Back on the couch! America’s six favorite friends are FINALLY reunited after 17 years in highly anticipated HBO Max special – with guest stars including  Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Cindy Crawford

• The six stars – Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer – reunited on the Warner Bros. studio lot, where the original show was filmed 
• The cast reminisced on some of the show’s greatest moments in front of a live audience, in the HBO Max Special, hosted by James Corden
• The special also saw a slew of celebrities reflect on their own connections with the series, including David Beckham, BTS and Kit Harington
• Friends originally aired on NBC from 1993 to 2004, and made stars out of its six main cast members 

The long-awaited Friends reunion finally made its debut on Thursday, with the sitcom’s cast heading back to the iconic set to reminisce on the show’s history, 17 years since its conclusion. 

The six stars – Courteney Cox (Monica Gellar), Jennifer Aniston (Rachel Green), Matthew Perry (Chandler Bing), Matt LeBlanc (Joey Tribbiani), Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe Buffay) and David Schwimmer (Ross Gellar) – reunited on the Warner Bros. studio lot, where the original show was filmed, for a night full of laughs, tears and everything in between.

Friends is arguably one of most successful sitcoms of all time, running for 10 beloved seasons and 235 episodes from 1994 to 2004, and fans had been clamouring for a reunion for many years. 

The special – which earned a flurry of reaction from die-hard fans when it launched on HBO Max in the US and Sky Go and Now TV in the UK – also saw a slew of guests make surprise appearances, including David Beckham, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Cindy Crawford.

Could we BE anymore excited? The long-awaited Friends Reunion finally made its debut on Thursday, with the sitcom’s cast heading back to the iconic set to reminsce on the show’s history, 17 years since its conclusion 

The past is back! The series is arguably one of most successful sitcoms of all time, running for 10 beloved seasons and 235 episodes from 1994 to 2004, and fans had been clamouring for a reunion for many years

The special was filmed over a three-day period on the Warner Bros. lot, with the iconic fountain from the show used as a backdrop for the cast’s main interview which was hosted by Late Late Show’s James Corden.

The British presenter – whose choice was quite controversial among fans – delved into the making of the show in a lively discussion, and reflected on the moment each actor landed their iconic part.

The special kicked off with all six actors heading back to the sitcom’s legendary set, and Jennifer struggled to hold back her tears as she embraced Courteney, clearly overwhelmed at returning to the series almost two decades since its conclusion.  

Finally! The six iconic stars – Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston , Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer – reunited on the Warner Bros. studio lot for a night full of laughs, tears and everything in between 

Candid: During an interview with James Corden, the cast reflected on some of the sitcom’s most iconic moments (Jennifer and Courteney left, and David and Matt right), from Ross and Rachel’s first kiss to the legendary final episode

They’re back together! As the cast headed back to the set for the first time to being filming the special, Courteney struggled to hide her tears as she and Matt embraced

We’re going back! Backstage Jennifer was ready to head back to the famous sofa 17 years after filming her final scenes as Rachel Green

Look who’s back! David made his way through one of the show’s famous apartments as they headed to the main set, Monica’s apartment, to film scenes for the special

The cast visited the original soundstage – Stage 24 – where Friends was filmed, where it took over three weeks to re-construct the iconic set 17 years since the final scenes were filmed.

‘Where’s the tissue box?’ Jennifer asked while visiting the living room set, while Matt wondered it Courteney’s lines were still written on the kitchen table.

Corden also brought over Ben Winston, who serves as showrunner on The Late Late Show, to serve as the director and producer of the reunion special.

While the Q&A did garner some criticism for failing to delve too deeply into topics that most Friends super-fans weren’t already familiar with, it was welcome familiar territory for some fans, as James asked about each cast member’s auditions and other tales from early in the show’s development.

Here he is! After the cast took their seats on the famous brown sofa that took centre stage in the show’s intro, James Corden took to the stage to interview the stars about the show’s greatest moments

I’ll be there for you: The series ran for 10 seasons, premiering in 1994 (pictured). The final episode, which aired in 2004, broke records with more than 50 million viewers

Discussion: The discussion delved into familiar territory, asking about each cast member’s auditions for the roles that would eventually make them into global stars

Open: Matt revealed he had just $11 to his name when he auditioned for the part, while producers admitted David was reluctant to accept the role after a bad experience working on a previous show

Aniston revealed that while auditioning for the part of Rachel, a producer on a show she was on, incorrectly told her, ‘That show won’t make you a star.’ 

