‘Friends’ reunion special delayed amid coronavirus pandemic

Team Udayavani, Mar 19, 2020, 10:27 AM IST

Los Angeles: The much-awaited “Friends” reunion special has been postponed in the wake of the coronavirus scare.

Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that the unscripted episode, set at HBO Max, was set to be shot next week at the iconic Stage 24 of the Warner Bros Studio lot in Burbank, where the original NBC series was filmed.

The production will not go ahead at least until May due to rising health concerns amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

A new date has not been set as yet as it is unclear when any programming would be able to resume work.

Many shows — scripted, late-night, daytime and syndicated, among others — have been shut down as the world begins to self-quarantine and employ social distancing.

Representatives for HBO Max and producers Warner Bros TV declined comment.

All six original cast members — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer — are set to come together for the reunion.

Ben Winston will direct and executive produce alongside “Friends” creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman and Kevin Bright.

The coronavirus outbreak has killed 8,809 people and infected 21,8631 across 157 countries and territories, according to a tracker maintained by Johns Hopkins University.