A special event was recently organized to celebrate Friends' 25th anniversary, but it was so disappointing, the organizers are offering customers refunds. Fans all over the world commemorated the special milestone in various ways, but it sounds like those who gathered for this specific event were less than pleased with how things turned out.
Debuting in 1994, Friends ran for 10 successful seasons with an accumulated of 236 episodes. It centered on a group of mid-20s people living in New York City and catapulted Jennifer Aniston (Rachel), Courtney Cox (Monica), Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe), David Schwimmer (Ross), Matthew Perry (Chandler) and Matt LeBlanc (Joey) to mainstream popularity. More than two decades after it first aired, it continues to gain new fans thanks to its availability on Netflix (which sadly will end soon). Due to its enduring clout, it isn't unsurprising that the show's die-hard followers were willing to spend money just to celebrate its silver anniversary.
Sadly, what was supposed to be a happy occasion turned out to be a disaster when attendees of Friends Jubilee Show hosted by Vue cinemas as reported by NOS. Apparently, the event promised to show "iconic episodes, exclusive interviews and never-before-seen images," but instead paying patrons were presented by content that they could've easily watched online. Zoey Ivory described her experience in an Instagram post, giving everyone a better idea on how poorly the gathering was organized.
Apparently, the content shown during these screenings was not decided by the theaters, but by Warner Bros. which makes it unfair for them to get all the flak in this situation. Still, those who paid for the Friends experience can't help but feel deceived by the advertisements regarding the event, especially since there were some who made a special trip out of it - driving hours to get to their designated venues.
If anything, this event is evidence of how Friends continues to be a major pop culture icon. Recently, Aniston made her Instagram debut with a photo of a reunion with her former co-stars in the series which helped her become the fastest person to acquire 1 million followers. At this point, if Warner Bros. decides to do a reunion show regardless if its a one-off or a limited series, chances are that it will still be a major hit. As to whether or not that it's in the cards remains to be seen, especially with the actors currently busy with their own respective projects. Perhaps they can do something really special once the sitcom hits its 30th anniversary in five years.
More: 5 Things In Friends That Make No Sense (& 5 Fan Theories That Do)
Source: NOS, Zoey Ivory