Not sure if this is true or not, it seems all reports are linked back to this original source....

‘Friends’ Returns to TV

HOLLYWOOD - Seminal sitcom Friends is returning to television after each of its six stars agreed multi-million dollar deals to star in four one-hour specials. In a secret meeting before Christmas, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer and Matthew Perry reportedly agreed a $5 million apiece deal with NBC bosses in Los Angeles.

Scriptwriters have already started penning lines for the four double episodes, which are due to air next year.

Aniston, who has filmed a string of movies since the final Friends episode, was the last to agree to the new deal.

An NBC insider says, "She's the one who had been holding out. But she's now agreed to reprise Rachel (Green).

"Bringing them back is a dream come true. Ratings will go through the roof."

Network bosses have also hinted at a second spin-off of the hit comedy, following the disappointing performance of Matt LeBlanc's show Joey. The new program will see the three male stars--Perry, Schwimmer and LeBlanc--pilot a series called It's A Guy Thing.

An NBC spokesperson confirms, "Negotiations on future projects are going on all the time."

Article Copyright World Entertainment News Network All Rights Reserved.

I guess if this is true, then one of the stories being written would be the divorce or death of Monica

Huh!? Did you mean "should" be??

Anyway, this has to be a rumor. I can't imagine Aniston agreeing to this since she claimed she wanted to focus on her film career now. And is that $5 million per one hour episode? If not, they made more when the show was on.

What horrible news...

The title alone makes it sound like it would be the worst tv show ever

I think you can pretty much call bullshit on this one.

Sorry...can I be the first (and maybe only) person to say fuck "Friends" and bring back "Seinfeld" (?)

I think it's $5 million for 4 hour-long episodes for each of the actors.

weren't they each getting a million dollars an episode for the last couple of seasons plus some backend syndication money? Not much of negotiations then to get "only" 625k/ 1/2 hour epecially since they were only doing 30 (22) minutes per million previously. I'll bet 1 of the hours is a clip show retrospective and 1 hour is spent trying to spin off the new show. Anyway, I know I would still watch.

How many damn spin-offs do they need? Enough is enough. I've always hated this show, but if they come up with another Friends-related program I'll go nuts.

As far as Seinfeld is concerned, I'd be completely against a spin-off of any kind. However, a reunion show for the 10-year anniversary of its end would be welcome.

Wasn't talking about a "Seinfeld" spin-off, I meant the entire cast. If I'm going to invest my time on something like this, I'd rather it be "Seinfeld". And yes, I know this will never happen. Just saying which I'd prefer. Also, chowderhead, you're right. That was the point I was trying to make. Each cast member got over a million an episode the last few years the show was on. Why would they take a pay cut to do these at $5 million for all four hours. If indeed this is how they'd be getting paid. I bet it is $5 million an hour.

At $5 million/hour/actor, that's $30 million for 1 hour, $120 million for 4 hours. Does that sound even remotely plausible? NBC ain't that desperate for ratings.

Well, I think it's more plausible than them coming back with a pay cut. All six actors made nearly $3 million for two 30 minute episodes. $5 million is not that much more. And I'm sure NBC would charge big bucks for sponsers, then there's video sales, syndication, etc. So I think at the end of the day, NBC could possibly make a profit. And yes, I do think they're that desperate.

My apologies. I've been trying to Google the salary for the cast and the only thing I can find is on E! from 2002. Where they reported the actors got an increase from 750K to one million an episode. Not sure if they continued to make that much the last few years. Can anyone confirm? I know I read somewhere that some sitcom star (or stars) made in the neighborhood of 1.5 million per show. Was that Ray Ramano?

At 120million just for salaries, NBC would be insane to do it. For that amount, they could have made Revenge of the Sith and still had money left over.

D

Eh, there was a rumor about a reunion special during the final season that never came about. I'll believe it when it airs.

Me smells some poo on some shoes. This is totally bogus. Great thread for everyone to poop on though. Keep it up threadcrappers!

The problem here is that you all are multiplying it by four. It's $30M ONLY. It's $5M for ALL FOUR episodes per cast member.

Also, Rachael would have to leave Ross and take the kid with her.

That's the first thing that came to mind for me as well. Supposedly filmed during the final season while all 6 cast members were together.

As for the new rumor, I can see the guys going back to the well. Not sure if it would work or not but I would give it a shot.

The problem is that scenerio reflects a paycut. Even figuring their last paychecks to be $1 million per half-hour episode, they each would've been paid $8 million for this amount of show time back when the show was on. So these specials would reflect at least a 37% cut in pay relative to their last Friends paycheck.

I'm not sure why that's a problem....

In any event, they didn't get more for an extended episode or an hourlong episode, so the comparison is moot. Also, it's different when you are working week in and week out or just a special occasion like this one.

No, I think that would have to be a "would" because if the Chandler character is going to be in the show with the Cox character they "would" have to write her out if it someway. They'd almost have to kill her since she is still the sister of the Schwimmer character.

This all seems like a really really lame idea.

Most of them haven't exactly set the cinema world aflame so I'm thinking that maybe they realized that it's a pretty good payday anyway. I don't really know enough about behind the scenes stuff to care whether this is real or not, but I don't think it's implausible some of them would take less than their previous salaries.

That sounds like a fantastic premise to NBCs new hit comedy. Monica, Rachel and kids are killed in a car accident on the way to visit Joey in California. The guys (including Marcel the monkey) all get together to relive the old times. Hilarity ensues. Genius!

I remember that rumor. There was going to be a "reunion" show set one year later as a new Thanksgiving episode. They supposedly filmed it right after the finale.