In its heyday, the TV show Friends captured a potent and very specific vein of 90s optimism. 

A time when friends actually spent time with friends, rather than ignoring each other for their phones. 

An era when hanging out in a coffee shop together still carried a frisson of sophistication. 

A moment in history when “The Rachel” crop reigned supreme, and people found themselves inadvertently humming along to the tune of Phoebe’s Smelly Cat. 

We wouldn’t be exaggerating if we said this feeling was sacrosanct: a unique type of throwback fuel that we’ll always hold close to our hearts. 

It’s a nostalgia that Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman understands well. And it’s exactly why she won’t consider a sequel of the hit New York City sitcom, which wrapped in 2004 after a 10-year run. 

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Kauffman has once again stated that she’ll never create a Friends reunion; chiefly because she wants to preserve the original magic of the show. 

“The show is about a time in your life when your friends are your family,” she says. “It’s not that time anymore. All we’d be doing is putting those six actors back together, but the heart of the show would be gone.”

But, more importantly she says, “I don’t know what good it does us”.

“The show is doing just fine, people love it,” Kauffman explains. "[A reunion] could only disappoint.” She quips the comeback would be titled, “The One Where Everyone’s Disappointed”. 

Nailing why people are still drawn to the show, even today, Kauffman adds: “These are trying times, and certain people want the comfort food rather than the difficult, mean-spirited kind of show. It’s warm, it’s cozy, [the characters] love each other. What’s not to love about that?” 

For those who are in need of an extra Friends fix, however, there is a silver lining.

The Comedy Central channel has just announced the return of its FriendsFest tour in the UK, to celebrate the show’s 25th anniversary.

Fans will have a chance to recreate the iconic Friends title sequence, walk a set of Monica’s apartment and dress up in memorable outfits from the series. See more right here.

Images: Getty