Are you ready for some good news? Friends is coming back to streaming—and it’s happening sooner than you think.
If that news has you jumping up and down and wildly clapping—like that time Phoebe and Rachel spotted Monica and Chandler making out from the window of Ross’s apartment—you are very much not alone. If anything could comfort us during these hard times, it’s the easy banter of our six faves as they sip coffee at Central Perk.
Times have been tough for Friends fans since the show left Netflix at the beginning of 2020, but we now have an official launch date for its new home, the streaming platform HBO Max: May 27. The entire catalog of episodes will be available on the service from day one.
But this show isn’t the only classic you’ll be able to stream in a just over a month. The Big Bang Theory, The Bachelor, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The O.C., Pretty Little Liars, and Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown will also be part of your subscription. Shows like Gossip Girl, South Park, and The West Wing will be available at some point in the first year, according to a press release. Subscribers will also be able to access a library of more than 2,000 feature films within the first year.
Unfortunately, you will have to wait a bit longer for the highly-anticipated, unscripted Friends cast reunion, as shooting was delayed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Our number one goal is having extraordinary content for everyone in the family, and the HBO Max programming mix we are so excited to unveil on May 27th will bear that out,” Robert Greenblatt, chairman of Warner Media Entertainment and direct-to-consumer, said in a release. “Even in the midst of this unprecedented pandemic, the all-star teams behind every aspect of HBO Max will deliver a platform and a robust slate of content that is varied, of the highest quality, and second to none. I’m knocked out by the breadth and depth of our new offering, from the Max originals, our Warner Bros library and acquisition titles from around the world, and of course the entirety of HBO.”
HBO Max will also feature original programming. We’re particularly excited for Love Life, an anthology series, starring Anna Kendrick. The show chronicles “the journey from first love to last love, and how the people we’re with along the way make us into who we are when we finally end up with someone forever.”
Mostly, though, we can’t wait to clap along to that Friends theme song blasting from our screens once again.
