For 30 years, they've been there for you, but how well do you truly know your Friends? That's what fans of the classic TV sitcom are setting out to prove in a special four-part Max original game show, Fast Friends, to celebrate the 30th anniversary since Friends originally premiered on NBC in 1994.

Depicting the lives of six friends in New York City as they go through relationships and life's general ups and downs, Friends made stars out of its main group of actors: Jennifer Aniston, Courtesy Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer. The show ran for 10 seasons, won six Emmys and earned a place on many lists of best TV shows of all time (including ours). It remained popular first in syndication and now on streaming. Now fans are going to get the chance to show off their knowledge with this new game show.

Here's everything you need to know about Fast Friends right now.

Fast Friends release date

Fast Friends is now streaming on Max, with the first of four episodes of the game show available and new episodes arriving each Thursday.

All episodes of Fast Friends are going to be available exclusively on Max (just like the Friends reunion was), so you'll need a Max subscription in order to watch.

A Max subscription will also give you the opportunity to catch up on key trivia tidbits yourself, as all episodes of the series are streaming exclusively on Max in the US.

Fast Friends premise

Here is the description of the game show:

"Fast Friends will take place in the celebrated series' iconic sets in a fast-paced competition event. From racing through Rachel and Monica's apartment to darting across Joey and Chandler's bachelor pad and grabbing a coffee at Central Perk, fans will re-live their favorite moments while being put to the test with trivia, puzzles and games that will keep even the most die-hard Friends fans on their toes. The quickest team will win the title of Ultimate Friends Fan."

Fast Friends host

Comedian Whitney Cummings has been tapped as the host of Fast Friends. Cummings made her name as a stand-up but also starred in her own sitcom, Whitney, which ran for two seasons.

"As a longtime fan of Friends, I am beyond thrilled to host the first ever game show," Cummings said in an official announcement. "After 30 years, the fandom surrounding this beloved series only continues to grow and now I have the great pleasure of awarding the ultimate fans with bragging rights for life."

Fast Friends trailer

Check out the Fast Friends trailer right here:

With the tragic passing of Matthew Perry, the iconic Friends theme song "I'll Be There for You" rings even louder. TBS is going to be there for fans of the series and Perry as the network has planned a five-day Friends marathon that will feature many of the best Chandler episodes. The Best of Chandler marathon begins on Wednesday, November 1, and continues through Sunday, November 5.

Perry, who passed away on Saturday, October 28, was a beloved member of what we at What to Watch (and many others) consider one of the greatest TV shows of all time. As Chandler Bing, he used his sarcastic wit to make us laugh, but was also a caring friend who ended up having one of TV's best relationships with Monica (Courtney Cox).

TBS is breaking this marathon up into different categories: Best of Chandler on November 1, Best of Chandler and Joey's Friendship on November 2 and Best of Chandler & Monica's Relationship on November 3. The remaining two days are going to see most of the episodes featured in the Best of Chandler category broken up between November 4 and November 5.

The marathons are going to start in the morning each day. Here is the full schedule of the Best of Chandler marathon: 

November 1: Best of Chandler marathon 

• 6 am: Friends season 1 episode 7, "The One with the Blackout"
• 6:30 am: Friends season 2 episode 13, "The One After the Super Bowl Part 2"
• 7 am: Friends season 2 episode 14, "The One with the Prom Video"
• 7:30 am: Friends season 2 episode 18, "The One Where Dr. Ramoray Dies"
• 8 am: Friends season 2 episode 19, "The One Where Eddie Won't Go"
• 8:30 am: Friends season 2 episode 24, "The One with Barry and Mindy's Wedding"
• 9 am: Friends season 3 episode 3, "The One with the Jam"
• 9:30 am: Friends season 3 episode 11, "The One Where Chandler Can't Remember Which Sister"
• 10 am: Friends season season 3 episode 18, "The One with the Hypnosis Tape"
• 10:30 am: Friends season 3 episode 21, "The One with a Chick and a Duck"
• 11 am: Friends season 4 episode 2, "The One with the Cat"
• 11:30 am: Friends season 4 episode 3, "The One with the Cuffs"
• Noon: Friends season 4 episode 8, "The One with Chandler in a Box"
• 12:30 pm: Friends season 4 episode 12, "The One with the Embryos"
• 1 pm: Friends season 4 episode 15, "The One with All the Rugby"
• 1:30 pm: Friends season 4 episode 20, "The One with the Wedding Dresses"
• 2 pm: Friends season 5 episode 8, "The One with All the Thanksgivings"
• 2:30 pm: Friends season 5 episode 14, "The One Where Everybody Finds Out"
• 3 pm: Friends season 5 episode 16, "The One with the Cop"
• 3:30 pm: Friends season 6 episode 24, "The One with the Proposal Part 1"
• 4 pm: Friends season 8 episode 6, "The One with the Halloween Party"
• 4:30 pm: Friends season 8 episode 17, "The One with the Tea Leaves"
• 5 pm: Friends season 9 episode 4, "The One with the Sharks"
• 5:30 pm: Friends season 9 episode 11, "The One Where Rachel Goes Back to Work"

