“It’s a big loss”: It’s 30 years of friends, but the soul isn’t celebrating

Proudly spanning ten years, ten seasons and 236 episodes counting, Friends is a series for an entire generation that came together as one in front of the TV on the evening of May 6, 2004, with the final episode airing. The last bow in the form of an apotheosis, which gathered more than 52 million viewers. The most-watched episode of any TV series of the 2000s.

It’s been 30 years since the unforgettable Chandler, Monica, Ross, Rachel, Phoebe and Joey landed on NBC on September 22, 1994. Before the Max platform announced the upcoming game show, the so-called fast friendsWhere the contestants who are supposed to be ‘Invincible’ on Friends will compete in elimination questions on their favorite series, the producers and creators of the series are celebrating a mixed anniversary. Because the tragic disappearance of Matthew Perry looms large.

“It’s a great loss…”

“It’s a great loss, which makes this 30th anniversary a little more difficult.”said Martha Kaufman, co-creator of the series, on the show, which aired today The Hollywood Reporter. “He made us laugh every day” Kevin Bright, one of the producers, agrees.

“She’s been struggling for so long, and she really felt like she finally found peace with the cast reunion.” Matthew Perry, who has been regularly overtaken by his inner demons, appeared physically altered and fragile during a Friends reunion episode, which will air in early summer 2021.

Matthew Perry died on October 28, 2023, aged just 54, of a ketamine overdose. A shock wave for fans who were left inconsolable and also for his partners who paid a powerful tribute to their friend.

“Two things come to mind” Comments by Martha Kaufman. “One is to donate to drug addiction centers. The other is to watch Friends and remember him not as someone who died like that, but as someone who was incredibly funny and brought joy to everyone.”