Friends creator Marta Kauffman has apologised for the iconic sitcom's lack of diversity.
Speaking at the ATX TV Festival 2020, via a From the Couch virtual panel, Kauffman said she would have made different decisions on the show had she known as much about the importance of diversity as she does now.
"I wish I knew then what I know today," she said, before apologising. "Sorry, I just wish I knew then what I know now. I would've made very different decisions.
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"I mean we've always encouraged people of diversity in our company, but I didn't do enough and now all I can think about is what can I do?"
She continued: "What can I do differently? How can I run my show in a new way? And that's something I not only wish I knew when I started showrunning, but I wish I knew all the way up through last year."
In recent years, the show has come under plenty of criticism for its lack of on-screen diversity and problematic storylines, which some of the cast members have addressed themselves.
When previously asked how the show would be different nowadays, Lisa Kudrow, who played Phoebe Buffay, told The Sunday Times: "Well, it would not be an all-white cast, for sure."
Meanwhile, David Schwimmer (Ross Geller) suggested to The Guardian that there should be an all-black or all-asian version of the sitcom, adding that he was "well aware of the lack of diversity and I campaigned for years to have Ross date women of colour".
In the ninth season, both Joey and Ross have a romance with Black palaeontology professor Charlie (Aisha Tyler). Aisha herself previously spoke about her role being a positive step for the show, which wasn't as diverse as reality.
Friends is available to stream now on Netflix.
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