“Friends” To Quit After £125m Deal

Two members of the cast of US sitcom Friends are believed to be quitting the series. The Independent newspaper has reported that David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow are planning to leave the show, just a week after Channel 4 outbid Sky to secure the broadcast rights to the series for a further three years (see Channel 4 Steals Friends And ER Rights From Sky).

Since 1996, when Channel 4 bought the series to the UK, it has shared the rights to the hit show with BSkyB. The channel was “delighted” last week when it managed to poach the exclusive British rights in a package which also included the rights to hospital drama ER and was believed to cost the channel a record £125 million. Now, however, the Independent newspaper is claiming that managing director of Sky Networks, Elizabeth Murdoch, lost interest in obtaining the rights when she learnt from insiders at Warner Brothers, which makes the series, that the pair were leaving.

The loss of two of the key characters could be devastating for the show, which will be entering its ninth series by 2003, when the Channel 4 contract is due to expire.

Channel 4: 0171 396 4444 BSkyB: 0171 705 3000