She also shared the bombshell revelation that she and David did have a sneaky off-screen crush on the series, while viewers were gripped by Ross and Rachel’s will-they won’t-they romance. 

James asked: ‘It’s impossible not to realise and see that you’re all young, hot, good looking successful actors, that it’s inconceivable to me that there weren’t perhaps off-screen romances.’

A coughing Jennifer replied: ‘Well.. I mean, David?’ before he added: ‘The first season, I had a major crush on Jen.’ 

Emotional: During the special, the cast also reflected on the iconic will-they won’t-they romance between Ross and Rachel, with actor David confessing he and Jennifer harboured secret crushes before filming their first kiss in season two

Holding back: Of his feelings for Jennifer (pictured) David said: ‘At some point we were both crushing hard on each other but it was like two ships passing because one of us was always in a relationship’

Table read: The nostalgia continued with the cast doing sporadic ‘table reads’ on the set, with the stars re-creating some of the show’s most beloved moments

Romance for the ages! In season four, fans were stunned to learn that Chandler and Monica had slept together at Ross’ wedding, setting the stage for one of the sitcom’s greatest couples

Of his feelings for Jennifer, David added: ‘At some point we were both crushing hard on each other but it was like two ships passing because one of us was always in a relationship. So, and we never crossed that boundary, you know we respected that.’

But Matt didn’t seem so convinced, declaring: ‘B*****t!’ 

The actress also reminisced on the iconic moment Ross and Rachel shared their first kiss in Central Perk during season two, after he finally learned his hidden feelings were reciprocated.

She told James: ‘I remember saying one time to David, ”it’s gonna be such a bummer if the first time you and I actually kiss is going to be on national television”.

‘Sure enough, first time we kissed was in that coffee shop. So we just channelled all of our adoration and love for each other into Ross and Rachel.’  

No star: Aniston revealing a producer on a show she was on while auditioning for Friends, incorrectly told her, ‘That show won’t make you a star’ after spending years attempting to land pilots as a jobbing actor

Memories: Meanwhile Matt recalled how his friend encouraged him to go out drinking ahead of his final audition (pictured with David Schwimmer)

Speaking during the episode, Lisa reflected on how they’ve stayed pals since the show ended back in 2004.

She told host James: ‘We stay in touch for sure, maybe not every day but you know, we have such a bond from having done this show and forged this very tight relationship that any time you text or call someone, they’re gonna pick up. They’ll be there.’ 

James then turned to Matthew and cheekily asked: ‘Who doesn’t pick up the phone?’ 

Matthew seized the moment and hilariously replied: ‘I don’t hear from anyone!’

The rest of the cast burst out laughing at his funny jibe, with the actor putting on an animated display while his former cast-mates enjoyed the joke.

Joker: Matthew also joked that he ‘doesn’t hear’ from any of his former cast mates while appearing on the reunion, when Lisa said they’d kept in touch

Amusing: The rest of the cast burst out laughing at his funny jibe, with the actor putting on an animated display while his former cast-mates enjoyed the joke 

It also comes as it was reported that Matthew and Courteney are said to be distant cousins – and they’re both related to Lady Gaga. 

According to researchers at genealogy website MyHeritage, the co-stars are 11th cousins and share distant relatives, William Osbern Haskell III and Ellen Haskell.

Roi Mandel, the head of research at MyHeritage, told CNN: ‘We went into this line very deeply, we checked every name. We found a lot of records that support it, and we have confidence that they are related.

‘This is not such a surprise. It makes sense that when you go so many generations back, the chances of people being connected are higher.’

Series creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman also regaled fans with tales from casting, and how the idea for the show was first formed almost three decades earlier.

Matt admitted that before he landed the role, he had just $11 to his name as his career had hit rock bottom, have appeared in several short-lived sitcomes. 

Getting involved: Lady Gaga also made a star-studded cameo, heading into Central Perk with a guitar in hand to perform the famous song Smelly Cat alongside Lisa

So good: The singer appeared delighted to be performing a duet with Lisa Kudrow as she rocked out to the tune, before being joined by a gospel choir

Guest appearance: Not holding back, the hitmaker belted out the lyrics while playing her guitar and sitting on the yellow couch next to Lisa who hilariously told Gaga she wasn’t ‘too bad’

Co-creator Marta Kauffman said: ‘If I remember correctly, he had like $11 in his pocket when he auditioned, maybe it was nine, but it wasn’t a lot.

David added: ‘We saw a lot of guys who you believe were actors, guys who liked women, but they weren’t funny then Matt came in, and suddenly on him the lines felt funny. He hadn’t done an awful lot. He’s done another show, but he hadn’t done an awful lot.’

Producer Kevin Bright later added: ‘So Matt, went right down to the wire – auditioned for the network and NBC with another actor and he killed it and he got the partners Joey.

‘But the funny thing about it is the other actor ended up in the show in The One with the Unagi, playing fake Joey.’

Matt later left his co-stars recoiling in horror when he revealed he suffered a nasty nose injury mere hours before his audition, explaining: ‘To make a long story short, we woke up in the middle of the night at his apartment and had to go to the bathroom – and I got up too fast.

‘I can’t believe I’m telling this, I kind of blacked out as you do, fell face first into the toilet and I hit my nose on the bottom of the toilet seat, and a huge chunk of meat came off my nose.’

‘I’m looking in the mirror, it’s bleeding, I was like ”oh my god, I have to go into the big callback” and it’s like a big ugly scab on my nose.’

The actor’s accident ended up working in his favour as his honestly with the show’s creators helped him land the role, as he recalled: ‘Marta Kauffman said, ‘What happened to your face?’ And I told the truth… and I got the job.’

Blast from the past: The cast even quizzed each other on their Friends lore with a recreation of the legendary trivia game night (right in the original series), which famously saw Rachel and Monica lose their beloved apartment to Chandler and Joey

What do you remember? Among questions asked were the ever-illustrious title of Chandler’s job as well as identifying the lyrics to Ross’ barbershop quarter performance for Rachel

Richard’s back! Among questions asked were the ever-illustrious title of Chandler’s job as well as identifying the lyrics to Ross’ barbershop quarter performance for Rachel, and even featured surprise apprances from Tom Selleck 

Oh. My. GOD! Several of the show’s most beloved recurring characters were guests in the special, including Chandler’s loud-mouthed girlfriend Janice (actress Maggie Wheeler left) and Central Perk manager Gunther (James Michael Tyler right)

Also during the special, Matt recalled how he dislocated his shoulder during filming of season three episode The One Where No One’s Ready.

The actor had to jump into a chair to annoy Chandler (Matthew Perry) and on the fourth attempt, he slipped and his shoulder came out of its socket.

Footage of the incident was shown during the reunion, with filming stopped for the rest of the day so Matt could receive medical attention. 

Still, for the more casual fan, the Friends Reunion Special may be more enlightening than for the die-hard fan, but there is still nostalgia aplenty. 

Could he BE wearing anymore clothes? During the special viewers also enjoyed a catwalk show featuring some of the comedy’s greatest looks, with Matt (left) once again donning Chandler’s clothes to recreate the season two scene (right)

Funny: Justin Bieber also channelled Ross by sporting his famous potato themed Halloween costume as he made his way 

SPUD-nick: The singer (left, during the reunion special) threw up a peace sign while modelling the look, which Ross (right, on Friends) based on the Russian satellite Sputnik

Wow! Cindy Crawford slipped into the leather pants that Ross struggled to escape from as she showed off her modelling prowess by walking down the catwalk

Famous costumes: The supermodel looked sensational as she walked the runway (left) in the leather pants and a black shirt, the same look worn by Ross in the show (right)

The nostalgia continued with the cast doing sporadic ‘table reads’ on the set, with the stars re-creating some of the show’s most beloved moments.

Among these moments are Monica getting stung by a jellyfish and Phoebe seeing Monica and Chandler kissing, along with the monumental first kiss between Ross and Rachel.

The cast even quiz each other on their Friends lore with a recreation of the legendary trivia game right in the living room set, which famously saw Rachel and Monica lose their beloved apartment to Chandler and Joey.

Among questions asked were the ever-illustrious title of Chandler’s job as well as identifying the lyrics to Ross’ barbershop quarter performance for Rachel, and even featured surprise apprances from Tom Selleck, who played Monica’s long-term boyfriend Richard, and the ever-grumpy Mr Heckles (Larry Hankin).  

Strutting her stuff! Cara Delevingne donned the hideous pink bridesmaid’s dress worn by Rachel in season two during the Friends-themed runway show, when she attended the wedding of Ross’ ex-wife Carol and her partner Susan Bunch

During the special, a slew of celebrity guests offered their own thoughts on the sitcom and shared their own memories watching the show.

Malala revealed that if she were to be any Friends character, she would be, ‘totally a Joey,’ with a bit of Phoebe as well, while also revealing her favorite moment is The Routine, the iconic dance between Monica and Ross.

Mindy Kaling said one of her favorite parts of the show was Monica and Chandler hiding their relationship during season five, leading to the legendary episode The One Where Everybody Finds Out.

David Beckham also surprised fans by revealing he’s more of a Monica, because he is also a ‘clean freak,’ adding his favourite episode was infamous bottle ep The One Where No One’s Ready.

Lady Gaga also made a star-studded cameo, heading into Central Perk with a guitar in hand to perform the famous song Smelly Cat alongside Lisa.

Candid: The special wasn’t without serious moments, as star Matthew spoke movingly about his desperate need for validation from the show’s audience during filming (pictured right in character as Chandler)

Joey: Malala revealed that if she were to be any Friends character, she would be, ‘totally a Joey,’ with a bit of Phoebe as well, while also revealing her favorite moment is ‘The Routine,’ the iconic dance between Monica and Ross

Monica: Mindy Kaling said one of her favorite parts of the show was Monica and Chandler hiding their relationship during Season five, which led to the legendary episode, The One Where Everybody Finds Out

Clean freak: David Beckham also surprised fans by revealing he’s more of a Monica, because he is also a ‘clean freak.

International fans: Boyband BTS also shared their thoughts and favourite bits from Friends during a guest appearance, with the South Korean group revealing the show helped to learn English from a young age

Not holding back, the hitmaker belted out the lyrics while playing her guitar and sitting on the yellow couch next to Lisa who hilariously told Gaga she wasn’t ‘too bad.’

Starting off their segment, Gaga- real name Stefani Germanotta- asked: ‘Mind if I take Smelly Cat for a spin?’

Lisa happily agreed and was left nodding after hearing the hitmaker’s impressive vocals on the first few lines, telling her: ‘Not bad… that was really, really good.’

Adding an extra twist to the usually acoustic song, Gaga and Lisa were then joined by several gospel singers donning long blue robes for the final few lyrics. 

Once the applause died down, Lisa delighted fans some more as she joked: ‘That was so great… I still think it’s better when it’s just me.’ 

Emotional: The cast also reflected on the touching moment they recorded their final scenes for Friends, with Monica and Chandler finally moving out of their beloved apartment

Sad end: 50 million viewers tuned into Friends’ final episode when it aired in 2004, and the cast struggled to hide their tears as they filmed the concluding scene 

The special wasn’t without serious moments, as star Matthew spoke movingly about his desperate need for validation from the show’s audience during filming. 

‘I felt like I was going to die if they didn’t laugh,’ he said. ‘And it’s not healthy, for sure. But I would sometimes say a line and they wouldn’t laugh and I would sweat, and go into convulsions. If I didn’t get the laugh I was supposed to get, I would freak out. I felt like that every single night.’ 

In a fun moment of nostalgia, viewers also enjoyed a catwalk show featuring some of the comedy’s greatest looks, with Matt once again donning Chandler’s clothes to recreate the season two scene where he uttered the phrase: ‘Look at me, I’m Chandler, could I BE wearing anymore clothes?’ 

Cara Delevingne donned the hideous pink bridesmaid’s dress worn by Rachel in season two, as she strutted her stuff during the show, while Cindy Crawford slipped into the leather pants that Ross struggled to escape from.

Looking back: After reflecting on filming the show’s final scenes, James asked Jennifer where he feels Rachel and Ross would be now, 17 years after finally cementing their relationship

The Friends Rich List 

No doubt the cast of Friends have gone onto have huge success ever since they starred in the 90s sitcom, with the show turning them into global stars – but who has had the biggest earnings.

As the original cast reunite for a special on HBO Max, MailOnline takes a look at which of the show’s stars has netted the biggest fortune. 

1 and 2 – David Crane and Marta Kauffman – £283 million

Pals David and Marta co-created Friends back in 1993 and have been quids thanks to the series’ international appeal.

David went onto create the sitcom Episodes, which also starred Matt LeBlanc, and also wrote several episodes for his short-lived spin-off Joey. 

3 – Jennifer Aniston – £212 million

Jennifer, who famously starred as Rachel Green in the series, is thought to earn about £5.6 million for each film she stars.

Since the sitcom she has gone onto become a huge Hollywood star, appearing a slew of sitcoms.

As well as earning millions from endorsements, Jennifer made a return to TV on Apple’s The Morning Show, and reportedly nets around £1.4 million per episode.

4 – Kevin Bright – £141 million

Kevin acted as a producer and director on Friends and also worked on spin-off Joey.

It’s also thought he made a profit of £8.48million by selling his Malibu home.

5 – Courteney Cox – £106 million

As well as playing Monica Gellar, Courteney also became known for her role in the Scream movies in the late 1990s.

As well as starring in comedies Modern Family and Scrubs, she also produced her sitcom Cougar Town. 

6 – Matthew Perry – £85 million

Matthew, who played Chandler Bing, also appeared in series such as Cougar Town and The Good Wife, and had a starring role in the 2015 remake of The Odd Couple.

The actor is also thought to have a huge hold in property, and sold one LA penthouse for £4.9 million.

7. and 8 – David Schwimmer and Jon Favreau – £71 million

David of course played Ross Gellar on Friends, and has also appeared in further series including the Sky One comedy Intelligence, and voiced the giraffe Melman in the Madagascar trilogy.

UK viewers may also recognise him for his appearances in adverts for the band TSB.

Meanwhile Jon, who played Monica’s millionaire boyfriend Pete, has cashed in after directing two of Marvel’s Iron Man films, and creating Star Wars spin-off The Mandalorian.

9 and 10. Lisa Kudrow and Hank Azaria – £63 million

Lisa, who played Phoebe Buffay, appeared in the cult sitcom The Comeback, and has also starred in the online series Web Therapy.

Meanwhile Hank, who only appeared in Friends for five episodes as scientist David, now reportedly earns around £4.67million a year through voice roles on The Simpsons.

11 and 12 – Matt LeBlanc and Cole Sprouse £56 million

Matt, known for his role as Joey Tribbiani, is thought to have earned around £10.6 million for starring in the Friends spin-off Joey.

He has gone onto appear in the comedy Man With A Plan, and also played himself in the BBC comedy Episodes.

UK viewers may also remember his stint as the host of BBC’s Top Gear.

Meanwhile Cole, now starring as Jughead Jones in Riverdale, played Ross’ son Ben in Friends, and went onto appear in Disney Channel’s The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody.

After reflecting on filming the show’s final scenes, James asked Jennifer where he feels Rachel and Ross would be now, 17 years after finally cementing their relationship.

She said: ‘Let’s say we got married, we had some kids and you [to David] still played with bones.’ 

Monica added: ‘I think my character is still really competitive, her kids have probably graduated but she’s still in charge of the bake sale at elementary school. She’s got to keep things going, PTA. And you [to Matthew] are making me laugh every day.’ 

While Matt said Joey likely ‘opened a sandwich shop in Venice Beach,’ Lisa said: ‘Phoebe is married to Mike, they’re probably in Connecticut they had kids and I thinks she was an advocate for her kids who were probably a little different, creating the arts program and stuff like that.’