November 2: Best of Chandler and Joey’s Friendship marathon 

• 6 am: Friends season 2 episode 6, "The One with the Baby on the Bus"
• 6:30 am: Friends season 2 episode 14, "The One with the Prom Video"
• 7 am: Friends season 2 episode 15, "The One Where Ross and Rachel… You Know"
• 7:30 am: Friends season 2 episode 16, "The One Where Joey Moves Out"
• 8 am: Friends season 2 episode 19, "The One Where Eddie Won't Go"
• 8:30 am: Friends season 3 episode 2, "The One Where No One's Ready"
• 9 am: Friends season 3 episode 21, "The One with a Chick and a Duck"
• 9:30 am: Friends season 4 episode 2, "The One with the Cat"
• 10 am: Friends season 4 episode 8, "The One with Chandler in a Box"
• 10:30 am: Friends season 4 episode 12, "The One with the Embryos"
• 11 am: Friends season 9 episode 13, "The One Where Monica Sings"
• Noon: Friends season 10 episode 6, "The One With Ross's Grant"

November 3: Best of Chandler & Monica's Relationship marathon 

• 10 am: Friends season 4 episode 24, "The One with Ross's Wedding Part 2"
• 10:30 am: Friends season 6 episode 24, "The One with the Proposal Part 1"
• 11 am: Friends season 6 episode 25, "The One with the Proposal Part 2"
• 11:30 am: Friends season 7 episode 23, "The One with Chandler and Monica's Wedding Part 1"
• Noon: Friends season 7 episode 24, "The One with Chandler and Monica's Wedding Part 2"

November 4: Best of Chandler encore 

• 6 am: Friends season 1 episode 7, "The One with the Blackout"
• 6:30 am: Friends season 2 episode 13, "The One After the Super Bowl Part 2"
• 7 am: Friends season 2 episode 14, "The One with the Prom Video"
• 7:30 am: Friends season 2 episode 18, "The One Where Dr. Ramoray Dies"
• 8 am: Friends season 2 episode 19, "The One Where Eddie Won't Go"
• 8:30 am: Friends season 2 episode 24, "The One with Barry and Mindy's Wedding"
• 9 am: Friends season 3 episode 3, "The One with the Jam"
• 9:30 am: Friends season 3 episode 11, "The One Where Chandler Can't Remember Which Sister"
• 10 am: Friends season season 3 episode 18, "The One with the Hypnosis Tape"

November 5: The Best of Chandler encore 

• 6 am: Friends season 3 episode 21, "The One with a Chick and a Duck"
• 6:30 am: Friends season 4 episode 2, "The One with the Cat"
• 7 am: Friends season 4 episode 3, "The One with the Cuffs"
• 7:30 am: Friends season 4 episode 8, "The One with Chandler in a Box"
• 8 am: Friends season 4 episode 12, "The One with the Embryos"
• 8:30 am: Friends season 4 episode 15, "The One with All the Rugby"
• 9 am: Friends season 5 episode 8, "The One with All the Thanksgivings"
• 9:30 am: Friends season 5 episode 14, "The One Where Everybody Finds Out"
• 10 am: Friends season 5 episode 16, "The One with the Cop"
• 10:30 am: Friends season 6 episode 24, "The One with the Proposal Part 1"
• 11 am: Friends season 8 episode 6, "The One with the Halloween Party"
• 11:30 am: Friends season 8 episode 17, "The One with the Tea Leaves"
• Noon: Friends season 9 episode 4, "The One with the Sharks"

To watch this TBS Best of Chandler marathon, you need to have a cable or live TV streaming service subscription that includes TBS. Most cable plans do, while Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV are options for live TV streaming services.

Of course, you can watch all of these episodes at your convenience if you are a subscriber to Max, where all seasons of Friends are available on-demand. In addition, Max has the Friends reunion special that saw Perry and his co-stars Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer return to the iconic set and talk about making the show and its lasting legacy.

The best TV kisses haven't just satisfied long-simmering will-they-won't-they tension, broken down racial and gender barriers and kickstarted some of the small screen's greatest romances. They've also been very, very hot. 

Like the 10 sexiest movie kisses, these televised smooches — pulled from sci-fi classics, beloved sitcoms, acclaimed dramas and sexy TV shows, such as the Shonda Rhimes political drama Scandal and the provocative teen soap Gossip Girl — are lip locks that truly linger in our memory.

The 10 hottest TV kisses we're still thinking about

New Girl: Nick and Jess

There was an inevitability to the long-awaited snog between Jessica Day (Zooey Deschanel) and Nick Miller (Jake Johnson), but that doesn't mean the sheer heat of the embrace didn't surprise us just as much as it surprised our New Girl herself. 

In the season 2 episode "Cooler," Nick and Jess have been dared to lay one on each other during a round of the gang's signature "True American" drinking game. When Nick yells, "Not like this!," it's not just a way to dodge the drunken make-out, but a potent promise, which he fully delivers on when the twosome is alone later that night. "I meant something like that," he tells her, after leaving her — and us — shocked and breathless. 

Fleabag: Fleabag and Hot Priest

"Kneel" — the subversive word that launched one of television's loveliest and unlikeliest romances, that of our titular heroine (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and the fittingly monikered, inordinately charming Hot Priest (Andrew Scott) in Fleabag series 2. In the season's fourth episode, an act of penance shockingly turns into an act of seduction. After Fleabag emotionally lays all of her vulnerabilities bare in the confessional, she pleads, "Just f***ing tell me what to do, Father." When he tells her to kneel, he joins her on his own knees, takes her face in his hands and leans into sin. It is utterly blasphemous — and damn sexy. 

