Marta Kauffman also refuses to call the NBC special a 'Friends' reunion since the event focuses on honoring TV director James Burrows.
- Jan 18, 2016
AceShowbiz - While "Friends" fans were overjoyed after NBC announced that the show's cast would reunite for a television special, series co-creator Marta Kauffman has basically told fans not to expect anything more than that. Met at the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, California, she ruled out the possibility of rebooting the series.
"Why? I mean, for me, why go back to that territory?" she said. "I get to do what I loved about 'Friends' which is make a show that's got some hope and joy to it, and explore something completely new. That was about a certain time in your life and I just had left the 'Friends' time of my life. This is the time in my life that I'm looking toward. It's thrilling that we can do that," she added, referring to her Netflix's series "Grace and Frankie".
Kauffman also insisted that the special's not a "Friends" reunion. "I will be there, but it is not a 'Friends' reunion," she told reporters. She noted that the special airing Sunday, February 21 would instead focus on honoring TV director James Burrows, who directed 15 episodes of the hit sitcom, including the pilot.
Commenting on the frenzy regarding the reunion reports, she admitted, "Yes, it's shocking to me. It really is." She added, "My youngest child is 16 and because of Netflix, her friends are just discovering the show and they think it's a new show. They think it's a new show that's set in a period."
During the "Grace and Frankie" panel, Kauffman also made a similar statement about a possible "Friends" movie. "I will say there will never be a Friends reunion movie," she told the audience.
"Friends" stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer are scheduled to reunite for a tribute to TV director James Burrows. Matthew Perry will not join the gang because of another commitment, but he will still be a part of the special. "The other five are going to be on this special and I am going to introduce them from London," the Chandler Bing depicter recently said on "The Graham Norton Show".
