by Thinus Ferreira
9 TVs
If you've ever watched the American comedy series Friends and liked or laughed with them, their Friends: The Reunion TV special from HBO Max coming to M-Net (DStv 101) and Showmax is definitely The One You Want to See as the 6 iconic characters unite to reflect, laugh and even shed a few tears about not just its decade-long run but also how it profoundly changed their lives.
The TV special that is over 2-hours long becomes a bit dragged out, especially towards the end with some unnecessary segments.
Friends: The Reunion however starts out on an incredibly emotional, and wonderful note, and ends on an emotional highpoint as well, with multiple must-see nostalgia-filled moments strewn throughout the special.
The format of Friends: The Reunion - although just longer in duration (1 hour 44 minutes without adverts) - is exactly like episodes of The Oprah Show where the set of The Mary Tyler Moore Show would be recreated and the cast invited to reminisce about their characters and the series.
James Corden is the host and isn't very good although the strength of the content and what the 6 friends - Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer - bring to Friends: The Reunion, absolutely makes the special a must-watch event.
The behind-the-scenes perspective brought by the Friends co-creators and producers Kevin S. Bright, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, as well as the bloopers, cutting floor outtakes and an insiders' view shared by the main cast is priceless viewing for fans of Friends.
The episode that was filmed on Stage 24 that is also known by a "The Friends Stage" plaque outside on the Warner Bros. Studios lot in Burbank in Los Angeles, California, includes a recreation of the Friends set - including the actors' dressing rooms on the right-hand side - where reflections and a quiz takes place.
There is also an outdoor sit-down interview in front of a live audience, moderated by James Corden, in front of the water fountain that appears in the iconic opening sequence that has been specially adapted for the TV special, as well as soundstage table reads with outtakes from episode scripts.
Friends: The Reunion is very poignant - especially in certain places. Matthew Perry looks not well. The special is laugh-out-loud funny, is packed with actor's insight and producer's insight that is a TV lover's dream, and is a wonderful addition to watch for anyone interested in the history of TV making, the production of television, or an oral history of the specific creation and production of Friends.
Friends: The Reunion works best and immerses the viewer in exceptional TV nostalgia when Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer are just sitting in the purple-painted Friends apartment or around a table doing table reads as cameras pan around while they share anecdotes and personal recollections of a time when they were the biggest stars on TV.
Various celebrity appearances are nothing but bloat (who cares about what Kit Harington or David Beckham really think about Friends?), while vox pop from fans around the world (including a "Jerome" from Cape Town, South Africa) is equally superfluous filler.
Most striking is the 6 wandering around the meticulously recreated Friends set, gawking, remembering, sharing memories, laughing, holding on to each other and letting viewers into their world - and back into our world - of a time in our lives as young adults when your family is your friends.
Friends: The Reunion will broadcast on M-Net (DStv 101) on Sunday 30 May at 20:00 and will be available on MultiChoice's Showmax video streamer from Monday 31 May.
