Friends reunion: Best moments
The release of one of the most eagerly anticipated TV reunions ever sent fans around the world into a Friendzy.
The hugely popular US sitcom, which followed a group of New Yorkers in their 20s and 30s, concluded in 2004 after 10 seasons. Seeing all six principal cast members get back together to discuss their time on the show is genuinely rare.
Table reads, trivia games, fashion shows, archive clips and celebrity interviews are woven into the 1hr 39min reunion. Reactions to the special have been broadly positive, although critics noted some elements of the show work better than others. Here are some of the best moments:
'Everything seems smaller'
The special opens with David Schwimmer arriving at the Warner Bros studios to visit the reconstructed Friends sets, including the two main apartments and the coffee house, Central Perk. He is followed by the other cast members one by one.
"It all seems small to me, the whole stage," notes Matt LeBlanc. "That's impossible though, because we haven't grown," replies Aniston. Blanc jokes, with perfect timing: "Speak for yourself."
It isn't long before they're sharing memories. LeBlanc reminds Courteney Cox about how she would scribble her lines on the kitchen table, beside the fruit bowl. "You had this big speech," he says, "and you wrote it on the table. And when you weren't looking I erased it and you got so mad at me!" Cox laughs about it now, recalling: "I had so much dialogue hidden in these apples."
Some glorious new outtakes
Having watched countless Friends blooper-reels on YouTube over the years, we didn't think there were any outtakes we hadn't seen. But it turns out there are a couple in the vault which are unleashed for the first time in the reunion.
There's one truly filthy unscripted joke we can't repeat here, during a scene where Monica and Chandler are in bed. And another where Perry does a hilarious dance when he can't remember his line, only for LeBlanc and Schwimmer to repeat the same dance behind him when he tries to do a re-take.
Perry's need for laughs
Perry probably gets the least screen time of the main six during the reunion, and some fans expressed concern about his appearance and speech (his struggles with addiction have been documented).
But he does speak movingly about how deeply affected he was by some parts of the job, and in particular seeking validation from the show's live audiences. "I felt like I was going to die if they didn't laugh," he says. "And it's not healthy, for sure."
A scene not for the squeamish
Series three's The One Where No-One's Ready is a fan favourite, and most will recall the storyline where Chandler and Joey are fighting over an armchair. At one point in the episode, they both dive for it at the same time, with Joey ultimately making it there first after hurling himself over the furniture.
LeBlanc picks up the story: "I went to jump over the coffee table, somehow tripped, my legs went up in the air, and my shoulder came out of its socket."
In the reunion we actually get to see the original footage - in which his arm looks separated from his body. "In come all the paramedics, they've got to take him to the hospital, and that was the end of filming," says co-creator David Crane.
The actor's dislocated shoulder was written into subsequent episodes, but the writers had Joey sustain the injury off- screen while jumping on his bed to explain why his arm was in a sling.
There's no shortage of A-listers
Some celebrities get heavily involved in the games and activities. There's an extremely special guest duetting with Kudrow on Smelly Cat. Other stars simply appear briefly to share the influence Friends had on their lives.
Friends of Friends show up
James Corden asks the group who has the loudest and most distinctive laugh, at which point everyone looks towards Kudrow. But then: "Oh. My God! I can't believe you didn't say me!" yells Maggie Wheeler (Janice) from the side of the stage, surprising the cast.
Was there anyone the cast didn't like while working on the show? "The monkey," LeBlanc and Schwimmer both reply.