The F.R.I.E.N.D.S Spin-Off That Never Happened

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,501
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Thinking about friends and Joey today, I vaguely remembered another spin-off called Girlfriends that was announced centering on Phoebe....

I KNEW I wasn't imagining this so I googled, and there they were, loads of articles from 2003/2004.


Shame, I would've much preferred this to Joey :(

http://www.contactmusic.com/news-article/kudrow-set-for-phoebe-spin.off
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  • LMLM Posts: 63,324
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    I never knew about this and thank god it never happened

    I always felt a spin-off with Monica and Chandler moving to their new house would of worked, especially with Janice and her husband as their new neighbours.
  • dd68dd68 Posts: 17,833
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    I never heard about this before
  • LudwigVonDrakeLudwigVonDrake Posts: 12,836
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    Wasn't Gunter even rumoured to have a spin off at one point?
  • bigc127bigc127 Posts: 1,288
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    Bear in mind that Phoebe was the sister of Ursula, who was in Mad About You. So strictly speaking Friends itself was a spin off. A spin off of a spin off, has that ever happened?
  • RickyBarbyRickyBarby Posts: 5,902
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    bigc127 wrote: »
    Bear in mind that Phoebe was the sister of Ursula, who was in Mad About You. So strictly speaking Friends itself was a spin off. A spin off of a spin off, has that ever happened?

    And kramer from seinfeld guest in mad about you.
  • LudwigVonDrakeLudwigVonDrake Posts: 12,836
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    bigc127 wrote: »
    A spin off of a spin off, has that ever happened?

    Yes. JAG > NCIS > NCIS: LA
  • RickyBarbyRickyBarby Posts: 5,902
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    Yes. JAG > NCIS > NCIS: LA
    Plus the link to 5-0
  • KrommKromm Posts: 6,180
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    I have no clue what "F.R.I.E.N.D.S." is. Is it some secret evil spy organization out to replace all of our world leaders with robot duplicates operated by the former cast of "Friends"?

    Lisa Kurdow is probably the big boss if so. She's mean.
  • KrommKromm Posts: 6,180
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    bigc127 wrote: »
    Bear in mind that Phoebe was the sister of Ursula, who was in Mad About You. So strictly speaking Friends itself was a spin off. A spin off of a spin off, has that ever happened?
    They're completely different producers/production companies.

    I don't think Ursula was even given a last name till Friends was on the air and a hit. She was at that point, to acknowledge the common actress and make a bit of humor out of it. So... not a spinoff, but more of a... cobbled together link after the fact.
  • MrMarpleMrMarple Posts: 3,424
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    bigc127 wrote: »
    Bear in mind that Phoebe was the sister of Ursula, who was in Mad About You. So strictly speaking Friends itself was a spin off. A spin off of a spin off, has that ever happened?


    The Golden Girls - Empty Nest - Nurses - The Golden Palace
  • elnombreelnombre Posts: 3,625
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    As by far the most talented actor of the 6, I'd be surprised if Lisa Kudrow had ever had any interest in a spin-off. She'd already expressed that she was tired of the character around season 9. Too busy winning an emmy for The Comeback and now in the excellent Web Therapy anyway.
  • MrMarpleMrMarple Posts: 3,424
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    elnombre wrote: »
    As by far the most talented actor of the 6, I'd be surprised if Lisa Kudrow had ever had any interest in a spin-off. She'd already expressed that she was tired of the character around season 9. Too busy winning an emmy for The Comeback and now in the excellent Web Therapy anyway.

    She was nominated, but she didn't win.
    Julia Louis-Dreyfus won that year.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,027
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    GoshBagosh wrote: »
    Thinking about friends and Joey today, I vaguely remembered another spin-off called Girlfriends that was announced centering on Phoebe....

    I KNEW I wasn't imagining this so I googled, and there they were, loads of articles from 2003/2004.


    Shame, I would've much preferred this to Joey :(

    http://www.contactmusic.com/news-article/kudrow-set-for-phoebe-spin.off

    Perhaps We would have preferred that Friends was better written and had far more realistic characters, than We ended up with.... for example, it is inconceivable that the character played by David Schwimmer could ever have ever finished high school, let alone ended with having been given a Doctorate.
  • NoEntry2kNoEntry2k Posts: 14,969
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    Yes. JAG > NCIS > NCIS: LA

    And very nearly JAG > NCIS > NCIS: LA > NCIS: Red, but CBS have decided not to pick up NCIS: Red.
  • NoEntry2kNoEntry2k Posts: 14,969
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    MrMarple wrote: »
    [/B]

    The Golden Girls - Empty Nest - Nurses - The Golden Palace

    Wasn't The Golden Palace simply another spin off from The Golden Girls rather than Nurses?
  • NoEntry2kNoEntry2k Posts: 14,969
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    Kromm wrote: »
    They're completely different producers/production companies.

