8 Ways 'Friends' Was Almost An Entirely Different Show

For ten years, "Friends" remained one of the most popular and influential programs on television.

But in 1994, when the show's co-creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman were trying to make their idea about six friends living in New York City into a TV reality, there were countless decisions that could have, and almost did, go very differently.

In its May issue, Vanity Fair has published "The Oral History of Friends: Jennifer Aniston Almost Didn't Play Rachel Green."

The article is an excerpt from the former president of NBC Entertainment, Warren Littlefield's new book, "Top of the Rock: Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV."

In it, Littlefield spoke with the cast of "Friends" and the show's creators eight years after the hit show went off the air to reveal that there are casting decisions that could have easily gone another way—not to mention the show's name, which was almost "Six of One" instead of "Friends."

"Friends" was initially titled "Six of One."

“'Six of One' was the name of the show during the pilot,” says Karey Burke, former prime-time executive at NBC. “Then Kauffman and Crane came back with 'Friends,' which we thought was such a snore. Some people thought the show was too Gen X, way too narrow.”

Courteney Cox was originally cast in Jennifer Aniston's "Rachel Green" role.

“We originally offered Rachel to Courteney Cox,” the show's co-creator Marta Kauffman is quoted as saying in "Top of the Rock: Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV."  “But she said she wanted to do Monica, not Rachel.”

And Courteney Cox's "Monica" role was almost played by "The Facts of Life" star Nancy McKeon.

Lori Openden, former head of casting at NBC explains, “Nancy McKeon, from 'The Facts of Life,' also read for Courteney’s part. She gave a terrific performance. Warren let Marta and David make the call. They went off for a walk and came back and said Courteney.”

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