Guwahati: The much-hyped Friends: The Reunion special amassed over one million views and counting from across the country upon release on Thursday.
Fans all over the world have responded emotionally on social media watching the six titular friends return, and buzz over the show continues to grow.
Almost a two-hour special, we see the main cast of the wildly popular American show get together in the same space after 17 years, walking the same sets. It is designed for the fans. But if you go in expecting that the director or anyone else would address the problem areas of the show — the questionable bodyshaming of a younger Monica, or the male characters’ homophobia and the lack of racial diversity, you would be disappointed.
However, if you are willing to immerse yourself in the world creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman created for fans across the globe, you would be in for quite the ride. There are a few jaw-dropping revelations (which must be out on the internet at this point), and there is a genuine sweetness about the way Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Matt Le Blanc and David Schwimmer interact with each other. The bond is telling. Director Ben Winston has done a neat job of programming the special as a series of games and chatter, with even a ramp show thrown in the mix.
The 104-minute reunion special is an unscripted show that brings back Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer as themselves, reliving their stint on the show as Rachel Green, Monica Geller, Phoebe Buffay, Joey Tribbiani, Chandler Bing and Ross Geller respectively.
Seated on the trademark orange sofa from the show, by the fountain where they grooved to the title song before every episode, the sextet open up with celebrity talk show host James Corden. They jog down memory lane, reliving anecdotes from on and off the camera over the 10 years that the show ran, from 1994 to 2004, as well as recreate memorable scenes and share trivia, as director Ben Winston blends the chat with footage of some of the best scenes of the show.
Among other cast members who make an appearance are Maggie Wheeler (Janice), Tom Selleck (Richard), and James Michael Tyler (Gunther), besides a host of celebrities such as Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Cindy Crawford, and Cara Delevingne making cameos appearances.
That apart, BTS, Reese Witherspoon, Kit Harrington and David Beckham address Friends fans through recorded messages.
“Consumer delight and seamless user experience, have been an integral aspect of our approach across platforms and this step reinstates our commitment towards our viewers and partners,” added Goenka, revealing a bit of the business strategy of Zee5, the platform that dropped the show for Indian viewers.
