Friends spin-off announced to celebrate show's 30th anniversary

matthew perry, courteney cox, jennifer aniston, david schwimmer, matt leblanc, lisa kudrow, friends, season 1
Friends to get unexpected spin-offNBC - Getty Images

An unexpected Friends spin-off is coming in time for the show's 30th anniversary.

US streamer Max has commissioned the four-part competiton show Fast Friends to search for the ultimate Friends super-fan.

The series will be filmed at The Friends Experience: The One in New York City, where contestants will take part in challenges on a replica of the show's iconic set.

The 17,000 square-foot replica of the Friends set will host trivia contests, interactive puzzles, and other games where contestants race through some of the most memorable locations from the classic sitcom.

matt leblanc, paul rudd, lisa kudrow, david schwimmer, jennifer aniston, matthew perry, courteney cox, friends, season 10
Sky

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An official synopsis reveals: "Fast Friends, a new four-part game show, will take place in the celebrated series’ iconic sets in a fast-paced competition event.

"From racing through Rachel and Monica’s apartment to darting across Joey and Chandler’s bachelor pad and grabbing a coffee at Central Perk, fans will re-live their favorite moments while being put to the test with trivia, puzzles, and games that will keep even the most die-hard Friends fans on their toes.

"The quickest team will win the title of Ultimate Friends Fan."

Production will begin on Fast Friends in October. A UK streaming home for Fast Friends has yet to be announced.

matthew perry, courteney cox, jennifer aniston, david schwimmer, matt leblanc, lisa kudrow, friends, season 1
NBC - Getty Images

Related: Friends star Lisa Kudrow reflects on being fired from another iconic show

The series is similar to the trivia contest Max announced in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Harry Potter movies a few years ago.

Friends celebrated its 30th anniversary on September 22, 2024 — with the show being remastered in 4K as part of the celebrations.

Friends: The Complete Series was released this week, featuring every single episode of the show as well as 20 hours of bonus features. Fans can watch plenty of behind-the-scenes documentaries, talk show appearances, extended episodes, and more in this collection.

Fans may remember that the Friends cast reunited in 2021 to film a retrospective documentary hosted by James Corden, and featuring celebrity super-fans Justin Bieber, David Beckham, Lady Gaga, and more.

Tragically, Friends original cast member Matthew Perry died in September 2023 at age 54.

Friends streams on Netflix in the UK, where it also airs daily on Comedy Central. In the US, you can stream the show on Max.

Read more Friends news on our dedicated homepage

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