As disappointed as some fans may be that the fabled "Friends" "reunion" amounts to little more than five of the six stars sitting on a sofa (not even Central Perk's!), answering some questions from Andy Cohen, they should realize this: It's the closest they're ever going to get to the real thing.
"It will never happen," series co-creator Marta Kauffman tells The Hollywood Reporter, "but no one tends to believe me. It shouldn't happen. That show is about a time in your life when your friends are your family. Once you start having a family, that time of your life is over."
Her collaborator David Crane adds, "We finished the show exactly the way we wanted to finish it. To revisit those characters just seems like a bad idea — you don't want to see them hanging out in the coffeehouse now. And the good news is, you can see them whenever you want to. The show lives on with amazing vitality."
So, don't expect the little get-together for NBC's tribute to director James Burrows to pave the way for a "Friends" special. It seems no one involved in the comedy is interested.
“Must See TV: An All-Star Tribute to James Burrows” will air Sunday, Feb. 21, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.