It won’t be a happy New Year for Friends fans as the beloved sitcom is set to leave Netflix on December 30.
The series, which ran from 1994 to 2004, has been a constant on the streaming platform for many years, but fans only have until the end of the month to binge-watch all 10 seasons of the show.
Starring Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, Matt Le Blanc, David Schwimmer, and Matthew Perry, Friends told the story of six friends living in New York City.
It has been a cultural phenomenon ever since it first hit our screens, winning several awards and influencing popular culture for two decades since it ended.
Naturally, the news that Friends is leaving Netflix has been met with an outcry from fans, who have taken to social media to air their frustration.
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“Removing Friends on 30th dec…. so u want me to go insane?? count ur days @netflix,” one user wrote.
Another added: “You cannot take Friends off Netflix. It is my anti-depressant at night. Every night without fail I watch it @NetflixUK.”
A third wrote: “Hi @netflix I saw that Friends is leaving the platform, and I just wanted to share how much this show means to me.
“It’s the series I turn to when I’m happy, sad, stressed, or celebrating something. Watching Friends while eating my favorite dinner is one of my small joys in life.”
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Others shared similar dismay over The Big Bang Theory, which is also leaving the streamer at the end of the year, with one X user writing: “Absolutely raging, @netflix are taking Friends and Big Bang. Two shows I watch repeatedly to fall asleep, to help me do jobs around the house – two big ‘strategies’ that help with my ADHD. Literally use them daily, have done for years. What the f**k is wrong with them?!”
Many said this could be the reason they cancel their Netflix subscription for the foreseeable future, while others questioned if there was any way they could contact the platform and beg them to keep Friends.
With HBO Max arriving in the UK in 2026, some fans have speculated that the comedy series will be streaming there instead.
You can buy episodes or complete series of Friends via Amazon Prime Video, the Sky Store, Apple TV, and Rakuten TV, while Friends: The Reunion is streaming on Sky Max and NOW TV – so all hope isn’t lost for Friends fans wanting to watch the show in the UK.
Friends is leaving Netflix UK on December 30
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Freelance Reporter, Digital Spy
Rebecca is a freelance journalist who specializes in TV and film. After beginning her career as a digital entertainment journalist for the Express & Star and Shropshire Star, she embarked on a freelance career in 2021 contributing to the likes of Metro UK, The Sun, WhatCulture, Screen Rant, FilmHounds Magazine and more.
Her particular field of interest is horror cinema and she has written for genre publications such as Ghouls Magazine and Moving Pictures Film Club.
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