David Schwimmer wants to see an either all-Black or all-Asian reboot of Friends. Centering on a group of 20-year-olds living in New York City, it received critical acclaim throughout the entirety of its 10-year run. Its core cast of characters - Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Ross, Chandler and Joey - have become household names as the show continues expands its massive fandom even after more than two decades since it originally aired thanks to syndication. It’s no longer available on Netflix, but it will be once again available via HBO Max.
Given Friends’ enduring popularity coupled with the rise of reboots and revivals, many are wondering when the gang will gather back together at Central Perk for some sort of reunion. There have been rumbles about the cast coming out with a special project for their most loyal fans especially with the show recently celebrating its 25th anniversary (something is apparently in the works at HBO Max). However, nothing concrete has been revealed and if Schwimmer is to be asked, the chances of that happening are very slim. He wants to see a reboot of the sitcom, though, but with an entirely different cast.
Speaking with The Guardian, the actor addressed the diversity in Friends, which he admits could’ve done a much better job in that aspect. He did push for Ross dating women of color which resulted with the introduction of Aisha Tyler’s Charlie Wheeler in season 10. In any case, if a show revival gets picked up, he hopes that it’ll feature an all-Black or all-Asian cast.
Seeing a Friends revival would undoubtedly make a lot of fans happy. However, the prospect of rebooting the show and recasting it with an all-Black or all-Asian cast is a problematic way to resolve the lack of diversity in the original series. Given that the show has long been finished, trying to make up for its misgivings this late may be viewed as simply pandering. The only thing that can be done to make amends for the lack of diversity in media in general is to give people of color the opportunity to tell their own stories, that way, they’re properly represented.
“Maybe there should be an all-black Friends or an all-Asian Friends. But I was well aware of the lack of diversity and I campaigned for years to have Ross date women of colour. One of the first girlfriends I had on the show was an Asian American woman, and later I dated African American women. That was a very conscious push on my part.
“It’s interesting also how the show handled the Judaism of the characters. I don’t think that was earth-shattering or groundbreaking at all, but I for one was glad that we had at least one episode where it wasn’t just about Christmas. It was also Hanukkah and, even though I played the Hanukkah armadillo” – Ross wore an armadillo costume – “I was glad that we at least acknowledged the differences in religious observation.”
Aside from that, Friends’ main selling point was the palpable chemistry among its cast members. Fans tuned in every week because they’re invested in these characters, so there’s no guarantee that a reboot with an entirely different cast will be as accepted as the original series was. So if that integral element of the series won’t be in the revival, there’s really no point to revisit the show.
More: 10 Times The Friends Gang Were Terrible Roommates
Source: The Guardian
