Friends cast nearly ‘left New York for Minnesota’ in mid-series plot twist, creators reveal
Series co-creator David Crane said the writers were ‘out of their minds’ to suggest the idea
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The cast of Friends nearly left New York for snowy Minnesota in a mid-series plot twist, the show’s writers have revealed.
As confirmed in Saul Austerlitz’s gossip-filled book about the sitcom, titled Generation Friends, writers on the show once pitched an idea to have Matthew Perry’s Chandler get a job in Minnesota in the show’s fifth season, with the rest of the show’s ensemble eventually following him there.
“The idea was that Chandler would be unexpectedly transferred to Minnesota for work,” Austerlitz writes. “Since there was no urgent reason for the characters to stay in New York, each of his friends would ultimately choose to join him there, and Friends would keep them in Minnesota for half a season.”
Austerlitz additionally claimed that the characters would have been impressed by Minnesota’s leisurely pace of life in comparison to Manhattan, along with the friendlier neighbours and cheaper apartments.
The book also claims that the writers had pondered the idea of re-shooting the show’s famous opening credits for the story, only with the cast dancing around a frozen fountain in reference to Minnesota’s freezing temperatures.
Designed as a spin on the popular story arc in season four in which Rachel, Monica, Chandler and Joey switched apartments, the story idea was eventually shut down by the show’s co-creator David Crane, who said that they were “out of their minds” to suggest it.
Somewhat awkwardly, the show did utilise a similar plot in the show’s ninth season, in which Chandler is accidentally transferred to Tulsa, Oklahoma. However, that storyline saw none of the other characters, including Chandler’s then-wife Monica, relocate with him.
Generation Friends: An Inside Look at the Show That Defined a Television Era is published by Random House and was released in the US this week.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments