Who wants a Friends reunion?

朋友ended like 15 years ago. And people have been talking about a reunion, not sure what that looks like, but that’s the question that keeps coming up over and over again. Part of that, even though no one wants to admit it, is that the show continues to be popular because of Netflix. A new audience found it on Netflix. And the old audience streamed it on Netflix, watching episodes and seasons back to back to back instead of waiting a week and summer hiatuses in between the way the show aired originally.

朋友has now been taken off Netflix because it’s moving to HBO Max which is launching in May. The HBO Max panel happened yesterday at the Winter TCA andon the subject of the朋友reunion:

“There is interest all around and yet we can’t get the interests all alighted to push the button on it,” HBO Max’s Chief Creative Officer Kevin Reilly said about the reunion special at TCA. “Today it’s just maybe.”

Deadline reports that it’s money. The cast wants a lot of money. The studio doesn’t want to pay that money. I get it on both sides. Of course the cast wants to be paid what they want to be paid. They know the value. But how much will the studio actually make if they spend all that money on the cast? It’s a one-shot, an unscripted reunion special that...who wants this? Are you DYING to watch an unscripted朋友reunion special? I’m not. But given how Instagram always explodes any time Jennifer Aniston posts photos of the castmembers hanging out, I understand why they’re making a case for it.

Liking a post on IG though and subscribing to a streaming service and watching five celebrities talking about their experience on a sitcom but - and you know this - not giving us a lot of gossip is another.

That said...Jen just posted another shot of her with Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow the other day.

I wonder if this in some way has to do with the negotiations. Jennifer Aniston is very good at Instagram. And specifically making Instagram a part of her work. It wouldn’t be inconceivable if this is part of the strategy.

Here she is after a facial yesterday.