Friends to leave Netflix in UK at the end of the year

Oh. My. God. Could we be any more disappointed?

Many fans have reacted to the news that the hugely popular sitcom Friends will be leaving Netflix in the UK at the end of the year.

The show, which has attracted a new generation of fans in the streaming era, will leave the platform on December 30.

It hasn’t been announced yet where it will go, but it comes as HBO Max, which runs the show in the US, is preparing to launch in the UK.

One viewer claimed the news was “probably the worst thing that’s ever happened to me”, while another said she was “really heartbroken”.

Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer starred in 236 episodes over 10 seasons, starting in 1994.

The show, about a group of 20-something professionals in New York, is one of the most successful TV series of all time, and is still culturally influential more than two decades after it ended.

Over the years a large number of guest stars have appeared, including George Clooney, Reese Witherspoon, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis, Susan Sarandon and Robin Williams.

The cast reunited in 2021 for a special event hosted by James Corden, in which the actors reminisced about their time on the show and revisited the original set.

Two years later, Perry died in Los Angeles. An autopsy found high concentrations of the drug ketamine in his blood and determined that the “acute effects” of the controlled substance had killed him.

Viewers shared their disappointment about the show’s removal from Netflix on social media, with one writing that she “could actually cry”.

“This is the series I watch when I’m happy, sad, stressed or celebrating something,” posted one viewer on X.

“Seeing friends eat their favorite food is one of the little joys in my life.”

Another fan agreed, saying, “Friends is the only thing I go to Netflix for every day.” “I watch it non-stop, it’s my absolute comfort show.”

Another described the series as “my antidepressant at night”, with one user echoing the same sentiment, saying: “This has been the show to put me to sleep since I was a kid.”

Another hugely popular American comedy, The Big Bang Theory, will also be leaving Netflix at the end of the year.

One fan said they are “two shows I watch over and over again to fall asleep, to help with chores around the house – two big ‘strategies’ that help my ADHD, literally using them daily, having been for years”.

BBC News has asked HBO Max if it plans to show Friends in the new year.