Friends reunion special delayed due to impact of coronavirus pandemic

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Rebecca Speare-Cole10 April 2020
The Weekender

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The highly anticipated Friends reunion special has been delayed due to the impact of coronavirus on TV production.

The programme had been set to launch alongside the HBO Max streaming service in the US in May.

However, filming has not been able to take place as the Covid-19 pandemic rages on across the world.

Courteney Cox, who played Monica Geller on the beloved comedy, confirmed she and her Friends co-stars were supposed to shoot the reunion special over two days in March.

Cast of Friends hanging out together off-screen - In pictures

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A HBO Max representative confirmed the show would no longer meet its May release date.

However, all 10 seasons of Friends will be available on HBO Max at launch.

Fans had clamoured for a reunion for years and their prayers were answered in February when it was confirmed Cox would be joined by Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for a one-off special.

Despite finishing in 2004 after 10 seasons, Friends remains incredibly popular and according to unofficial data in the US, it was one of Netflix's most-watched shows before it was removed from the streaming service earlier this year.

Coronavirus has had a catastrophic impact on TV production both in the UK and US, with work all but coming to a stop.

Experts predict the final cost to the entertainment industry could run into the tens of billions of dollars.

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