’s 236 episodes, click here.