Subscribers to Netflix in the United Kingdom have been left reeling after the platform confirmed it will be removing two of its most popular and enduring sitcoms before the New Year. The streaming service will pull the beloved series Friends and The Big Bang Theory from its UK library on December 30, giving fans just days to watch their favourite episodes.
Fans React with Fury and Heartbreak
The announcement has sparked a wave of disappointment and anger among loyal viewers, many of whom use the shows as a source of comfort and routine. Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has been flooded with complaints from distraught subscribers.
One fan wrote in desperation, questioning how they would cope: 'Removing Friends on 30th dec…. so you want me to go insane? Count your days Netflix.' Another highlighted the show's role in their mental wellbeing, stating: 'You cannot take Friends off Netflix. It is my anti-depressant at night. Every night without fail I watch it.'
The emotional connection was further emphasised by a viewer who shared: '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.' For some, the removal is a direct threat to their subscription, with one user declaring they may as well cancel Netflix altogether.
The End of an Era for Iconic Sitcoms
The departure marks the end of significant licensing agreements for Netflix UK. Friends, the iconic NBC series starring Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt Le Blanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer, has been available on the platform since 2018. The show, which originally aired from 1994 to 2004, offers a colossal 236 episodes across ten seasons, amounting to over 88 hours of viewing.
It will be joined in exiting by The Big Bang Theory, the hit Chuck Lorre creation. That series was first added to Netflix UK in 2016, with its twelve seasons becoming a staple for fans over the past six years. The simultaneous removal of these two comedy giants represents a substantial shift in the UK streaming landscape.
Further Disappointment for UK Netflix Subscribers
This news follows another recent letdown for British fans of the platform. Netflix recently announced special fan screenings for the epic conclusion of Stranger Things, only to specify they were 'in US and Canada only'. This exclusion left UK fans feeling overlooked and sparked further criticism of the service's regional policies.
With the clock ticking down to December 30, subscribers now face a last-minute binge-watch of their favourite Friends and The Big Bang Theory episodes. The removal underscores the transient nature of content on streaming services, where even the most iconic shows can disappear with little warning, leaving audiences to seek them on rival platforms.
