Whitney Cummings on hosting ‘Friends’ trivia show ‘Fast Friends’

December 19, 2024

So no one told you life was gonna be this way. Thirty years later, Friends is still there for you.

The NBC sitcom Friends celebrated the 30th anniversary of its premiere episode in 2024. In honor of the milestone, Max is releasing a four-part Friends fan trivia special hosted by Whitney Cummings.

The show, called Fast Friends, premieres Thursday, and Cummings told ABC Audio it's special to be a part of something that is fun to watch.

"Everyone's arguing about everything at this point. No one agrees on anything. I think the one thing we can all agree on as a species is that Friends is a great show," Cummings said. "It is so cool to be a part of something that is, like, uniting people and not dividing people."

Contestants compete for the title of Ultimate Fast Friends Champion on the show, which was filmed at The FRIENDS Experience: The One in New York City, the tourist attraction in New York that recreated all the iconic sets from the show.

"I thought I had a pretty encyclopedic knowledge of Friends until I met these contestants. These contestants are not messing around," Cummings said. "In Friends lingo, I'll just say they never took a break from watching Friends."

A celebration of the beloved show would not be complete without a familiar face. Luckily Maggie Wheeler, who played Janice, appears in episode 2 of Fast Friends. She also happens to be Cummings' favorite Friends character.

"I love Janice. She is who made me think I could be on television, because she's loud and abrasive and, you know, kind of obnoxious," Cummings said. "So, she's kind of my north star ... just like unapologetically loud and, you know, intense and has an annoying laugh. My brand as well."