Before Friends officially said goodbye in 2004, NBC was already scrambling to keep the magic alive. And here’s the twist many fans still don’t know: Joey wasn’t the network’s first choice.
In the immediate aftermath of that record-breaking finale, executives reportedly approached Matthew Perry and Courteney Cox with an ambitious idea—continue the story of Monica and Chandler. The proposed spin-off, tentatively titled The Bings, would’ve followed the couple as they left Manhattan behind for suburban Westchester, juggling new parenthood with twins, home ownership, and a very different kind of chaos.
NBC believed Monica and Chandler’s steady, deeply loved dynamic was the safest way to extend the Friends universe. For fans, it could’ve meant seeing the couple we watched grow up finally settle into married life—arguments over lawn care instead of apartment cleanliness, late-night feedings instead of Central Perk hangouts.
But Perry and Cox ultimately said no. Both felt it was the right moment to step away, avoid being permanently tied to their iconic roles, and start fresh creatively. Only after The Bings was shelved did the network pivot to the character most willing to continue—sending Joey Tribbiani west for his Los Angeles chapter.
