Friends still stands as one of the most successful sitcoms of all time, and should be the next 1990s classic to get a 2010s revival. The show ran for ten years, following the escapades of Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Joey, and Ross. And, though the last episode aired in 2004, reruns and Netflix have meant the gang never truly went away. Is it time for them to return proper?
Talk of a revival has rumbled ever since the show finished, yet nothing has ever happened; the Friends actors reunited for a tribute to writer James Burrows, but that’s the most we’ve got. Of course, this hasn’t stopped fans speculating, and neither does it stop journalists constantly asking the cast if or when they’d all reunite. Now, with the current trend for revivals, rebooots and reimaginings, surely it’s the best time for Friends to make a comeback?
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Roseanne Ratings Prove Revivals Are Still Big
Revivals of popular TV shows have always been around, yet in recent years it’s exploded: The X-Files, Heroes, Samurai Jack, Hawaii Five-0, Futurama, and, of course, Twin Peaks are just a few favorites resurrected thanks to a fervent fanbase. Netflix has really pioneered this, bringing back shows like Gilmore Girls and Arrested Development for other goes around. Indeed, the streaming service’s most successful original show is Full House revival Fuller House, which premiered in 2016 and has already been renewed for its fourth season.
Of course, while Netflix has had success, the overall perception of TV revivals is mixed. Is resurrecting a show for simple nostalgia’s sake really that creative? After all, audiences often don’t engage: The X-Files and Heroes Reborn both spluttered, unable to recreate their original seismic impact. That said, recent examples have shown there is real worth here.
Will and Grace made a comeback in September 2017, pulling in a massive 10 million viewers for its season premiere. The series is still getting respectable ratings, too, with an average of 5.7 million viewers, or 9.4 million if you take into account the Nielsen live-plus-seven-day ratings. In an age where TV viewing figures are spread across a cast range of channels and streaming platforms, that’s very impressive figures. In fact, the show has already been renewed for a third season of its new run.
But it’s the Roseanne revival that really stokes the flames. It’s fair to say that many were expecting an impressive audience for the first episode, mostly people tuning in to see what the characters were up to and how they were going to explain Dan’s return from the dead (they didn’t, just carried on like nothing had happened). Few could have predicted, however, that Roseanne would pull in 18.2 million viewers in Nielsen’s live-plus-same-day ratings. Roseanne was certainly very successful when it was running, but not like this; its revival drew more viewers (who are now choosing from a wider variety of channels, don’t forget) than its series finale did.
Read More: Roseanne Revival Character Guide: How Everybody’s Changed
When ratings in general are so low, sharp revivals can still break through. And with Roseanne behind us, the code appears to be cracked to making a return work. With that in mind, it seems almost foolish to not consider a Friends revival…
How Would a Friends Revival Work?
Let us not forget, Friends was a global and cultural phenomenon, making its cast the highest paid TV actors at that time, earning $1 million each per episode for its 9th and 10th seasons. Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer could certainly command a huge pay packet were they to reunite, but having seen the success of Roseanne, NBC would almost certainly decide they were worth whatever was demanded. But how would it work?
When we last saw the Friends all together, they were leaving Monica and Chandler’s apartment for the last time. Rachel had given up her dream job in Paris to be with Ross (a sore subject for many), Mike and Phoebe were happily married, Joey was off to LA, and Monica and Chandler were parents to twins.
Some facts are unavoidable. Today, those twins would be 14; Emma Geller would be 16, Ben Geller would be 23. Although the aging of the central characters was somewhat inconsistent, it’s thought they were all around 34-37 in the final season, with Ross being the eldest. If Friends was revived in 2018, Rachel and Monica would be 48, Chandler and Joey 50, and Phoebe and Ross would be 51. But many more elements are left dangling. Would Monica and Chandler still be happy together in the suburbs? Would there be any more Geller-Bing children? Would Mike and Phoebe have any kids together or would they be running musical yoga retreats? Would Rachel finally be a successful fashion designer like she always wanted, or would Ross still be holding her back?
The big question, though, is if Friends would update itself for the time, making Joey more respectful, and Ross less toxic? The instinctive answer to that is “of course,” and indeed, Will and Grace and Roseanne both addressed the rather strange social and political climate in which we now find ourselves, albeit in very different ways; while Will and Grace made digs at the Trump administration and pointed remarks that reflects the thinking of their target demographic, Roseanne did the opposite. Much like Roseanne Barr herself, Roseanne’s titular character has gone from being a left-liberal to being a Trump supporter, with Jackie refusing to talk to her sister since the election. It’s played for laughs, sure, but it’s also reflective of the truth dividing America right now.
For Friends, audiences identified with many of the character’s traits and the situations they faced, whether it was a dating crisis or a more fundamental lifestyle or career change. Would any of these beloved characters have voted for Trump and upset the group dynamic? Would the Friends be facing many of the problems that our nation is currently dealing with, such as rising housing costs or healthcare affordability?
Will A Friends Revival Actually Happen?
Friends in 2018 is an exciting prospect, and one which NBC must surely be considering, although let’s not forget that each and every time the rumors have circulated about it actually happening, one or other of the cast have shot it down. All have gone on to relatively successful post-Friends careers, and although they’ll all forever remain synonymous with that show, they’re all regarded as actors, presenters, writers and directors in their own right.
Ultimately, it’s always a possibility, and that’s what makes it exciting. Of course, there’s no movement, meaning it remains a nebulous concept even in the wake of Roseanne. For now, speculation can only continue.
Next: Fan-Made Trailer Imagines The Friends Reunion Movie