    I don't think Ursula was even given a last name till Friends was on the air and a hit. She was at that point, to acknowledge the common actress and make a bit of humor out of it. So... not a spinoff, but more of a... cobbled together link after the fact.

    I’d agree with this. Much like, as has been mentioned in this thread, there is a ‘link’ between NCIS:LA and Hawaii Five 0, but that’s all it is and it doesn’t make one a spin off of the other.
  • MrMarpleMrMarple Posts: 3,424
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    NoEntry2k wrote: »
    Wasn't The Golden Palace simply another spin off from The Golden Girls rather than Nurses?

    Yes it was really, I just noted them down in chronological order.
  • Judas82Judas82 Posts: 239
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    bigc127 wrote: »
    Bear in mind that Phoebe was the sister of Ursula, who was in Mad About You. So strictly speaking Friends itself was a spin off. A spin off of a spin off, has that ever happened?

    That originally wasn't planned though ; it came about due to Lisa Kudrow playing a recurring character in the same vein as Phoebe in Mad About You. Then the creative forces behind the shows connected the shows.

    I like when Helen Hunt guests on Friends as her Mad About You character.

    If there was to be another spin off from Friends i'd prefer if it centred on a supporting character. Rachel's sister Amy for example. That was the failure of Joey the series ; you just missed the other Friends not being there. I'd like to see the Friends guest star on it though. However limited like the Cheers characters on Frasier. A spin off show as to establish itself as it's own show.
  • Mr.LavigneMr.Lavigne Posts: 922
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    Kromm wrote: »
    I have no clue what "F.R.I.E.N.D.S." is. Is it some secret evil spy organization out to replace all of our world leaders with robot duplicates operated by the former cast of "Friends"?

    Lisa Kurdow is probably the big boss if so. She's mean.

    I have got no idea why people put the dots in. It's stupid. Yes, it's how the title is written on screen, but the title is not an anacrynym.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,280
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    I never knew about this and thank god it never happened

    I always felt a spin-off with Monica and Chandler moving to their new house would of worked, especially with Janice and her husband as their new neighbours.

    God, No!!!! After that crap Everybody Loves Raymond, I think people had enough of the whole neighbours family sitcoms around that time. To be honest, none of the Friends' spinoff would have worked because viewers were ready to move on when season 10 came. However, I did enjoy Joey, it just wasn't as good. It's all for the best anyways since all six actors found success after FRIENDS with films and TV. Janice also makes more guest starring roles, every now and then.
  • monkeypuzzlermonkeypuzzler Posts: 165
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    I enjoyed Joey, mainly as I enjoyed looking at Drea Di Matteo
  • SuperAPJSuperAPJ Posts: 10,402
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    There are so many characters or couples who could have been the focus of a spin-off.
    • Ross and Rachel
    • Chandler and Monica, with Janice's family living next door (as another poster suggested)
    • Janice and family, with the Bings next door, making occasional audience-scream-inducing cameos
    • Jack and Judy Geller
    • Gunther and his adventures in Central Perk
    • Carol and Susan
    • Ursula

    In other words, remember a character, suggest a spin-off! :p

    I also think Monica and Phoebe's friend Amanda, could've suited a spin-off, which would've no doubt been ripped apart by critics and viewers alike!
  • ArchiexArchiex Posts: 219
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    I dont think a spin off as such will happen. Not now, however I do think it's only a matter of time before they decide to bring it back, but with a new cast. Opening scene could easily play on from the final scene with a close up of the keys on the sideboard, pan out and door opens to new couple moving in. Obviously update the sets but make sure it's obvious it's the same place.

    If done correctly, you could have the odd person showing up to contact joey, chandler or Monica and the new guys wondering just what these guys were like. Maybe even find stuff in a cupboard or something. Gives good opportunities especially with cameos and seeing if Gunther is still going in central perk lol.
  • BumbleSquatBumbleSquat Posts: 7,176
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    bigc127 wrote: »
    Bear in mind that Phoebe was the sister of Ursula, who was in Mad About You. So strictly speaking Friends itself was a spin off. A spin off of a spin off, has that ever happened?

    As already mentioned by various posters, the 2 shows were only linked up by producers because Friends and Mad About You shared the same Thursday night line-up on NBC at one point. 2 shows set in New York with the same actress. Makes sense to merge the 2.

    An episode of Mad About You sees a character cause a city-wide blackout - the effects of this blackout are portrayed in Friends in that season 1 episode where Chandler gets stuck in a bank with Jill Goodacre. ;)

    The final episode of Mad About You revealed that after having a successful career in porn, Ursula went on to become the Governor of New York!
  • SuperAPJSuperAPJ Posts: 10,402
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    Mr.Lavigne wrote: »
    I have got no idea why people put the dots in. It's stupid. Yes, it's how the title is written on screen, but the title is not an anacrynym.

    It makes me think that the theme song should've been that featured in the Harvey and Rabbit TV advert!
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