While some fans may hope this long-awaited reunion could lead to a scripted revival series with all of the cast members returning, they all shot that down during the reunion, insisting this is likely the last time they’ll come together to discuss the show in such a manner. 

Given the huge anticipation for the special, fans were no doubt furious when they struggled to access HBO Go in the US to stream the one-off.

US and international viewers penned: ‘The One Where HBO GO crashed #FriendsTheReunion… HBO GO crashing : ‘We were on a break!!’…  

‘##FriendsTheReunion… The one where I subscribed to HBO Go just for #FriendsReunion and it crashes. Anu na?!?!?!?!… 

NOOOO! Soon after stateside fans took to the app to watch the six cast members reunited with James Corden at the helm, Twitter was soon flooded with fury as viewers struggled to tune in due to tech problems

‘HBO better be fixing this now. #FriendsTheReunion… The One Where No One Can Watch Because HBO GO Crashed…

‘Today’s Friend’s episode can be named as ‘The One Where HBO GO’s servers crashed’… Ok someone will definitely be fired after this HBO crash.’ 

Despite this, once fans were finally able to watch the special, they quickly flooded Twitter with their delighted reactions. 

Fans penned: ‘Friends is also my go to show back in high school. It does have a special effect on people… The friends reunion ep is truly making me cry, I missed the show… 

‘I’m not crying, you are #FriendsReunion… Friends reunion is making me emotional… This friends reunion is everything I needed’… they literally couldn’t find 6 better cast members than these 6 unbelievably amazing and talented people #FriendsReunion.. Now that I saw the reunion I remember how much I loved Friends’.

Many were then detailing their feelings towards particular moments, including Jennifer’s reveal that she was told by a producer that she would not succeed by taking her role, with a viewer writing: ‘Hope that producer who told Jennifer Aniston Friends wouldn’t succeed is watching reunion #FriendsTheReunion’. 

Another responded to the fact that Matthew said he would have panic attacks about learning his lines amid his battles with mental health and addiction: ‘Matthew Perry having panic attacks if he didn’t nail the lines in the episode *sigh* totally understand the pressures in that regard (of work, etc).’ 

Touching: On the emotional elements of the show, fans penned: ‘Friends is also my go to show back in high school. It does have a special effect on people… The friends reunion ep is truly making me cry, I missed the show’

In an incredibly moving element, fans stated that Friends helped save lives, in response to a comment made on the show, as they wrote: ‘It’s the fact that the show friends has helped people through literal life problems…

‘It’s true. They were there for me when no one else was. They were my friends when i didn’t have one. These people saved me when i was in the toughest and lowest point of my life.’

Another viewer gushed: ‘I’m not crying you are,’ while one added: ‘The friends reunion ep is truly making me cry, I missed the show.’

One gushed: ‘I think these one hour 39 mins are gonna be better than my entire 2020 and 2021,’ while a second penned: ‘This cast is everything I’ve ever wanted in a friend group. The way they have unconditional love and respect for each other after so many years is something so special. It was never really acting for them, they are family.’

An emotional viewer tweeted: ‘Still in tears. I miss them so much and I’m really thankful for this reunion,’ with one praising: ‘I smiled and laughed all along. It was so good to see all of that again, and emotional too, thank you for doing this.’ 

How we’ve missed our favourite Friends! After 17 years apart, the gang returns for one night only… CHRISTOPHER STEVENS gives the reunion four stars 

By Christopher Stevens for The Daily Mail

Friends: The Reunion

Rating:

Once in an eon, all the planets align. That’s what Friends: The Reunion is like … not so much a TV show, more an accident of astrology. Courteney Cox, who played Monica in the sitcom that defined the Nineties, is emphatic in tonight’s two-hour show: ‘We are not going to do this again.’

And Lisa Kudrow, who co-starred as the ditzy Phoebe, looks aghast when host James Corden diffidently suggests there might be another series or even a movie.

Never, she insists. She wants to remember the characters as we left them, saying: ‘I don’t want anyone’s happy endings unravelled.’

Since it has taken 17 years to get the six stars on screen together, we’ll have to accept these denials. Friends fans, this is your lot.