Star Trek: Kirk and Uhura 

Legend has it that somewhere in the television universe, there's a version of the infamous Star Trek scene from season 3's "Plato's Stepchildren" floating around in which Capt. James Kirk (William Shatner) and Lt. Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) do not actually kiss. Of course, thankfully, viewers never had to see that version, as the iconic smooch did air in November 1968 and quickly cemented itself in TV history. 

Though not television's first-ever interracial liplock as it's mistakenly called, the kiss between the white actor and the Black actress was still a groundbreaking one, broadcast on a major American program only a year after the Supreme Court declared interracial marriage legal. 

Friends: Ross and Rachel

It's actually not the first kiss between Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) on Friends — that would be an excited peck in a laundromat back in season 1 — but it is their most famous. In season 2 episode 7, their slow-burn feelings for each other hit a fever point in the form of a heated fight at Central Perk. Ross storms out of the coffeehouse and Rachel angrily locks the door on him, until both of them soften up — he comes back, she opens up and they finally share their first big kiss. 

"His hands started on my waist, and then they slid up, and then they were in my hair...," Rachel later tells Phoebe and Monica about the long-awaited moment. They, like us, are left swooning. 

Scandal: Fitz and Olivia

Now, in real life, we'd never condone acts of marital infidelity in the White House. But when it comes to television, it's hard not to root for the steamy workplace affair between political fixer Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) and married US President Fitzgerald Grant III (Tony Goldwyn). And the heat was there from the get-go, as proven by the very first episode of the ABC drama. In a "blind spot" of the Oval Office (a.k.a. out of view of the security cameras), Olivia and Fitz unleash all of their feelings for each other, both good and bad: she, frustrated over his marriage and position (that slap!) and he, still very much in love with her (that kiss!).

Schitt's Creek: David and Patrick

David Rose (Dan Levy) was unlucky in the romance department for the first few seasons of Schitt's Creek — until Patrick Brewer (Noah Reid) came in to invest in his burgeoning apothecary business and invigorate his love life in season 3. In the season finale, the duo go to Cafe Tropical after work to celebrate David's birthday, but neither are entirely sure if it's a date or not. After Patrick sweetly gives David a framed receipt from their first sale, David happily realizes the evening is more pleasure than business, and gives his thanks in the form of a long, lush smooch, just one of many swoon-worthy moments between these two. Simply the best, indeed. 

Gilmore Girls: Luke and Lorelai

From the pilot episode, the delicious sweet-and-salty chemistry between chatty inn worker Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) and Luke Danes (Scott Patterson), the grumpy diner owner who regularly quenched her caffeine addiction, was plenty apparent. For years, fans had to settle for obviously charged but frustratingly unfulfilled moments between the two characters — that is, until the season 4 finale when Luke finally made a move. "Would you just stand still?" he snarks at her, pausing their signature banter long enough to make his feelings physically known. Stars Hollow would never be the same. 

The Vampire Diaries: Damon and Elena

It was a rough go of it for #Delena shippers during the first three seasons of The Vampire Diaries, having to watch our human heroine Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) cozy up to "cured" vampire Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley) instead of his seductive older brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder). But that all changed 19 episodes into season 3, when Elena and Damon shared a motel room during their road trip to Denver. Those close quarters simply couldn't contain their oversized attraction for one another, leading to an explosive make-out on the motel's balcony.

Orange is the New Black: Alex and Piper

When Alex Vause (Laura Prepon) found herself behind bars at Litchfield Penitentiary, the very same prison as her ex-girlfriend and fellow drug trafficker Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), it was only a matter of time before the two would find their way back to one another. They do so in a fittingly dramatic fashion: after Piper gets out of solitary confinement — having been tattled on by Pennsatucky for "lesbianing together," a.k.a. provocatively dancing, with Alex — she retaliates by marching straight into the bunks and pulling Alex into the chapel for a major same-sex makeout. Revenge never tasted so sweet. 

Gossip Girl: Chuck and Blair

If you're going to rebound, it might as well be in the backseat of a stretch limousine with the one, the only Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick). That's just what Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) does after breaking up with her childhood sweetheart Nate Archibald (Chace Crawford). The preppy overachiever goes full bad girl at Chuck's nightclub Victrola, dancing atop the bar and, even more surprisingly, initiating a passionate hook-up with Chuck on the drive home. Given the intensity of their romp, it's no surprise that their first kiss sparked an on-and-off-again relationship that spanned the series' six seasons. 

Jennifer Aniston has revealed that she still watches Friends and shared her feelings about the show and her relationship with her fellow castmates.

Aniston is part of the lineup for this week's Jonathan Ross Show where she's on hand along with Adam Sandler to promote the sequel to the Netflix original movie, Murder Mystery 2 ahead of its release this month. 

Both stars join Jonathan Ross via video call to discuss their time on the show, but Friends inevitably comes up during the show!

Talking about the show, Jennifer Aniston revealed that the main cast is still a family. "Everybody stays in touch. We'll never shake each other. Family forever!", she said, before going on to discuss whether she still watches the beloved sitcom when it's on. "I do, once in a while. I'll stand there and go, 'Huh, I don't remember that'", she added.

Fans hoping for another Friends reunion might be a little disappointed to hear, however, that Aniston isn't too confident that another one will be happening. Asked if another one's in the works, she said: "I don't think so. I think that was it, I think that was the swansong. But you do never know."

