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Friends<\/em><\/a>\u00a0turns 30 today, with its premiere episode airing on September 22, 1994.<\/p>\n The show was an instant hit and has become one of the most beloved sitcoms in history. Over its 10 seasons and 236 episodes,\u00a0Friends<\/em> has been watched more than 100 billion times across various platforms. However, the creators\u2014Marta Kauffman<\/strong>, David Crane<\/strong>, and executive producer Kevin S. Bright<\/strong>\u2014acknowledge that Matthew Perry<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s death has cast a shadow over what should be a celebratory time. The show faced a tragic turn in 2023 when Perry died at age 54 from what a medical examiner described as the acute effects of ketamine. In August, federal and local law enforcement officials announced the arrest of five defendants, including two doctors, who were charged with multiple counts for allegedly exploiting Perry\u2019s well-known struggles with drug addiction.<\/p>\n Kauffman noted that the connection among the six stars\u2014Jennifer Aniston<\/strong><\/a>, Courteney Cox<\/strong><\/a>, Lisa Kudrow<\/strong><\/a>, Matt LeBlanc<\/strong><\/a>, David Schwimmer<\/strong><\/a>, and Perry\u2014was evident from the start. While there has never been a\u00a0Friends<\/em> reboot, a cast reunion<\/a> was held on HBO Max in 2021.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what those who worked on the sitcom had to say about the loss of their beloved Chandler Bing.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019d been fighting the good fight for so long, and it really did feel like, from the reunion, that he had finally found some peace,\u201d co-creator Bright said in a TODAY<\/a><\/em> interview that aired on Sept. 20.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a huge loss, and it does make the 30th a little fraught,\u201d Kauffman added.<\/p>\n \u201cHe made us laugh every day\u2014David always said he was the funniest man in the room,\u201d Bright reflected.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the six of them got on stage together,\u201d Kauffman recalled of the show\u2019s earliest rehearsals, \u201cI got a chill up my spine and thought, \u2018This is something special.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Kauffman also previously spoke about how to honor Perry\u2019s memory after his death. \u201cDonate to drug treatment centers\u2014let\u2019s fight the disease,\u201d she told The Times<\/em><\/a> last month. \u201cThe second way is to watch\u00a0Friends<\/em> and remember him not as a man who died like that, but as a man who was hilariously funny and brought joy to everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2023, shortly after Perry\u2019s death, the three issued a joint statement: \u201cWe are shocked and deeply, deeply saddened by our beloved friend Matthew\u2019s passing. It still seems impossible. All we can say is that we feel blessed to have had him as part of our lives. He was a brilliant talent.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe will always cherish the joy, the light, the blinding intelligence he brought to every moment\u2014not just to his work, but in life as well. He was always the funniest person in the room. More than that, he was the sweetest, with a giving and selfless heart.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe send all of our love to his family and friends. This truly is The One Where Our Hearts Are Broken.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\t<\/div>\nFriends\u00a0<\/em>Creators and Executive Producer<\/h2>\n