Weepy: Matt LeBlanc dries Courteney Cox’s tears as Jennifer Aniston looks on. Once in an eon, all the planets align. That’s what Friends: The Reunion is like, writes Christopher Stevens

Why has the get-together taken so long? All six insist they adore each other, speak regularly on the phone and meet for dinner. Matthew Perry (the acerbic Chandler) claims that whenever one former Friend bumps into another at a party, they spend the rest of the evening chatting, to the exclusion of everyone else. And tonight’s special certainly involves endless cuddles, hugs and hand-holding. They’re a tactile bunch.

So it’s a mystery why they’re adamant it’ll never happen again. True, this event feels heavily scripted but there is nothing very complicated about it. One by one, the stars arrive at a studio where their old set has been lovingly recreated.

‘Oh, weird,’ says Jennifer Aniston. ‘Well, where’s the tissue box?’ A lot of viewers will have just the same, lump-in-the-throat reaction. It is strange to see the sets remade as museum pieces.

Matt LeBlanc, who played Joey, picks up a period laptop the size of a breeze block. ‘This is how old we are,’ he says, hefting it. (The show ran for ten seasons from 1994 to 2004, a total of 236 episodes.)

They sit on the sofa in the girls’ apartment. They sit on the sofa at Central Perk coffee house. They sit on a sofa in front of the fountain from the title sequence. In every possible sense, they are never out of their comfort zone. And with each actor paid an appearance fee rumoured to be up to $2.5million (about £1.8million), you can’t blame them for looking satisfied.

Sofa so good: Five of the Friends back in the comfort zone of Monica and Rachel’s apartment

Some have worn better than others. Aniston is still sporting a version of her famous ‘Rachel’ hairstyle. Cox and Kudrow are imperceptibly older, at least by comparison to how they were in the finale.

David ‘Ross’ Schwimmer would still fit into his leather drainpipes. But LeBlanc looks like he’s enjoyed a well-fed lockdown. He’s still got those Italian good looks but now he’s less Frank Sinatra, more Antonio Carluccio. 

Perry, whose health and addiction problems have been well documented, sometimes appears unwell, slurring his words. (A source close to the actor has since attributed this to ‘an emergency tooth procedure’ on the day of filming.) His co-stars support him, staying silent when he speaks, perhaps to make it easier for his lines to be honed in the editing suite.

And it is Perry who strikes the only sorrowful note in an otherwise cheerful show.

Describing the anxiety he felt performing before a live audience, he says: ‘I felt like I was gonna die if they didn’t laugh. It’s not healthy. I would sometimes say a line and they wouldn’t laugh, and I would sweat and go into convulsions. I felt like that every single night.’ The secret of Friends was always its big emotions. There’s nothing subtle about the characters and their feelings. Ross always looks like a wet-eyed puppy begging for a treat. Rachel is perpetually on the verge of hysterics, Joey is forever realising how randy he is.

That makes it easy for fans to develop a bond with one or other in the ensemble. During the reunion, celebrities queue to tell us which is their special Friend.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai reckons she’s like Joey, because she loves making her room-mate laugh with unexpected quips. David Beckham watches repeats in hotel rooms: ‘I have to say, I’m most like Monica because I’m a clean freak.’

He cites the episode where Chandler and Joey fight over an armchair: ‘It makes you smile almost to the point of crying.’

Reese Witherspoon, who guest starred as one of Rachel’s sisters Jill, makes a flying visit. So does Elliott Gould, who played Monica’s dad, and Tom Selleck, her first serious boyfriend Richard.

Others are seen only in flashback, such as Ben Stiller and Danny DeVito. We even glimpse a young Brad Pitt – though Jen refers to her ex-husband by his surname only.

You’d have to be a true devotee to know all the special guests, actors who win whoops and shrieks from the sparse and socially distanced audience. But then, if you don’t know who Janice, Gunther or Mr Heckles are, why would you be watching?

Why? Perhaps because no other sitcom in TV history has warmed our hearts quite like Friends. Good to see you guys again. We’ve missed you.

Friends: The Reunion is on Sky One in the UK at 8pm on Thursday. 

Turn back time: Courteney Cox (Monica) greets Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe). One by one, the stars arrive at a studio where their old set has been lovingly recreated

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