• Is Friends on Netflix?

Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston also share a funny anecdote from their time working together on Murder Mystery 2 about a time she accidentally kicked him in the ribs!

"It's in the movie. I'm asleep and she says, 'You've got to wake up.' I thought she'd gently me a tap... [instead] I get an Aniston foot come powerfully in. She's got strong feet!" Sandler said, though she insisted the entire incident was an accident!

Aniston and Sandler aren't the only stars set to appear on The Jonathan Ross show this week. Veteran actor Brian Cox is on hand to discuss the fourth and final series of the hit HBO drama, Succession. Plus, His Dark Materials and Luther star Ruth Wilson discusses her Groundhog Day 24-hour play, Greg Davies talks more Taskmaster and athlete Jazmine Sawyers tells all about her Olympic chances and her experience auditioning for The Voice UK back in 2017.

The Jonathan Ross Show airs on Saturday at 9.40 pm on ITV1 and ITVX. Murder Mystery 2 starts streaming on Netflix on March 31.

It's finally happened. The Central Perk gang got back together. 

We've actually known for quite some time the gang from Friends — Ross, Phoebe, Rachel, Monica, Chandler and Joey — would reunite. And we knew it'd be on HBO Max. We just didn't know when, and the global pandemic pushed the reunion back quite a bit.

But we're just about there. Here's everything you need to know about the Friends reunion.

When is the Friends reunion on HBO Max?

This is the only part you care about, right? The Friends reunion show premiered on May 27 on HBO Max.

How to watch the Friends reunion in the UK

If you're of the British variety — or, more accurately, if you're looking to watch the Friends reunion special and you're in the UK or Ireland, we now have details. The special will be available on-demand starting at 8 a.m. BST on NOW.

And it'll be broadcast at 8 p.m. BST on SKY.

What's the reunion going to be about?

This whole thing was originally supposed to go down in March 2020. But the pandemic postponed things for about a year. The full trailer shows the cast playing games, doing a table read of a script, and sitting down with James Corden for a little chat.

The reunion was going to be a tentpole launch for HBO Max back in 2020. But it just didn't happen. And when it finally did a year later? Everything sort of landed with a thud, according to our full Friends: The Reunion review.

It was also pretty evident that it just wasn't as good as what Will Smith & Co. were able to do with the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion 30th anniversary special that landed on HBO Max in late 2020, mostly because it lacked the sort of conflict and closure that the Fresh Prince cast got to have.

And too bad, even if it was great to see everyone get back together one more time.

It’s hard to keep David Schwimmer out of the news right now. As well as reuniting recently with the cast of classic sitcom Friends for a special reunion episode, he’s also back as the star of Intelligence Season 2, which starts on Sky One and Now in the UK on June 8.

Schwimmer plays ambitious US agent Jerry Bernstein, who has been assigned to UK spy headquarters GCHQ as part of the cyber crimes unit — where he works alongside his faithful sidekick Joseph Harries (show creator Nick Mohammed).

After he narrowly escaped being sent home to face treason charges last time out, the American is desperate to redeem himself and gets the chance to impress his superiors when rogue operatives launch a lethal attack on the UK.

Yet while Jerry and Joseph race to stop US cyberweapon nicknamed Eternal Blue falling into the wrong hands, there's a bromance brewing between the pair of hapless security operatives, as David Schwimmer explains... 

David Schwimmer on the new series

"Jerry's in further pursuit of power and trying to work his way up the ladder as much as he can," David explains. "Maybe he’s harbouring some secret fantasy of running for president, he certainly thinks very highly of himself and believes he should be in charge of pretty much everything. 

"We find him pursuing anything that will elevate his status and give him more power. But at the same time there’s a real attachment, a bromance forming between Jerry and Joseph. Jerry’s feelings and real friendship for Joseph, are growing deeper, I think."

David on making the show

"We'd settled in by the end of series one as an ensemble and by the time we started series two, everyone hit the ground running because we felt pretty confident in the characters and the dynamics and the relationships.

"So coming back seemed like slipping into a really comfortable jacket. Although obviously the working conditions were quite different with Covid!"

David on the reaction to Intelligence Season 1

"In the States I think it was less on the radar but of course I brought it to the attention of my friends and family and people who follow my Instagram. I made them subscribe to Peacock!

He adds: "From what I understand it was pretty well received in the UK, so my UK friends and family really enjoyed it. So, I’m happy."

David on improvising during filming

"It’s the most liberating experience," says David. "There’s a kind of natural thing where performance kind of falls away, and it’s just Nick and me, and we have a chemistry and ease with our characters. As actors we can forget about acting, in a way, and just be present. There’s a lot of trust in the other actor and a comfort and ease and we just kind of fall into this nice dynamic that’s a real pleasure.

"My favourite scenes are those where you just stay with those two characters for a little while. At the best times, I found myself totally forgetting we were filming; we were just in a state of flow and those moments are an absolute dream as an actor."

David on rupturing his eardrum

"It was a tough shoot on everyone in terms of Covid, but I was also unfortunate because I was dealing with an ear injury and I had to take different medications just to be able to get through shooting without real pain and discomfort at times," explains David. 

