Matthew Perry Photo by: Todd Williamson / WireImage

Chandler at 40: Matthew Perry will star in, co-write and executive produce an as-yet untitled ABC sitcom that he conceived, says the Hollywood Reporter.

The former Chandler Bing of Friends will play a self-absorbed manager of a second-rate sports arena who starts to take stock of his life as he turns 40 – the milestone Perry hit in August.

Other Friends sightings on the tube lately include Courteney Cox starring on ABC’s Cougar Town and Matt LeBlanc signing to headline the Showtime-BBC series Episodes.

– Stephen M. Silverman

Written by Julie Miller

 While the world holds out for a Central Perk reunion movie, Matthew Perry continues his quest for post-Friends success on broadcast television. The 17 Again co-star’s latest hope: a single-camera comedy he will act in, co-write and executive produce under the Sony Pictures TV umbrella. But how will it stack up against Monica and Joey’s current television reincarnations?

Inspired by his own milestone birthday last summer, Perry’s show has him starring as a “self-involved manager of a second-rate sports arena who begins to re-evaluate his life on his 40th birthday.” This sounds an awful lot like the short-lived Mike O’Malley Show (A 30-year-old hockey fan re-evaluates his life after attending the wedding of a close friend), which brings up an interesting point. Who has more star power: 1999’s Mike O’Malley or 2009’s Matthew Perry?

Other Friends alums have found relative success in single-camera television recently. Courteney Cox’s Cougar Town was picked up by ABC for an entire season last week and Matt LeBlanc is set to star in Showtime’s television satire Episodes. Lisa Kudrow dabbled in premium cable single-cam back in 2005 with The Comeback, but has since put herself back on the market for Smelly Cat tribute videos. If Perry gets some traction with his semi-autobiographical comedy, he has a chance at becoming the third most culturally relevant Friend after Cox and Jennifer Aniston. David Schwimmer can write the press release.

Despite earning a gazillion dollars during the life of the hit NBC comedy, the show’s stars continue to set up new projects.

Last month, Showtime announced Matt LeBlanc would play a version of himself in “Episodes,” a quirky half-hour being produced with the BBC.

Lisa Kudrow is producing “Who Do You Think You Are,” a reality series featuring celebs searching for their roots. It will premiere on NBC later this season.

And now comes word that Chandler, er, Matthew Perry has decided to make another go at comedy. The Hollywood Reporter says he’s teamed with director Thomas Schlamme for a half-hour, single-camera show about a dude who just turned 40 and is rethinking his life.

Perry will co-write the pilot with writers Alex Barno and Mark Firek, THR says.

Hollywood yentas will also no doubt find it interesting that the project is being produced by former ABC Entertainment chief Jamie Tarses, via her deal at Sony. Tarses and Perry have been romantically linked in the past (and Tarses was a consultant on “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” Perry’s first post-”Friends” show).

The new projects from our TV “Friends” come as Courteney Cox seems to have found some new small screen success. She’s starring in ABC’s “Cougar Town,” which just got picked up for a full season.

Jennifer Aniston, of course, is too busy making mediocre movies and dating all the wrong men to consider returning to TV.

As for David “Ross” Schwimmer, well… there’s always hope for a “Friends” reunion special.

The Dish Rag by Elizabeth Snead

Monica and Chandler, back together on ABC?

First, ABC got “Friends” star Courteney Cox’s midlife-crisis series “Cougar Town.”

Now, after heated bidding with NBC, the network has landed another “Friends” alum, Matthew Perry, with his as-yet-unnamed comedy, also about a midlife crisis.

Thomas Schlamme will direct Perry as a self-involved man who manages a second-rate sports arena and has a life-reevaluation moment (not another one) on his 40th (yawn) birthday.

Two “Friends” back on network prime time with two comedic series about midlife disillusionment and lost youthful dreams?

What does this all mean? Are they talking to us? 

By Dave Itzkoff

Slowly but surely, ABC is adding to its collection of vagabond “Friends” alumni. The Hollywood Reporter said the network had acquired a new comedy series created by and set to star Matthew Perry, who played the more-sarcastic-than-thou roommate Chandler on “Friends.” In the new show, which does not yet have a title, Mr. Perry would play the manager of a sports arena who takes stock of his life after he turns 40. (Mr. Perry himself reached this milestone on Aug. 19.) Among the other bidders for the series, The Hollywood Reporter said, was NBC, which broadcast “Friends” from 1994 to 2004. ABC is also home to the Courteney Cox sitcom “Cougar Town,” which was recently picked up for a full season. Matt LeBlanc is committed to a new series of his own for Showtime and the BBC, but Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and the actor who played Gunther the coffee-shop barista are still up for grabs.