Why Chandler And Monica Will Never Get A Friends Spin-Off
"Friends," without a doubt, is one of the most iconic shows of the past 30 years, and thanks to the recent HBO Max special "Friends: The Reunion," fans of the show are revisiting their love for Chandler, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Rachel, and Ross.
When the show ended in 2004, fans were heartbroken, knowing Thursday nights would never be the same. Good news came, however, when it was announced that a spinoff show, "Joey," would be filling the "Friends'" former time slot, following Joey Tribbiani as he pursued his acting career in Los Angeles.
Unfortunately, "Joey" didn't have anything remotely resembling the fanfare as its parent show, and was cancelled after only two seasons due to low ratings. However, "Friends" producer Kevin S. Bright revealed to Metro that a spinoff with Joey wasn't the team's first choice — it was actually their third. NBC wanted Jennifer Aniston, the breakout star of "Friends," to lead a spinoff, but she wanted to pursue a film career. Studio execs then considered a show following Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry), but that wasn't going to work either.
Cox and Perry were done with Monica and Chandler
In his exclusive interview with Metro, Kevin S. Bright shared that while producers were keen on following Monica and Chandler's new life as suburban parents, Courteney Cox and Matthew Perry weren't on board. "...While they were grateful for doing the show, they didn't want to play those parts anymore," Bright told Metro.
We can imagine that playing the same character for a decade could get a bit dull. After the success of "Friends," the cast members were some of the most highly sought-after (and highest paid) names in the industry, so it makes sense that Cox and Perry wanted to explore other projects. Cox would go on to continue her work in television, starring in the short-lived "Dirt," and popular sitcom "Cougar Town." She'll also be reprising her role as Gale Weathers in the upcoming "Scream" sequel. Perry would also continue in television, starring on Aaron Sorkin's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," as well as on "The Good Wife" and "The Odd Couple."
The evolution of Monica and Chandler's relationship was one of our favorite parts of "Friends." While we're sad we never got to see the rest of their journeys, we'll always love revisiting their love story on our many rewatches.