"I injured my ear when I was trying to make my daughter laugh. We’d been visiting people who had a place with a pool and I was standing at the edge of the pool and did a kind of dead fall into the pool and I slammed my ear at such a perfect angle that I immediately ruptured my eardrum, and I gave myself an inner ear concussion.

"That healed eventually after six weeks, but then a whole new condition migrated into both ears and gave me a combination of tinnitus and something called hyperacusis. It’s finally just on its way out now. It’s been seven months. It’s crazy.

"I have bad days and good days. The thing that bothers it the most is talking. So, if I talk too much and at significant volume, it generates the ringing. That’s why being that character, who’s pretty loud, was challenging at times!"

Intelligence Season 2 will arrive on Sky One and streaming service NOW on Tuesday 8 June. In the US the series will be streaming on Peacock in the US from Thursday 17 June.

• Now TV full list
• How to watch the Friends reunion special

The first thing you need to know about Friends: The Reunion, airing on HBO Max starting today is that it is in no way a new episode of Friends. Even now, you may yet hold out some hope that within the 104-minute runtime of the special, there’s a table reading of a new episode or some script that was never used. And it is here that you should remove any such hope. Though the special is all about reliving the past as much as possible, and looking back fondly on some of the countless memories and moments that dotted one of the most popular American sitcoms ever to air, there’s nothing exactly new about it.

There is, instead, a general vibe of “be careful what you wish for”. The opening titles say that in the intervening 17 years since the series finale aired, the six eponymous pals have only been in the same room together once...until now. Off of that, we get a random assortment of bits, montages, reminiscences, and revivals, all placed together in a strangely off-kilter and formless way. If you wanted to see the six actors who brought Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe to life back together again, walking through the sets of the characters’ apartments, the Central Perk coffee shop, and saying a brief hello to random guest stars and being stumped by detailed questions about episodes of the show itself...well, Friends: The Reunion is for you. But the experience of this reunion is somewhat empty and airless.

Somehow, the grab-bag mentality of the special and the overarching nostalgia inherent in bringing these massively famous actors back for one last hurrah only makes the experience lifeless, too. Friends remains one of the most popular shows ever, even for generations of viewers who weren’t alive when it premiered (and who may well see the show as a relic of the 1990s), but there’s not even a bare-bones attempt to explore why the show has endured. The closest the special comes to this exploration is in a brief montage of fans around the world who comment on how the characters and their personalities transcended American culture or heritage. (There’s also a handful of celebrity talking-head segments, from the logical -- Reese Witherspoon chimes in, having appeared on the show herself -- to the inexplicable -- David Beckham is apparently a clean freak, just like Monica! ...Great?)

The special’s producer and director, Ben Winston, is best known for producing The Late Late Show with James Corden, so it’s no surprise that the English host/co-star of Cats serves as something of an emcee for a portion of Friends: The Reunion. Though the special opens with a long stretch in which each main cast member, one by one, enters the soundstage where they filmed the show to pick over details of the sets that they hadn’t thought of in years, or couldn’t believe they’d forgotten, etc., it eventually shifts to a faux-interview of sorts set directly in front of the fountain in which the actors filmed the iconic title sequence, with Corden asking the questions. Yes, everything from “What’s your favorite episode?” to “Tell me, really, were Ross and Rachel on a break?” gets posed to the very game cast.

Corden’s just one aspect of the special, though — there’s a few segments in which we watch the six performers do table-readings of some of the most iconic moments from Friends, such as Ross and Rachel’s first kiss or the moment when Phoebe first realized that Chandler and Monica were in a secret romantic relationship. It’s these moments that are perhaps most instructive to the key that made Friends work both at the time, and now: the impossible-to-replicate chemistry between these actors. (The best bit in the entire special is when Lisa Kudrow once again shouts out, “My eyes! MY EYES!” as Phoebe responds to Chandler and Monica hooking up. She hasn’t lost a comic beat, and also seems the most down-to-earth of the six castmates.) The reflections from each of the cast members — though it often feels like we’re primarily hearing from David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston — are interesting to a point, but only just. At one point, Schwimmer notes (no doubt correctly) that when Friends was at the zenith of its popularity, the only other five people he knew understood what he was going through were his co-stars and vice versa. We can all imagine, somewhat, how intense and oppressive that kind of superstardom can be, but we don't and never will know what it's like.

And that unfortunately speaks to the problem of having so many reminiscences and reflections of being on the set. Yes, most people who watch the special will have seen the 236 episodes of the original series, and possibly know many of those episodes inside and out. But a reunion special so heavily steeped in memories of what it was like to be super-famous, or to see a warped fashion show inspired by costumes from the show (featuring a series of models whose identities and costumes are frankly too weird to describe), feels like a 104-minute experience of being told, “Well, listen, you had to be there.”

Add to that the unavoidable reality that all of these actors have aged and look entirely different from how they did in early seasons. It’s perversely fun to cut between the current actors and their 1994 selves. (TV-history aficionados may be especially thrilled by two brief clips of 1994-era sitcoms that co-starred, respectively, Aniston and Matthew Perry. Both of these shows, had they been successful, would've made it so neither star could appear on Friends. The brief glimpses of these other shows are fascinating, but don't suggest we missed anything terribly special.). But seeing the disparity of nearly 30 years of aging is also a stark reminder that the actors in 2021 are a far cry from their earlier selves. Some element of this special feels like a vanity attempt to relive their own youth, if only for a few minutes. That said, it’s still no surprise that, when Corden asks the inevitable question of whether or not there could be a new episode or one-off event with the characters returning, Kudrow quickly and sharply says, “No.” And for good reason.

Because there’s such a mix-and-match mentality to Friends: The Reunion, there are some hits within. Some of the celebrity appearances are fun, and speak to the impact the show has had on more generations than just Generation X. (Even the inevitable new performance of “Smelly Cat” by Kudrow gets a surprising boost thanks to a performer best left unspoiled. Though Kudrow was likely aware who was joining her, the blend of awe and giddy delight on her face is extremely relatable.) And watching the cast perform scenes at a table reading -- thankfully by themselves, instead of having Corden read stage directions or something like that -- is as effective a reminder as the clips themselves of why Friends has remained so beloved for so long.

But that’s kind of the issue, isn’t it? The best part of Friends: The Reunion isn’t seeing the friends reunite (in part because you’re not watching the friends reunite, but the actors). It’s seeing well-chosen clips of the show that remind you why you’re here in the first place. The original show has managed to avoid feeling encased in amber; it’s not so dated in its depiction of popular culture and society that watching episodes from the mid-1990s isn’t a painful experience in 2021. But why watch the 2021 versions of these actors go through the motions of waving and smiling, and hugging each other again, instead of just streaming Friends itself on HBO Max? The emotions here -- because the waterworks start early enough for the performers — may be genuine, but they also feel heavily overdone, as in a final montage scored to a goofily slowed-down version of “I’ll Be There For You” that feels almost funereal. You’re better off just watching Friends — which you probably already have done if you’re even remotely invested in this special. It’s a better use of your time.

You didn't think there'd be a Friends reunion special without a whole lot of pomp and circumstance, did you? TBS today announced the inaugural (as in they'll do this again sometime?) "Best of Friends Awards", to be hosted by Schitt's Creek co-star (and apparent No. 1 Friends fan) Sarah Levy.

Fans can now vote for their favorite moments in a variety of categories, including best celebrity cameo, best musical moment, best romantic moment and more.

The winners will be announced live at 8:30 p.m. Eastern (that's 5:30 p.m. Pacific time) on TBS.com, on Twitter and on Facebook, along with a guest appearance from what only is described as "a Friends fan favorite."

Fans who vote in the awards will be entered to win a Friends merch pack.

The Friends reunion special will be available on HBO Max in the United States and on Sky in the UK and Ireland on May 27.

Now that it's got a trailer, it's officially official. WarnerMedia today unveiled the poster and trailer for the Friends reunion special, which premieres May 27 on HBO Max.

The 2 minutes and 10 seconds of video take you back inside the re-created apartment, with everyone mostly looking the same as they did all those years ago. Sure, some are a little heavier and a little more gray, but who among us, right? 

We see Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer hamming it up, playing some Friends-related games before sitting down for a group interview with James Corden. And what's sure to be a great bit, we also see the cast sitting around the table for a script read.

It looks like there will be at least a couple special guests, too. We see Tom Selleck — Dr. Richard Burke, as you'll recall — walk through the door. There's a brief shot of Patricia Heaton, too — and a really quick one of Thomas Lennon (of The State and Reno 911!) peaking out as well.

HBO Max is planning some special events around the premiere, too. 

On May 26, HBO Max is inviting select guests and superfans to an exclusive screening of the special, with their friends in real life. It'll include pre-show entertainment and outdoor screenings in New York City and Los Angeles.

There's a digital and social red carpet experience from 7:30 to 8:30 Pacific time on May 26, featuring exclusive programming, guest appearances and live segments.

There also will be a virtual reunion for fans via the Scener service on May 27. That'll let groups of people watch together on their own virtual couches.

And HBO Max will have a "For Fans of Friends" page up on May 27, with custom Friends-themed content including "Best of Rachel," "The Ones With Celebrity Guests," and more of the most-watched episodes.

Is Friends on Netflix? Where can I watch it? Yes, it seems amazing after all this time but Friends remains one of the most popular sitcoms ever made and people are still always trying to find classic episodes to watch.

The legendary US sitcom was first broadcast in 1994, and ran for 10 seasons until it finished in 2004.

Friends gave birth to a range of hilarious moments and garnered huge praise from critics and audiences alike. 

With a reunion special set to film in the next few months, many fans are planning to rewatch all 236 episodes of the beloved show once again.

If, like many other viewers, you're planning on rewatching the classic series, you're probably wondering "how do I watch Friends online?" We've got you covered.

Is Friends on Netflix? 

Friends is not available on Netflix in the United States. It used to be available in the US in 2019, but the show was pulled by Warner and made an HBO Max exclusive at the start of 2020.

However, viewers in other territories including the UK, Ireland, Australia and Canada can continue to watch Friends on Netflix, though! 

How to watch Friends in the US

Friends is available to stream exclusively on HBO Max. To keep things simple, HBO only has a single subscription plan for HBO Max, and it costs $14.99 a month, with no contract.

For that monthly fee, you’ll not just get to watch all 236 episodes of Friends, but a huge content library, too! There’s a selection HBO’s best movies, all of Warner Bros. movie releases throughout the rest of 2021, and a whole host of other amazing shows on HBO Max including It’s A Sin, Watchmen and so much more.

