Friends fans were left stunned when Netflix announced the beloved sitcom would be axed in December, but the series will return to UK screens in March
Friends cast(Image: NBC, NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Netflix subscribers were left unimpressed after the streaming platform confirmed it would be dropping sitcom Friends from its catalogue in December.
The beloved series, which originally broadcast on NBC from 1994 to 2004, had been available on the platform since 2018, with all ten seasons ready to watch.
Following its departure from the streaming giant on December 30, UK audiences of the iconic 1990s series won’t have to wait long before it returns to their television screens.
Friends, starring Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Courtney Cox, Matt Le Blanc, David Schwimmer and Matthew Perry, follows the lives of six mates living in New York.
It boasts a staggering 236 episodes, offering fans more than 88 hours of content. At the time, Netflix fans shared the reaction to the show getting removed as one user vented on X: “You cannot take Friends off Netflix. Every night without fail I watch it.”
Echoing these sentiments, a fourth added: ‘How can Netflix be taking Friends off in the UK? Literally the ONLY thing I go onto Netflix everyday for, I watch it non stop back to back, my absolute comfort show, may as well cancel my subscription.’
A fifth concluded: “Genuinely heartbroken Friends is being taken off of Netflix. Best TV show of all time.”
However it’s not all bad as all ten seasons will shortly be available to stream on HBO Max, which launches in the UK on March 26 – having operated stateside since 2020.
The platform, which also streams other popular series including Game of Thrones and Succession, will be accessible in the UK and Ireland from just £4.99.
Beyond Friends, the streaming service will also feature programmes produced by HBO, Warner Bros, DC Studios and Max Originals.
The return of Euphoria, House of the Dragon and The Comeback, alongside the forthcoming Harry Potter TV series, and DC Studios series Lanterns, will all be available on the platform.
Oscar-nominated films Sinners and One Battle Another, which appeared in cinemas last year, will also be offered. HBO-produced shows have previously been available to stream in the UK through Sky and NOW – However, from 26 March onwards, content produced by HBO will be exclusive to HBO Max subscribers.
The two companies have reached an agreement that enables members to bundle both NOW and HBO Max subscriptions together, a change that all NOW Entertainment subscribers will be automatically transitioned to.
This arrangement ensures that HBO Max will be available for streaming in over 10 million households on its launch day.
Friends will be available to stream on HBO Max on its launch on March 26
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