What to expect from the ‘Friends’ reunion

The last episode of "Friends" was aired in May 2004, leaving behind a legacy in American sitcoms, for its 10 seasons and 236 episodes. Last year, after HBO Max announced in February that a reunion special would begin filming in March 2020, things got delayed due to the pandemic. The episode was re-scheduled to film in August last year, which again was delayed. The special, The One with the Reunion, was finally shot last week in Los Angeles.

Filming for the episode took place on the show's original soundstage, Stage 24, on the Warner Bros lot in Burbank, California. On April 11, the official Instagram account of "Friends" revealed that the special's shoot has wrapped up. The release date of the special is yet to be announced.

The One with the Reunion is bringing back the six original cast members: Matthew Perry as Chandler, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel, Courteney Cox as Monica, Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe, Matt LeBlanc as Joey and David Schwimmer as Ross. HBO Max's unscripted reunion special will feature co-creators David Crane, Kevin Bright and Marta Kauffman on screen with the original cast for the first time.  Emma Conway and James Longman are co-executive producers.

The reunion won't be a revival episode, picking up where the friends left off, rather it will be an unscripted talk-show style conversation looking back on their memories and experiences with the show. The six actors won't be reprising their roles for any new scenes.

During an interview with The Sunday Times, Lisa Kudrow revealed that the special will not be scripted. "No audience has seen us together since the show was over. We will reminisce, talk about what was going on behind the scenes. It's not us playing our characters," she said.

Directed by Ben Winston, the special was shot over three days. It will also include iconic props and set pieces along with some behind-the-scenes footage from the original set and films.

The special will stream on HBO Max when it releases. The subscription-based OTT service, currently, is only available in the United States. However, last year in September, WarnerMedia Entertainment heads hinted at a possible launch in South Asian countries, for the platform sometime in the future.