• Everything you need to know about HBO Max
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• HBO Max review

How many seasons of Friends were there?

Friends ran for 236 episodes spread across 10 seasons. They were broadcast from 1994-2004.

Who was in Friends?

The gang of six were played by: David Schwimmer (Ross), Jennifer Aniston (Rachel), Courteney Cox (Monica), Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe), Matthew Perry (Chandler), and Matt LeBlanc (Joey).

Who guest starred in Friends?

Friends featured a whole host of celebrity guest stars including: George Clooney, Tom Selleck, Elle Macpherson, Sean Penn, Paul Rudd, Reese Witherspoon, Bruce Willis, Winona Ryder, Julia Roberts, Anna Faris, Dakota Fanning, Brad Pitt, Brooke Shields and Hugh Laurie, among many others!

iTunes has Friends: The Complete Series discounted down to just $59.99 right now. That's a match for the lowest it has ever gone there and the best price we've seen on it in over a year. The set includes digital versions of all ten seasons of the cult TV show in HD for viewing across your Apple devices. It normally costs $139.99 there and a Blu-ray set would usually set you back over $100.

The deal given is no longer valid and we do not have a better one. However, we have found some similar deals

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With Friends leaving Netflix and soon to be behind the paywall of the upcoming HBO Max streaming service, this might be your best chance to ensure you have easy access to the show in digital format without paying for yet another subscription service. That service is expected to cost somewhere in the region of $17 per month, so this deal on the Friends box set is less than the cost of four months of streaming viewing and you get to keep it for life. If you buy it at iTunes, you can watch it on any device with iTunes or the Apple TV app like your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows PC, Apple TV , or even select TVs from third-parties .

Friends' most famous animal stars are undoubtedly The Chick and the Duck (various episodes) who were purchased by Joey from an animal sanctuary in the third series. Living in Chandler and Joey’s flat, the pair led a charmed life and played a big role in their adventures, although the Duck caused a small crisis when it swallowed one of Ross’s many engagement rings at his bachelor party.

Chandler even briefly renamed The Duck ‘Yasmine’, after Baywatch star Yasmine Bleeth, yet both birds mysteriously disappeared in series six. In later years, Chandler revealed that they had passed away from old age, however the news was kept from Joey to avoid upsetting him.

The Chick and The Duck Junior (The Last One, Part 1) As Chandler and Monica prepared to move out into the suburbs (sob) Joey presents them with a baby Chick and Duck as a house-warming gift. Chandler tells him to keep them and Joey is delighted, although Joey's plan to add a goose to his menagerie of poultry gets a lukewarm reception.

Tutti the cat (The One With The Blackout) Not only does this pesky feline put paid to Ross’s first attempt to make a move on his beloved Rachel by jumping on him as they stand stargazing on the balcony, but he also introduces his equally irritating owner, Paolo, to the series!

Crapweasel that he is, Paolo then moves in on Rachel, before she ditches him for groping Phoebe. Bye Paolo!

NOTE: The moment Tutti attacks Ross is also memorable for being one of the few times during the entire series in which Phoebe shows any actual musical ability.

Marcel The Monkey (various episodes) Marcel first appears when Ross turns up at Monica’s New Year’s Eve party with him as a date. After becoming Ross’s pet, the capuchin monkey gallivanted about for several series, escaping, humping things and showing an impressive ability to play The Lion Sleeps Tonight on the stereo.

Marcel's outrageous sex drive led Ross to finally accept that his furry pal needed to be with his own kind and he eventually left for San Diego Zoo. Yet that wasn’t his final appearance in the show. After launching a successful career as an animal actor, Marcel returned to New York to film Outbreak 2: The Virus Takes Manhattan, allowing Ross to see him one final time.

Chi Chi the dog (The One With The Thumb) Ross and Monica’s pet dog when they were children, Chi Chi is first mentioned in the first season when Ross discovers that the pup didn’t end up chasing rabbits on the Milner’s idyllic farm in Connecticut, but in fact died.

Later on we also find out that an overweight young Monica used to ride around on Chi Chi’s back. Poor little dude.

Old Yeller (The One Where Old Yeller Dies) While we’re talking ill-fated pooches…

Smelly Cat (Various episodes) The subject of Phoebe’s most famous song, Smelly Cat pops up many times during Friends, yet the sex of the cat has always been something of a mystery. If the song is to be believed, the poor moggy’s smelliness was caused by its diet, yet it wasn’t Smelly Cat’s fault. Etc.

Phoebe taught musician Stephanie Schiffer (played by guest star Chrissie Hynde) to play the song and our favourite masseuse even recorded the song for professional release, although unbeknown to Phoebe, her voice was replaced by that of another (better) singer.

The song was later stolen for a TV jingle by Phoebe’s ex-partner and in later series the origins of the song were revealed when her estranged father explains that he used to sing young Phoebe a lullaby of the same tune called Sleepy Girl.

Rachel’s Lobster (The One With The Prom Video) OK, there are no actual lobsters in Friends (apart from the one or two that turn up in Monica’s restaurant), but who could forget Phoebe’s theory on why Ross and Rachel will end up together…

But to be honest, we just wanted an excuse to post this video. (Excuse us because we have something in our eye...)

Eddie’s goldfish Buddy (The One Where Dr Ramoray Dies, The One Where Eddie Won’t Go) Oh Eddie, what happened? Chandler’s new roommate seemed normal at first, but his relationship was doomed as soon as he revealed he didn’t watch Baywatch, and that was merely the tip of the iceberg.

The fruit-drying, mannequin stealing nutter accused Chandler of sleeping with his girlfriend and killing his fish Buddy, then replaced Buddy with a piece of cracker and named it Chandler!

For his piece de resistance he bought a new goldfish, but stuffed it in his pocket and stormed off. Then he stole all Chandler’s inner soles and refused to move out. In short, one of the finest guest characters ever. What happened to Buddy? Who can say…

Various pigeons (The One With Ross’s Sandwich) Our feathered pals crop up in Friends several times, but their finest appearance is definitely in the episode where someone eats the only good thing going on in Ross’s life.

Mike’s family dog Chappy (The One Where Phoebe Gets Married) You’d have to be a tiny bit weird to fall in love with Phoebe and while he is very loveable, Mike Hannigan certainly is and we love him for it. So when one of his groomsmen drops out of their wedding at the last minute, he decides his family dog should make up the numbers, much to the annoyance of Chandler and Ross, who had both been pathetically vying for the position.

Jellyfish (The One With The Jellyfish) No doubt distracted by Joey’s impressive hole, Monica is caught out by this gelatinous creature while at the beach in the first episode of the fourth series. Luckily Chandler was on hand to pee on the sting.

Phoebe’s Rats (The One With Phoebe’s Rats) When Mike moves into Phoebe’s apartment, he is disgusted to find she has a rat and sets up traps all over the place. Little does he know that Phoebe has actually named the rat Bob, so when he kills him she is devastated.

Yet the couple soon discover Bob was actually a female rat and has had a load of babies. To make up for the death of ‘Bob’, Phoebe vows to look after his babies and carries them around in a shoebox for the rest of the episode.

Dirty girl’s hamster Mitzy (The One with the Dirty Girl) While we’re on rats, let’s talk about Cheryl (dirty girl) an undeniably beautiful, yet slovenly, woman Ross dates in the fourth series. Her apartment would put even the grubbiest student house to shame, so when Ross sees something scurrying around on her floor he kills it.

Luckily when Cheryl – who is played by future X-Men star Rebecca Romijn – arrives back from the kitchen (we dread to think what that looks like) she confirms it wasn’t her hamster, but a rat. That’s OK then.

The bird that gets shot by Gary (The One With The Ball) Phoebe had a good thing going with Gary the cop. They had amazing sex (to Monica’s irritation), he got along with her friends and they decided to move in together after just a couple of episodes.

But the writers obviously didn’t fancy Gary as much as Phoebe did, because they wrote him out in abrupt fashion by having him shoot a bird to stop it chirping. Phoebe, who had been using Gary’s police badge to defend nature when they first met, was less than impressed.

Pat the Dog (various episodes) No soap actor’s gaudy apartment would be complete without a hideous monstrosity such as this. Bought by Joey after he was cast in Days Of Our Lives in the second series, Pat first appears when we see the actor showing his friends around his plush new pad.

The only one of Joey’s possessions not to get carried off by the bailiffs after he is written out of the soap, Pat crops up a few times during the rest of the series. Most notably when Joey and Chandler ride him into the girl’s apartment after winning it in a bet.

TRIVIA: The statue was actually a good luck gift given to Jennifer Aniston on the first day of shooting and producers wanted to use it in the show.

Clunkers the dog (The One Where Chandler Doesn’t Like Dogs) “Dogs are needy, they are jumpy and you can’t tell what they’re thinking…” explains Chandler as he comes clean to the group about his dislike of dogs in season seven. Yet who wouldn’t like Phoebe’s friend’s dog Clunkers?

The Holiday Armadillo (The One With The Holiday Armadillo) Santa was unavailable so close to Christmas, so poor little Ben has to make do with this part-Jewish mammal that represents him in the southern states of America … and Mexico.

Mrs Whiskerson (The One With The Ball) Costing an eye-watering $1000, Rachel buys this rare sphinx cat because it reminds her of one her grandmother used to have.

Mrs Whiskerson is not a popular addition to the group, with Ross claiming she is 'inside out' and Joey refusing to believe she is a cat at all. Rachel eventually sells this hissing and scratching monstrosity to a besotted Gunther for a tidy profit.

The dog Phoebe runs over (The One With The Bullies) While Chandler and Ross are defending their honour in the coffee shop, Phoebe decides to visit her biological father on the outskirts of the city. However when she gets there a Jack Russell terrier attacks her and she, Joey and Rachel are forced to wait in the car until night falls.

After eventually deciding to return another day, Phoebe accidentally runs the dog over. After taking it to the vet, she returns it and meets her half-brother Frank.

Phoebe’s mum/Julio (The One With The Cat) When a cat named Julio takes a nap in Phoebe’s guitar case, the kooky masseuse is overcome with the feeling that the feline is her long-dead mother reincarnated. One of the many flaws in this theory is that Julio is actually male, but let’s not get into that.

Sharks (The One With The Sharks) When Monica takes a trip to Tulsa to surprise Chandler in season nine, she disturbs him just as he's settling down form some 'personal time'. He quickly changes the channel to some wildlife show and she thinks he has a perverted thing for sharks. Hilarity ensues.

Comedy Central's Friends Fest will begin a six-week tour of the UK at the end of August: Click here for more details